The Centre has come up with a list of 12 plastic pollutants that it will crack down on soon to stop the circulation of single-use plastic in the country. Cigarette butts, considered to be one of the biggest plastic pollutants in the world, are among the list that the Centre is mulling to impose a ban on.
Cigarette butts are mostly made up of cellulose acetate - a type of plastic. It has filters that make smoking safer.
The list proposed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) also include small plastic bottles for beverages (less than 200 ml), plastic sticks used for ear buds, balloons, flags and candies, thin carry bags (less than 50 microns), cutlery - laminated bowls and plates (non-foamed), small plastic cups, containers (less than 150 ml and 5 gms), foamed cups, bowls, plates, non-woven carry bags, small wrapping/packing films, straws/stirrers, expanded polystyrene (thermocol) and roadside banners (less than 100 microns).
According to a Business Standard report, the CPCB has mentioned the definition for single use plastic as "Disposable plastic used for packaging only once before being disposed or recycled and which are non-biodegradable and remain in dumpsites, landfills or littered on streets and cause serious environmental or health hazards to our flora and fauna."
During his speech on the 72nd Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, urged citizens to eliminate single-use plastic and suggested that shopkeepers provide eco-friendly bags to customers. The push against single-use plastic by the Prime Minister is being seen as an effort to prevent environmental degradation.
On Monday, September 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated this while addressing delegates from nearly 200 countries at the 14th session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD-COP14) in Greater Noida.
"I would like to draw your attention to another land degradation; it is the menace of plastic waste. My government has announced that India will put an end to single-use plastic in the coming years. The time has come for the world to say goodbye to single-use plastic," the Prime Minister said.
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