Rules notified for Plastic Waste Management

New Delhi, Mar 12 (KNN) The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has notified the amended rules on plastic waste management named ''Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021'' which proposes to prohibit the manufacture, use, sale, import and handling of some of the single-use plastic items on a pan India basis.

''Considering the high environmental costs associated with management of single-use plastics, particularly the adverse effect on marine environment, and the need for a definitive action supplementing the initiative undertaken by various States/UTs to combat plastic pollution, it is proposed that a  prohibition on the manufacture, use, sale, import and handling of some of the single-use plastic items may be imposed on a pan India basis,'' a notification from the Ministry dated March 11, 2021 said.

Under the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021, notified by the said ministry, the manufacturing, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of single-use plastic commodities such as Ear buds with plastic sticks,  plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene [Thermocol] for decoration will be prohibited from January 1st, 2022.

''The manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of single-use plastic (including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene) items such as plates,  cups,  glasses, cutlery  such as  forks,  spoons,  knives,  straw, trays, wrapping/packing films around  sweet  boxes;  invitation cards;  and  cigarette packets, plastic/PVC banners less than 100 micron, stirrers shall be prohibited from July 1st, 2022,'' it added.

The provision shall not apply to commodities (including carry bags) made of compostable plastic material, it said.