States’ claim on fighting plastic only strong on paper

States’ claim on fighting plastic only strong on paper

News:

1. The states’ claims on reigning in plastic are stronger on paper than in reality.

Important facts:

2. According to the Centre’s Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016, all states have to annually appraise the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the steps taken to reign in plastic use.
3. The latest report (July 2016) highlights that only 24 States and UTs have complied with these directions.
4. The states like Kerala and Sikkim are the States with the most creditable plastic waste management policies. Sikkim has a system of buying back plastic from consumers.
5. However, while claiming a ban, most states said that ban is imposed in specific towns or cities. Examples of these states are given below:

Examples:

• Assam-  Its performance report states  that there is a complete ban on plastic carry bags in many cities and towns , but it allows the import of “substandard plastic carry bags”, provide the Commissioner of Taxes is informed.
• Gujarat: The estimated plastic waste generation is approximately 2,69,294 tonnes per annum and there are nearly 689 plastic waste recyclers, all of them registered. But only Gandhinagar has an “explicit” ban on the use of plastic carry bags.
• Delhi: Generates the largest quantity of plastic waste in the country, has not provided information on its plastic management initiatives to the CPCB.
• Maharashtra: Increased its collection centers  but still problem remains related to single use plastics.

6. The states’ claims on reigning in plastic are stronger on paper than in reality. The reasons for the same are given below:
   • All plastic waste recyclers register themselves but there were around 312 unregistered plastic recycling units in states like (Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Manipur, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttrakhand and Uttar Pradesh.)
   • Most of the State/UTs have not set up proper monitoring system for use of carry bags as per the specified guidelines.
   • States who imposed complete ban on plastic bags, the plastic bags are stocked, sold and used indiscriminately
   • Besides, substandard carry bags (<50 micron) are used widely in other States/UTs, violating PWM Rules, 2016, the CPCB highlights in the report.
7. India generates an estimated 32 million metric tonnes of packaging waste each year, of which plastic waste constitutes 16%. But only 60% of the collected plastic waste is recycled.
8. Around 43% of manufactured plastics are used for packaging, most of it “single-use” plastic.
9. No States report their plastic waste management performance have plans in place to tackle single use plastics.

10. Challenges:

• Manpower
• Enforcement of law