NEW DELHI: The government will shut down units that are found manufacturing, distributing or selling Single-Use Plastic (SUP) items — a major environmental hazard — in the week following July 1, when the ban on these items will come into effect, said officials.
The environment department will launch a drive to rein in any manufacturers, brand owners and wholesalers if caught any SUP items. “The manufacturers in the city have been directed to ensure zero inventory of SUP by June 30. Soon after the ban comes into effect, if anyone is found violating the rule, their factories/godowns/units will be sealed,” said a senior official. The SUP items are mostly manufactured in industrial areas on a large-scale and later distributed to smaller units.
“The plastic/polythene making units that fall in the SUP category have been identified and will be inspected intensively. Letters have been issued to all 4,960 units as well as those engaged in manufacturing of raw materials for SUP to comply with the directions,” the official said. The government will also organise a three-day fair starting July 1 to allow manufacturers to get acquainted with various alternatives to SUP items and sign up for the same, the official added.
Senior officials said that they have directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to enforce the ban in local markets, shopping complexes and roadside eateries from July 1 itself. Besides the existing list of 15 banned SUP items, the MCD has identified and included six more SUP items which include water bottles <250 ml, water pouches, plastic banners/posters, cling films for food packaging; small sachets for ketchup/sauces; multi-layered SUPs and thermocol cutlery.
The department is also in the process of floating tenders to initiate study into plastic pollution — SUPs in Delhi and on microplastics in river Yamuna and groundwater. As per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the agency that monitors the implementation of Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules across the country said the volume of plastic waste generated by India is around 9200 tonnes per day (TPD), which 5-6 per cent of the total municipal solid waste generated. The national capital generates approximately 664 TPD of plastic waste.
The CPCB under the union ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) on Saturday issued a list of measures to ban identified SUP items by June 30. The list of identified banned items include — earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration; cutlery items such as plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays; packing/wrapping films for sweet boxes, cigarette packets etc and plastic or PVC banners less than 100 microns, stirrers.