Pan India enforcement drives to implement ban on Single Use Plastic

Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today informed that the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, as amended, provide the statutory framework and the prescribed authorities for pan India enforcement of the rules, including ban on identified single use plastic items, which became effective from 1st July 2022.

Further, States and Union territories have been asked to undertake regular enforcement drives to implement a ban on identified single use plastic items and on plastic carry bags having thickness less than one hundred twenty microns, covering fruit and vegetable markets, wholesale markets, local markets, flower vendors, units manufacturing plastic carry bags etc. States and UTs have also been asked to undertake random checking at border checkpoints to stop inter-state movement of banned single use plastic items.

A one-month long pan India enforcement campaign was undertaken for implementation of ban on identified single use plastic items from 1st to 31st July 2022. Special pan India enforcement drives were undertaken in months of October, November and December, 2022 by Central Pollution Control Board, State Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees.

In the written reply it was stated that for effective monitoring of ban on identified single use plastic items and plastic waste management in the country the following online platforms are in operation (a) National Dashboard for monitoring of comprehensive action plan implementation, (b) CPCB Monitoring Module for Compliance on Elimination of Single Use Plastic, and (c) CPCB Grievance Redressal App.

It was stated that the enforceable obligation of minimum level of recycling of plastic packaging waste collected under extended producer responsibility guidelines will further strengthen the circular economy of plastic packaging waste and allow for development of the waste management sector through involvement of the formal/informal sector.

The total number of registered plastic waste processors on the centralized EPR portal for plastic packaging is 1602. As per information available on EPR portal there are 47 registered plastic waste processors in Andhra Pradesh, of which 35 are registered as plastic waste recyclers. The total number of registered producers, importers and brand owners on the centralized EPR portal for plastic packaging is 5000 with an EPR target of 22.37 Lakh TPA. Further, as per available information plastic waste management units are also created under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) as per scheme guidelines.