India to Ban Six Items of Single-Use Plastic From October 2
In a significant step towards curbing plastic pollution, India is all set to ban single-use plastic from October 2. In his Independence Day speech on August 15, PM Narendra Modi exhorted the nation to take the first big step towards freeing India of single-use plastic. Plastic Pollution Plastic pollution is posing a grave threat to the environment and therefore, the Indian government has made banning plastic a priority. On October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, a ban on single-use plastic will be imposed in the country. The ban will be comprehensive and will include plastic bags, cups, plates, small bottles, straws and certain types of sachets. It will cover manufacturing, usage and import of such items. Worldwide Concern Studies show the adverse effects of increasing plastic pollution taking place worldwide with a focus on oceans as half the percentage of the world’s plastic end up there killing marine life and entering the human food chain. The European Union is mulling to impose a ban on single-use plastic items such as straws, forks, knives and cotton buds by 2021. While India has planned to make the country plastic-free by 2022, China has also vowed to completely eliminate single-use plastic by 2025. The ban will be backed with a penalty which will be relaxed for the first six months so that people get used to alternatives. Environmental standard of plastic will be raised and only recyclable plastic will be allowed.
