On August 12, 2021, India officially updated their plastic management plan from 2016 with the Plastic Waste (Amendment) Rules, 2021. The amendment sets out new rules around single-use plastics that come into force over the next year. The first rule mandates that non-woven plastic take-away bags must be at least 75 microns thick by September 30, 2021, and 120 microns by December 31, 2022. The thicker bags are meant to encourage reuse. From July 1, 2022, a range of single-use plastic items including food contact articles such as candy and ice-cream sticks, plates, cups, cutlery, straws, trays, stirrers, and certain wrapping films will be banned from manufacture, import, distribution, and sale. The new provisions do not apply to compostable plastic items.
The draft of the amendment, published in March, was open for a 60 day public comment period (FPF reported). Following the comment period, India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change reduced the required thickness of plastic bags from 240 microns to 120 and combined single-use plastic articles into one group to be banned at once instead of over six months.
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Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (August 13, 2021). “Plastic Waste (Amendment) Rules, 2021.”
Aalok Sensharma (August 13, 2021). “Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules 2021: Full list of items that will be banned in India from July 1, 2022.” Jagran English
