Centre shelves plan on nationwide ban on single-use plastic

Industry facing pressure under economic slowdown and job losses

plastic-5-salil Scenes from a demonstration to create awareness about plastic pollution, staged by Fridays for Future, in Kolkata | Salil Bera

The Centre has shelved its plans to impose a blanket ban on single-use plastics, as various sectors in the country are facing pressure under economic slowdown and job losses. Various news reports had suggested that New Delhi was mulling banning single-use plastics across the nation to fight pollution. The announcement for the same was expected on Wednesday. 

However, a Reuters report, citing two government officials, said that there would be no immediate move to ban plastic bags, cups, plates, small bottles, straws and certain types of sachets and instead the government would try to curb their use. "For now, government will ask states to enforce existing rules against storing, manufacturing and using some single-use plastic products such as polythene bags and styrofoam," the report quoted Chandra Kishore Mishra, a top bureaucrat in the ministry of environment, as saying. “There is no new ban order being issued,” Mishra said. “Now, it’s a question of telling people about the ill-effects of plastic, of collecting and sending for recycling so people don’t litter.”

The industry was evidently confused and awaiting clarity on the government's proposal to curb single-use plastics. "We all are eagerly waiting for the definition of single-use plastic. A proper definition needs to outline the thickness of the polythene carry bags, whether it is less than 50 microns. We are hopeful that a proper definition on single-use plastic will be soon out clearing all confusion," Plastindia Foundation president Jigish Doshi was quoted by PTI on Tuesday. 

Currently, the industry provides employment to around 10 million directly and 100 million indirectly, he said, leading to Rs 30,000-40,000 crore revenue loss. He said, it should be a gradual process and six months to one-year should be given to both the industry and consumers so that alternatives could be found.

The plastic industry is around Rs 4 lakh crore and total consumption is about 17,770 billion tonne, he said. Meanwhile, Kashi Nath Jha, the joint secretary at the department of chemicals and petrochemicals, said the government has constituted a committee to bring clarity on the issue of single-use plastic, which directly impacts multiple industries including consumers goods and pharmaceuticals.

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