CPCB Takes Steps to Implement Single Use Plastic Ban

To realise the Prime Minister's clarion call to phase out SUP, CPCB has taken comprehensive measures to give effect to India's commitment to ban identified Single Use Plastic items by 30th June, 2022.

As part of its Comprehensive Action Plan, CPCB's multi-pronged approach includes measures to reduce raw material supply, demand-side measures to reduce plastic demand, enabling measures to promote alternatives to SUP, and digital interventions for efficient monitoring and awareness, and guidance to State Boards for effective implementation of directions.

Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016, prohibit the use of plastic sachets for storing, packing, or selling gutkha, tobacco, and pan masala. According to the PWM (Amended) Rules, 2021, the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of carrying bags made of virgin or recycled plastic less than 75 microns is prohibited beginning September 30th, 2021, as opposed to the fifty microns recommended previously under the PWM Rules, 2016.

Furthermore, effective July 1, 2022, the notification of August 12, 2021, prohibits the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of the following identified single-use plastic items with low utility and high littering potential:

• earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration.

• plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straws, trays, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, and cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners less than 100 microns, stirrers.

Directions have been issued at the national, state, and local levels to limit the supply of identified items. For example, all major petrochemical industries have agreed not to supply plastic raw materials to industries engaged in prohibited SUP production. In addition, SPCB/PCCs have been directed to modify or revoke consent to operate issued under the Air/Water Act to industries engaged in prohibited SUP production.

The Customs Authority has been asked to halt the import of prohibited SUP items. To close the loop, Local Authorities have been directed to issue new commercial licenses with the condition that no SUP items be sold on their premises, and existing commercial licenses will be canceled if entities are found to be selling prohibited SUP items.

Enabling measures for promoting alternatives to SUP are actively pursued as an alternative to the existing supply. CPCB has already issued one-time certificates to approximately 200 compostable plastic manufacturers. These certificates do not need to be renewed, which is consistent with the government's ease-of-doing-business policy.

In addition, an online portal has been created to help these manufacturers get certified. CPCB, in collaboration with CIPET, is organizing workshops for MSMEs across the country to help them transition to alternatives to SUP. 

Three such workshops have already taken place in Ranchi, Guwahati, and Madurai. Alternatives to petroleum-based plastics are also being developed in collaboration with leading technical institutions such as IISc and CIPET.

On the demand side, E-commerce companies, leading single-use plastic sellers/users, and plastic raw material manufacturers have been given instructions regarding the phase-out of:

• single-use plastic items were identified SPCBs and local bodies are organizing large-scale awareness drives with the participation of all citizens – students, voluntary organizations, self-help groups, local NGOs/CSOs, RWAs, market associations, corporate entities, and so on. Previously, the CPCB conducted surprise inspections of Gutkha / Pan Masala manufacturing industries across the country to assess the use of plastic in product packaging.

• To create an enabling support system, the CPCB is assisting the State Boards in operationalizing the advisories issued by holding meetings so that all urban local bodies in the respective states can effectively implement the guidelines with their assistance. Regional Workshops with SPCBs/PCCs will be held in June 2022, in addition to a Central Workshop with Chairpersons of all SPCBs/PCCs.

Finally, several digital interventions have been implemented to improve efficiency at scale. Shri Bhupender Yadav, Minister of EF&CC, launched a SUP Public Grievance App to encourage citizen participation. The app includes geotagging capabilities as well as the ability to track complaints. A SUP Compliance Monitoring Portal for State/UT Authorities to file Reports in accordance with CPCB Comprehensive Directions for a bird's eye view of progress and day-to-day monitoring.

CPCB is committed to facilitating the Single Use Plastic Ban of notified items through active collaboration with key stakeholders in order to achieve this lofty goal of phasing out SUP plastics for India's green future.