From cigarette butts to straws, Centre may soon ban on 12 plastic products

New Delhi, Sep 14: The central government, which has waged a war on single-use plastic, is planning to impose a preliminary ban on 12 items, including small plastic bottles used for beverages, thermocol (polystyrene) used for decoration and cigarette butts.

The list proposed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) also include small plastic bottles for beverages (less than 200 ml), plastic sticks used for earbuds, balloons, flags and candies, thin carry bags (less than 50 microns), cutlery - laminated bowls and plates (non-foamed), small plastic cups, containers (less than 150 ml and 5 gms), foamed cups, bowls, plates, non-woven carry bags, small wrapping/packing films, straws/stirrers, expanded polystyrene (thermocol) and roadside banners (less than 100 microns).

Earlier, during a speech on the 72nd Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had mentioned in his Independence Day speech that step one in direction of releasing India from single-use plastic shall be taken on October 2, the start anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

On Monday, September 9, Prime Minister reiterated this while addressing delegates from nearly 200 countries at the 14th session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD-COP14) in Greater Noida.

"I would like to draw your attention to another land degradation; it is the menace of plastic waste. My government has announced that India will put an end to single-use plastic in the coming years. The time has come for the world to say goodbye to single-use plastic," the Prime Minister said.