The Central Pollution Control Board issued a public notice dated 4 February 2022, notifying the ban on the manufacturing, sale, purchase and use of 19 Single-Use Plastic (SUP) commodities effective from 1July 2022. In July 2022, the nationwide ban on nineteen single-use plastic commodities came into force. However, not only are these items still in circulation and distribution, especially in metro cities, but also the items covered in the list of banned commodities are questionable, say experts. In conversation with Prashant Sharma, Founder, Children’s Earth Organisation, a NITI AAYOG and UNEP-affiliated NGO, we understand why the single-use plastic ban has failed in India. Which Items Are Banned? The nineteen items covered in the ban are earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, icecream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration, plastic plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives; straws, trays, wrapping or packaging film around sweet boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners less than 100 microns, and stirrers. Experts have pointed out that the ban does not cover all single-use plastic items. According to these reports, the share of the now-banned single-use plastic is as low as 2-3% of the 3.5 million tonnes of plastic India generates. How Has the Ban Affected Different Segments of This Industry? “Even though the major industries had ample time before the implementation of the ban to alternate their production and packaging according to these guidelines, it turned out to be quite impractical in some ways,” Prashant Sharma commented. For example, plastic straws attached to liquid containers have been replaced with paper straws by most of the major players in the industry. However, the paper straws are covered in plastic wrappers as there is no restriction on that, which defies the purpose of the ban altogether. Another example of the elimination of plastic cutlery with popular instant food items like instant noodles, instant poha, instant upma etc., without provision of alternatives like wooden cutlery makes consumption. Such industries have also benefited from lower packaging costs. As far as the unorganised sector is concerned, they did not take the ban well either. “The economy took a major hit in the pandemic and is further worsened by inflation. In this condition, the cost of acquiring biodegradable alternatives to the listed items adversely affects small business owners, and their customers,” Sharma said. “The lack of sturdy, affordable and practical alternatives to banned items further adds to their problems,” he added. How Well Did the Government Plan and Implement the Ban? Poor planning and implementation have affected the most vulnerable segment of the industry, while the major indus- tries found a loophole and got away with similar or even cheaper packaging. Nor are the consumers very satisfied with this change. In some cases, they even pay extra for the items they got cheaper earlier. “Before implementing the ban, the SUP items that had already been produced and are still in distribution should have been acquired by the government for better implementation,” Sharma suggested. Perspective on Future Plans? On 30 September, carry bags with thickness below 75 microns were banned, and the minimum thickness will further be increased to 120 microns on 31 December this year. In Sharma’s view, “The plan seems good on paper and will be beneficial only if the ground implementation is well taken care of by the government.”
10 Oct 2022
Pratishtha Bagai
