Single use plastic ban

 Recently government has decided to complete ban on single-use plastic from January 1, 2022. Ministry of Environment , Forest and Climate change (MoEFCC) has prepared a draft in this regard. It has been decided that the micro plastics/ single use plastic will be banned from January 1, 2022.

In order to deal with the menace of huge uncollected plastic waste across the country, the center has also decided to increase thickness of polythene bags from 50 microns to 120 microns from September 30 this year. currently, polythene bags of less than 50 microns are banned in the country.

Single use plastic commodities will be prohibited under amended rules ahead of the celebration of 75 years of India's independence on August 15, next year.

Increase in thickness of carry-bags , will substantially improve collection and recycling of used-bags.

The move assumes significance as currently 40% of total plastic waste remains uncollected in the country every day. The uncollected plastic waste causes choking of drainage and river systems, soil and water contamination, littering of marine ecosystem, ingestion by stray animals, and its open air burning leads to adverse impact on human health and environment.

It will be banned in a staggered manner in two phases. we have some data that attract us to contemplate on this issue. We use daily 500 billion plastic bags yearly. Each minute 10 Lakhs drinkable bottles are purchased. Each year about 80 Lakh tonnes garbage are drained into the oceans , in which more than 50% plastics are single-use of types. Which resulted in death of 11 lakhs aquatic animals. And the data also tell us that by 2050 , the number of plastic will be more than fishes.