Bihar bans single-use plastic

PATNA: From midnight of December 14, 2021, the Government of Bihar imposed a ban on the manufacturing, import, storage, and distribution of single-use plastic. The action comes after the state implemented a polythene ban to curb plastic waste and pollution. According to a senior official of the Department of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Government of Bihar, violating the law will result in a penalty or even a jail sentence under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.

The prohibition was announced six months ago and applies to thermocol goods such as disposable glasses, plates, cups and silverware. The ban went into effect a day after the annual winter wedding season initiated which would result in a sudden increased demand for the product. 

Ashok K Ghosh, Chairman, Bihar State Pollution Control Board, stated that the ban is a positive step towards the complete elimination of single-use plastic in the country. He informed that single-use plastic products take years to decompose, resulting in them accumulating in our environment. 

“A ban on end-point use may be helpful but only as one part of a longer plan. Single-use plastics need to be banned at source i.e. at either the point of manufacture or import. Second, a robust system of alternatives needs to be developed. Third, these alternatives need to be subsidized, and fourth we need a widespread education program to make people take this up. Otherwise, they will not be successful,” stated Harini Nagendra, Professor of Sustainability at Azim Premji University and Indian ecologist.

The implementation of the ban will come under the scanner in the following days, especially since the ban on polythene bags, enforced long ago, is yet to curb the use of the product. Polythene bags are still found everywhere — at markets, residential areas, and on the roadside.