Single-use plastic to be phased out. Read on to know all about it

Plastic candy and ice cream sticks may be phased out starting January 1, 2022, according to the Centre’s announcement to Parliament on Friday.

In response to a question about the single-use plastic phase-out schedule, Minister of State for Environment Ashwini Choubey said that, according to a draft notification released earlier this year, the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of some of the identified single-use plastic items will be prohibited by January 1, 2022.

By January 1, earbuds with plastic sticks, balloon sticks, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, and polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration will be phased out. Single-use plastic (including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene) products such as plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, straws, containers and container lids, trays, plastic/PVC banners smaller than 100 microns and stirrers will be phased out by July of next year.

Carry bags made of virgin or recycled plastic less than 120 microns in thickness and non-woven plastic carry bags less than 60 GSM (gramme per square metre) or 240 microns in thickness are among the single-use plastic products anticipated to be phased out by September 30 this year. In a written statement to the Lok Sabha, the minister stated that the regulations do not apply to goods (including carrying bags) produced of biodegradable plastic.

On March 11, 2021, the Ministry of Environment published a notification for public comment including draft rules for modifying the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016, which included restricting the use of designated single-use plastic goods by 2022.

In response to another question about the steps taken to strengthen the implementation of the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, as well as to reduce the use of single-use plastic items identified, the minister said the states/UTs have been asked to form a special task force under the chief secretary or administrator.

‘Already, 14 states/UTs have constituted the special task force till date. A national-level task force has also been constituted by the ministry for taking coordinated efforts to eliminate identified single-use plastic items and effective implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016,’ he said.

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The development of a comprehensive action plan for the elimination of single-use plastics and effective implementation of the rules in a time-bound manner has also been requested of the state and UT governments, as well as the central ministries and departments concerned, he said, adding that the government has been taking measures to raise awareness about the elimination of single-use plastics.