Ban on Single-Use Plastics – Implementation Status: A Report

This report, published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, provides an overview of the Indian government’s policies to combat the problem of single-use plastics (SUPs) and their implementation. The report has been written by Siddharth Ghanshyam Singh and Minakshi Solanki, researchers with CSE with direction from Atin Biswas.On June 5, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a commitment to phase out single-use plastics by 2022. This commitment was further emphasized in subsequent national addresses. In 2021, the Indian government prohibited the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of 19 specific single-use plastic items identified as having “low utility but high littering potential​​.” The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notified the ban on identified single-use plastics (SUPs) in August 2021 and it came into force on July 1, 2022.This study evaluates the effectiveness of the ban, the challenges faced in its enforcement, and the overall progress made towards reducing single-use plastic pollution. It provides detailed insights into the types of plastics banned, the regulatory framework, and the responses of government authorities, businesses, and the general public. The report also discusses the environmental and social implications of the ban and suggests ways forward for more effective plastic waste management and reduction strategies in India.This 84-page document is divided into five sections: Introduction (Section 1); Comprehensive action plan issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Section 2); CSE Survey of implementation of ban on single-use plastics in India (Section 3); Key findings of the report (Section 4); and The way forward (Section 5).