India has banned single-use plastic in a bold move to cut down on plastic pollution. The country has come up with a list of items that are set to be banned, some of which include plastic cutlery items, PVC banners, balloon sticks, polystyrene for decoration and candy and ice-cream sticks, as well as cigarette packs.
Every year, India generates 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste, however, the country lacks the infrastructure to dispose of it and to recycle all of it correctly, thus increasing the problem of littering.
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The Ministry has already imposed previous bans on polythene bags, however the ban was only applicable to items under 75 microns. This number has now been increased to 120 microns.
India will monitor the ban and anyone found to violate the new rules could be looking at a hefty imprisonment up to 5 years, or a penalty up to Rs 1 lakh. By introducing such measures, the country hopes to reduce the amount of plastic pollution they produce due to single-use plastic.