Since the imposition of a ban on single-use plastic in July this year, States have imposed fines to the tune of ₹5.8 crore and seized plastic goods worth 7,75,577 kg, Environment Minister, Bhupender Yadav said in response to queries, in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Commercial establishments and manufacturing units including small shops in local markets were the typical violators and alongside penalties, those involved in the trade and production of single-use plastic had been denied registration on the centralised Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) portal for plastic packaging, Mr. Yadav said.
Since July, a class of single-use plastic goods with “…low utility and high littering potential...” have been banned including ear buds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene [thermocol] for decoration; plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, and cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners less than 100 micron, stirrers.
A notification, called the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, describes the goods that were banned and also prohibits the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of plastic carry bags below a certain thickness.
To implement the ban, States and Union Territories have constituted Special Task Force units as well as a National Task Force to coordinate action among them, the Minister said in his reply.
States and Union Territories are expected to undertake regular enforcement drives to implement the ban on identified single use plastic items and on plastic carry bags having thickness less than 75 microns, covering fruit and vegetable markets, wholesale markets, local markets, flower vendors, units manufacturing plastic carry bags, etc.
They have also been asked to undertake random checking at border checkpoints to stop inter-State movement of banned single use plastic items. Special pan India enforcement drives have been undertaken in October and November, by Central Pollution Control Board, State Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees.
