Ban On Plastic

Negotiators working on a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution for a week in South Korea won't reach an agreement and plan to resume the talks next year. They are at an impasse over whether the treaty should reduce the total plastic on Earth and put global, legally binding controls on toxic chemicals used to make plastics. The negotiations in Busan, South Korea, were supposed to be the fifth and final round to produce the first legally binding treaty on plastics pollution, including in the oceans, by the end of 2024. But with time running out early Monday, negotiators agreed to resume the talks next year. They don't yet have firm plans. More than 100 countries want the treaty to limit production as well as tackle cleanup and recycling, and many have said that is essential to address chemicals of concern. But for some plastic-producing and oil and gas countries, that crosses a red line. For any proposal to make it into the treaty, every nation must agree to it. So

The Nagaland government banned single use plastic (SUP) in the state to eradicate the serious environmental and ecological challenges posed by the rampant use of plastic. This is in compliance with the directives from the Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate and subsequent directives from the Urban Development Department Nagaland (UDD) as per the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The UDD said on Saturday that the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of carry bags made of mod, virgin, or recycled plastic, irrespective of the thickness in microns, are prohibited. It also banned the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, and polystyrene (Thermocol) for decoration. Plates, cups, glasses, and cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straws, and trays, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, ...

Small businesses say they were not consulted about the restriction and they can't refuse customers

However, beverage companies have resorted to different measures to ensure that stocks in the supply chain are not sold with plastic straws

In a bid to implement the ban on single-use plastic smoothly, the Union environment ministry said that the state governments will initiate an enforcement campaign

Control rooms to be set up for implementation of the ministry order, says Bhupinder Yadav

Industry grouse - 22 products have been banned although they are fully recyclable, while non-recyclable packaging used by FMCG firms have been let off

Juice and beverage giants struggle to meet the impending ban on single-use plastics

For the first time in history, we are seeing unprecedented global momentum to tackle the plague of plastic pollution, said UN Environment Program Executive Director Inger Andersen

Lack of will to comply and challenges in enforcing the rules and regulations have been an issue

A video clip of the punishment went viral on social media, in which five drivers were seen doing sit-ups on the roofs of the buses

Listen to Jyoti Mukul and Ankur Bhardwaj as they discuss the questions surrounding a blanket ban on single-use plastics in this special Business Standard podcast

In September, paper stocks rallied by up to 84 per cent on expectation of ban on single-use plastic. In comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex had added 3.6 per cent during the period.

A survey was conducted by data analytics firm Kantar on 65,000 people in 24 countries in Europe, Latin America and Asia

As more states move to ban plastic, FMCG companies and environmentalists see the value in repurposing and reusing plastic

Last year, NGT prohibited use of disposable plastic in the entire city