India will ban these single-use plastic items from July 1

India will ban the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of identified single-use plastic (SUP) items, which have low utility and high littering potential, all across the country from July 1, said the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

earbuds with plastic sticks

plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks

polystyrene (Thermocol) for decoration

plastic plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays

wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets

plastic or PVC banners less than 100 micron

stirrers

In view of the proposed ban, Thermoformers and Allied Industries Association (TAIA) had urged the government not to impose a blanket ban on single-use plastics and instead do it in a phased manner. Plastic plates, cups, glasses and trays are made from single-use plastics and the imposition of a ban will stop the manufacturing of these products and kill the Rs 10,000-crore size industry that employs 2 lakh people directly and 4.5 lakh people indirectly, it said.

The government has suggested using biodegradable plastics instead of single-use plastics.