Govt bans use of plastics for packaging tobacco products

The environment ministry today issued a notification banning the use of plastics for packaging gutka and other tobacco products. The Supreme Court had earlier rejected the government’s plea for more time to notify the law to regulate the use of plastic pouches for gutka and other tobacco products. On February 2, the apex court had asked the Centre to come out with the plastic rule notification within two days.

The new notification that replaces the earlier Recycled Plastics Manufacture and Usage Rules, 1999 (amended in 2003), also states no carry bags shall be made available free of cost to consumers. The municipal authority may determine the minimum price for plastic carry bags, the ministry said in a statement.

In addition, packaging of foodstuff in recycled plastics or compostable plastics has been banned. Recycled carry bags shall conform to specific Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the ministry specified.

Notifying the rules, environment minister Jairam Ramesh said, “It is impractical and undesirable to impose a blanket ban on the use of plastic all over the country.” He said, “The real challenge is to improve municipal solid waste management systems. In addition to the privatisation and mechanisation of municipal solid waste management systems, we must be sensitive to the needs and concerns of the lakhs of people involved in the informal sector.”

“Plastic carry bags shall either be white or only with those pigments and colourants which are in conformity with the bar prescribed by the BIS. This shall apply expressly for pigments and colourants to be used in plastic products which come in contact with foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and drinking water.”

Plastic carry bags shall not be less than 40 microns in thickness. Under the earlier rules, the minimum thickness was 20 microns.

One of the major provisions under the new rules is the explicit recognition of the role of waste pickers.

The new rules require the municipal authority to constructively engage agencies or groups working in waste management, including waste pickers. This is the first time that such a special dispensation has been made.

The municipal authority shall be responsible for setting up, operationalisation and coordination of the waste management system and for performing the associated functions like safe collection, storage, segregation, transportation, processing and disposal of plastic waste.

The ministry has also asked the municipal authority to ensure setting up of collection centres for plastic waste involving manufacturers and also ensure that open burning of plastic waste is not permitted.