NEW DELHI: The Delhi Secretariat will ban single-use plastic (SUP) items from June 1, a month before the nationwide ban on SUP comes into force, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Saturday. It will be ensured that only alternatives to SUP items such as paper plates, cups, straws are used in the Delhi Secretariat premises, he said.
Staff will be asked to avoid use-and-throw pens, SUP water bottles and use kulhads, stainless steel glasses or paper cups to drink water, the minister said. Also, single-use banners and posters will be banned at the secretariat. Reusable objects made of metal, bamboo, paper, and earthy materials will be prioritized. In August last year, the Union environment ministry issued a notification prohibiting manufacture, import, stocking, sale and use of identified SUP commodities, including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene from July 1, 2022.
The identified SUP items include earbuds, plastic sticks for balloons, flags, candy sticks, ice cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol), plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, straws, trays, invitation cards, cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners and stirrers.All manufacturers, retailers, general public, and shopkeepers in Delhi have already been asked not to keep any stock of SUP’s by June 30, 2022.
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee has also asked all manufacturers of raw materials to stop supplying plastic items to those engaged in the use of banned SUP products. It is also carrying out a survey to identify littering hotspots and quantify plastic waste generation in the city. The government had year constituted a state-level task force for the elimination of SUP and effective implementation of Plastic Waste Management Amended Rules, 2021.