Environmental News from India:
A set of 19 single-use plastic products have now been banned in India as part of a larger effort to tackle plastic waste. The ban includes products like earbuds, plastic sticks for balloons, candy and ice cream, packaging films, cutlery, and straws but leaves out thousands of other plastic products, such as bottles for water and bags of chips.
Put simply, single-use plastics refer to plastic items that are used only once and then discarded – often, in minutes. They are most commonly used for packaging and service ware, such as bottles, bags, and wrappers, and are a glaring example of today’s throwaway culture, prioritizing convenience over durability and long-term impacts.
Plastic manufacturers had asked the government to delay the move, arguing it would cause job losses and high inflation. But India’s Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said at a press briefing the ban had been in the pipeline for a year and wouldn’t be delayed. Plastic bags had already been prohibited by the government late last year and now, the move is being expanded to a broader range of plastic products.
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Source: ZMEScience