Mangaluru: According to Karnataka Government Notification No. FEE 17 EPC 2012, the following single use plastic products namely Plastic Carry bag, Plastic Banners, Plastic Buntings, Plastic Flex, Plastic Plates, Plastic Flags, Plastic Cups, Plastic Spoons, Adhesive Films, Plastic Sheets, Straws, Thermocol and Plastic Microbeads items have been banned since March 11, 2016.
In addition to the above mentioned banned products, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF and CC) New Delhi Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, prohibited the following single use plastic products in 2021, through the notification passed on August 12, 2021 (G.S.R.No. .571 (E)) which will be applicable from July 1, 2022.
According to Rule 4 (2) of the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016 (as amended), the manufacturing, import, storage, distribution, sale and use of the following single use plastics (SUP) including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene are prohibited with immediate effect from July 1, 2022.
(A) Earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks used for balloons, plastic flags, plastic candy sticks, plastic ice cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) used for decoration.
(B) Plastic plates, plastic cups and tumblers, forks, plastic spoons, plastic knives, cutlery such as plastic trays, wrapping or packaging films for sweet boxes, invitations and cigarette packets, plastic less than 100 microns, PVC banners and plastic stirrers.
According to the timelines specified in the Notification of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF and CC), the manufacturers, storage providers, retailers, shop owners, e-commerce companies, street vendors, commercial organisations (malls / market place / shopping centers / cinema houses / tourism sites / schools / colleges, office complexes / hospitals, other organisations) ) and the public are hereby notified to cease the production, storage, distribution, sale and use of single use plastics.
In addition, necessary action must be taken by the concerned authorities to ensure zero storage of the aforementioned SUP items by June 30, 2022. All e-commerce companies’ website marketing and display advertising for single-use plastic (SUP) materials is also prohibited from effective July 1, 2022.
Violation of the above order by industries, commercial establishments, malls / marketplaces / shopping centers / cinema houses / tourist places / schools / colleges / offices / hospitals and other institutions will lead to the seizure and closure of prohibited plastics products under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and penalties under the SWM & Sanitation Act, and the Environmental Compensation Board will be issued as per the guidelines by the Central Pollution Control Board, i.e, 5000 / – per tonne, states Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner Akshy Shridhar.
