Indian plastic waste management rules to tackle crisis

The Indian Union environment ministry has issued the Plastic Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules, 2022, in view of the phasing out of certain single-use plastic products from July 1 and the mandate to increase the thickness of plastic carry bags to over 120 microns from December 31. The rules specify what biodegradable plastics are and provide a statutory framework for their use as an alternative material. They provide for levying of penalties or environmental compensation under the ‘Polluter Pays’ principle on those who do not comply with the rules.

The amended rules were issued on July 6 and updated on the ministry’s website on Wednesday. They say biodegradable plastics mean plastics other than compostable plastics, which undergo degradation by biological processes under ambient environment (terrestrial or in water) conditions.

As per the government notification, the biodegradable plastics do not leave any micro-plastics or visible or distinguishable or toxic residue, which has adverse environmental impacts, adhering to standards of the Bureau of Indian Standards and certified by the Central Pollution Control Board. Until standards are notified, biodegradable plastics shall conform to tentative standards.

As a transitory measure, provisional certificates for biodegradable plastics will be issued by the Central Pollution Control Board in cases where an interim test report is submitted to prove biodegradability. The provisional certificate shall be valid till June 30, 2023. Further, the name, registration number of the producer or brand owner and thickness in case of carry bag and plastic packaging will have to be labelled. This provision will not apply in case plastic packaging is used for imported goods. Earlier this labelling provision was applicable only for plastic carry bags but now it has been extended to cover all plastic packaging.

India has also banned the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of identified single-use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential, all across the country from July 1, 2022, according to a report by the Mint.

A NikkeiAsia study points out that as of this month, 19 types of single-use plastics are banned in India. Plastic bags are not entirely prohibited yet, but by the end of the year they will have to be of greater thickness to promote reuse — a change critics say will increase expenses. Ice-cream sticks, straws, plastic cups, cutlery, earbuds with plastic and wrapping are among the items covered by the ban. Violators face up to five years in jail, a fine of 100,000 rupees ($1200) or both. But since the rule was imposed at the beginning of July, there has been little visible change, as per the study.

The study states that therefore this highlights the enforcement challenge in a country of over 1.3 billion people at a time of serious economic pressure, while at the same time, environmentalists insist something must be done to reduce India’s plastic waste. It quotes figures from the statistics website ‘Our World in Data’ that show India produced 12.99 million tonnes of ‘mismanaged’ plastic waste in 2019, topping China’s 12.27 million tonnes. Mismanaged waste is defined as either littered or inadequately disposed of, meaning it is placed in dumps or uncontrolled landfills.

The ban on the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of identified single-use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential, has come into force from July 1.The list of banned items includes – earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration, plastic plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners less than 100 micron, stirrers.

India has banned the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of identified single-use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential, all across the country from July 1, 2022. In 2000, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change notified the first-ever law on waste management in the form of the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules. Since then, the country’s waste management regulations have developed in several aspects and undergone a massive transformation.

The Mint article also cites the Indian Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Report (2019-20), which stated that 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated in India annually. The CPCB had found that dumping of plastic waste can deteriorate soil and underground water quality due to leaching of additives, colourants, stabilizers and fillers present in the different categories of plastic products.