Which States In India Have Banned Plastic

Single use plastic items and or disposable plastic materials have become the most common packaging solutions over the last few decades. Since these are among the major pollutants threatening the health of the environment, the world is realizing the importance of bringing down this generation’s dependency on disposable plastic materials. Ban on plastic is one of the most important topics during conferences and conventions on environment. India is one of the leaders in the international scene in implementing a ban on plastic. Here are a few states in India that have implemented ban on plastic in full force.

Tamil Nadu

The government of Tamil Nadu banned single-use plastic with effect from January 1, 2019. This move left the hotel industry face bewilderment as they are seriously scrambling for suitable alternatives to pack foods. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) introduced some measures to comply with the ban including displaying the details about the ban on plastic, announcing plastic-free zones, stopping the usage of plastic items in offices, meetings, parties and canteens and utilizing the Corporate Social Responsibility funds to support initiatives on the ban on plastic and also to spread the awareness about the ban on plastic.

Maharashtra

By announcing the ban on plastic very early on March 23, 2018, Maharashtra pioneered the ban on plastic among all the states in India. The state implemented a ban on all kinds of single use plastics and thermocol (polystyrene) including disposable items used for a single time and plastics used for food packaging in hotels in addition to plastics used for packing fresh foods and grains. In an amendment, the state allowed the use of PET bottles on April 11, 2018. However this permit carried a rider that demanded the implementation of buy back depository mechanism and recycling of the disposed plastics by the manufacturers.

Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is yet another state in India that has strictly banned the production and use of single use plastics. The ban on plastic notification was issued in Himachal Pradesh on July 6, 2018. The state implemented a ban on all kinds of disposable plastics and single-use non-biodegradable materials in the state. Due to the strict supervision of the implementation of the said ban, some important cities like Shimla for example were found free of disposable polybags, cups and tumblers.

Telangana

The ban on plastic by the Telangana state was announced on June 14, 2018. The ban included plastics used in drinking bottles, tetra bottles, single-use straws, Styrofoam tea cups and containers, plastics that are below 50 micron thickness and other kinds of single use plastics. Talking on the ban, a social activist Ramanjaneyulu GV said, "The usage has definitely come down but all the plastic stuff is still there. But people themselves are now reluctant to use them because of environmental concerns."

Take Home

Uttar Predesh, Sikkim, Karnataka, Bihar Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and some other states also followed suit announcing a ban on single use plastics. All these moves aim at phasing out the single-use plastics by the year 2022. However, the objective can succeed only when the ban is implemented in entirety.