On June 28, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced that the government would ban single-use plastics from July 1, according to CNBC-TV18. “The government has given enough time to phase out single-use plastics,” the minister said.

According to the Ministry of Environment notification, from July 1, 2022, the production, import, storage, distribution, sale and use of single-use plastic products, including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene, will be banned.

Other prohibited items include plastic sticks for balloons, earplugs with plastic sticks, ice cream sticks, candy bars, plastic cups, plastic glasses, plastic or PVC banners smaller than 100 microns, egg beaters, plastic spoons, forks, knives and straws. Single-use plastics are those plastic items that are only used once and then thrown away.

The packaging industry is also challenged to find alternatives to locally available BOPP film (polypropylene), widely used in packaging products because it resists moisture and retains weight better than cellophane. The list of prohibited items also included candy boxes, cigarette boxes and plastic wrapping for invitation cards.

According to Deepak Ballani, director-general of the All India Plastics Manufacturers Association, the focus should also be on enhancing the proper management of plastic waste. “We also want to clean up India and prepare for the transition. But why not focus on plastic waste as the source of the problem? We need to improve waste sorting at the source level and strengthen our recycling infrastructure,” he said.