(THE GIST OF PIB) Single Use Plastics

[September-2022]

Nearly 46 tonnes of banned single-use plastic items seized recently during special drive.

In a bid to reduce plastic pollution, India from July 1, 2022 banned 19 SUP items.
Plastic carry bags of thickness less than 75 microns are also prohibited under the Plastic Waste Management Rules. Their thickness will have to be increased to 120 microns from December 31, 2022.
Plastic wrapping material less than 50 microns in thickness and plastic sachets used for selling and storing tobacco, pan masala and gutkha are also not allowed.

Single-use plastics, often also referred to as disposable plastics, are commonly used for plastic packaging and include items intended to be used only once before they are thrown away or recycled.
Application:These include, among other items, grocery bags, food packaging, bottles, straws, containers, cups and cutlery
Benefits:Single-use plastic bags are widely used because they are strong, cheap and hygienic ways to transport goods.
Environmental impact: They can take up to thousands of years to decompose, contaminating soil and water, and posing significant ingestion, choking and entanglement hazards to wildlife on land and in the ocean.