Enforcing stringent plastic ban: Centre to set up National, State-level Control Rooms

New Delhi: To implement the ban on single-use plastic from July 1, the Centre has decided to set up National and State-level Control Rooms and special enforcement teams to check illegal manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of banned single-use plastic items.

“States and Union Territories have been asked to set up border check-points to stop the inter-State movement of any banned single-use plastic items,” the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change said.

“Addressing pollution due to single-use plastic items has become an important environmental challenge confronting all countries,” it said. The adverse impacts of littered single-use plastic items on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, including in marine environments, are globally recognised.

In view of this, the Government has taken resolute steps to mitigate pollution caused by littered single-use plastic. The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, prohibit the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of plastic carry bags having a thickness less than 75 microns with effect from Sept. 30, 2021, and having thickness less than 120 microns with effect from Dec. 31, 2022.

The guidelines will provide a framework to strengthen circular economy of plastic packaging waste, promote the development of new alternatives to plastic packaging and provide the next steps for moving towards sustainable plastic packaging by businesses.