Ineffective implementation: Ban on single-use plastic is not working

The menace of plastic pollution cannot be mitigated without ensuring plastic-product manufacturers' stringent compliance with the extended producer responsibility

The ban on single-use plastic, which came into effect on July 1 this year, seems to have remained largely on paper. Most of these items, including plastic straws and cutlery, are being marketed and used routinely in most places. The phasing out of these products with limited utility but high littering potential was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address in 2019. However, the needed follow-up action has not come forth in full measure. Even in the states where the orders on prohibiting the manufacturing, distribution and use of these items have been notified, these are