• Pollution: One of the biggest threats about plastic bags is that they threaten the environment. Plastic bags pollute the land and water, since they are lightweight, plastic materials can travel long distances by wind and water.
• Non-renewable: Only 1-13% of the plastic items are recyclable, the rest ends up either buried in the land or water bodies, eventually reaching the oceans, leading to polluting of water bodies and killing of marine life. With climate and environment becoming a rising global concern, plastic pollution and plastic waste management have become the point of worry.
• Energy intensive: Production of plastic material are very energy intensive. They require a lot of water for their production. Thus using plastic bags is not advisable.
• Threat to aquatic life: Being non-recyclable, plastic bags end up in the oceans. While they reach, they break up into tiny little pieces and are consumed by wildlife. Thereby leading to health issues or even death. Many animals also get entangled or trapped in plastic bags.
• Harmful to human health: Toxic chemicals from plastic bags can damage the blood and tissues. Frequent exposures can lead to cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity, hormone changes, endocrine disruption and other serious ailments.
• UN Environment Programme (UNEP) defines single-use plastic products (SUP) as “an umbrella term for different types of products that are typically used once before being thrown away or recycled," which includes food packaging, bottles, straws, containers, cups, cutlery, and shopping bags.
• Now, this plastic is a huge menace because it keeps adding to the tonnes of plastic which is never processed or recycled and mostly lands up in landfills in our cities. The world uses an estimated 100-150 million tonnes of single-use plastics, at least.

Negative Impact of plastic ban:

• The Plastic industry in the country employs about 40 lakh people. A ban on the plastics will affect industry, leading to job loss and economic slowdown.
• A piece of plastic bag cost no more than 10-15 paise which is much cheaper than a paper bag costing 20-25 paise per piece. Plastic ban would Impact cost of the products and would lead to inflation.

Positive Impact of plastic ban:

• It will help in tackling air pollution and water pollution.
• It will save Many marine lives.
• It will reduce health issues in humans due to pollution.
• It will spread nation-wide awareness about harmful effects of single-use plastic.
• Plastic ban forces the customer to buy the recyclable plastic bags and reuse of disposable bags. This can also encourage reuse of the bags.

When nations around the world pledged to reduce single plastic ban?

• In 2021, 170 nations pledged to "significantly reduce" use of plastic by 2030. And many have already started by proposing or imposing rules on certain single-use plastics.
• Kenya – banned single-use plastic bags in 2017 and, this June, prohibited visitors from taking single-use plastics such as water bottles and disposable plates into national parks, forests, beaches, and conservation areas.
• Kenya made the first attempt to ban the manufacturing and importation of plastic bags in 2007 and 2011 as a way to protect the environment.[255] The 2007 and 2011 ban targeting plastics below 30 microns failed after manufacturers and retail outlets threatened to pass on the cost of using other materials to consumers.
• Zimbabwe – introduced a ban on polystyrene food containers in 2017, with fines of between $30 to $5,000 for anyone breaking the rules.
• United Kingdom – introduced a tax on plastic bags in 2015 and banned the sale of products containing microbeads, like shower gels and face scrubs, in 2018. A ban on supplying plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds recently came into force in England.
• United States – New York, California and Hawaii are among states to have banned single-use plastic bags, though there is no federal ban.
• The European Union – plans to ban single-use plastic items such as straws, forks, knives and cotton buds by 2021.
• China – has announced a plan to ban non-degradable bags in all cities and towns by 2022. Single-use straws will also be banned in the restaurant industry by the end of 2020.
• India – instead of a proposed nationwide ban on plastic bags, cups and straws, states are being asked to enforce existing rules on the storage, manufacture and use of some single-use plastics.
• In 2002, India banned the production of plastic bags below 20 µm in thickness to prevent plastic bags from clogging of the municipal drainage systems and to prevent the cows of India ingesting plastic bags as they confuse it for food.However, enforcement remains a problem.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has also passed regulation to ban all polythene bags less than 50 microns on 18 March 2016. Due to poor implementation of this regulation, regional authorities (states and municipal corporations), have had to implement their own regulation.
• In 2016, Sikkim, India's first fully organic state, banned the use of not only packaged drinking water bottles in any government meetings or functions but also food containers made from polystyrene foam all over the state.
• Himachal Pradesh was the first state to ban plastic bags less than 30 µm.
• The Karnataka state became first state to ban all forms of plastic carry bags, plastic banners, plastic buntings, flex, plastic flags, plastic plates, plastic cups, plastic spoons, cling films and plastic sheets for spreading on dining tables irrespective of thickness including the above items made of thermacol and plastic which uses plastic micro beads.The state of Goa has banned bags up to 40 µm thick,while the city of Mumbai bans bags below a minimum thickness to 50 µm.
• Philippines- The Philippines is the world's third-largest ocean polluter despite a waste management act which came into effect 18 years ago. Efforts to regulate plastics have been hampered by corruption, lack of political will, and the proliferation and wide accessibility of single-use plastic products.

Where changes will be seen from July 1?

• The list of banned items includes the following:
• Ear buds with plastic sticks
• Plastic sticks for balloons
• Plastic flags
• Candy sticks
• Ice cream sticks
• Polystyrene (Thermocol) for decoration
• Plastic straws and stirrers
• Plastic plates, cups, glasses
• Plastic cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives
• Wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets
• Plastic or PVC banners less than 100 micron
• Some experts say that this list is not comprehensive and should have included things such as multi-layered or tetra packaging like chips packets or juice boxes.
• Plastic Waste Management Rules of 2016 had also banned all plastic sachets for storing, packing or selling gutkha, tobacco, and pan masala.
• There will be no cigarette packs, plastic plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, straws, trays or even stirrers for your coffee and tea, to consume your food and beverages.

Who will monitor this ban on plastic?

• National and state-level control rooms will be set up and special enforcement teams will be formed for checking illegal manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of banned SUP (single-use plastic) items.
• States and Union territories have also been asked to set up border check points to stop inter-state movement of any banned single-use plastic items.
• If found violating the rules, the offenders will be punished under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. Violators could face a jail term of up to 5 years or Rs 1 lakh penalty or both.
• Local level administrative bodies like gram panchayats or municipal corporations will also be allowed to come up with their own punishments and penalties.
• The most apparent and big change that you are likely to see is the lack of commonly known as poly or plastic bags at local convenience stores, vegetable vendors, and hawkers.
• The ban has also made these small hawkers and vendors unhappy since the customers are likely to still expect some sort of carry bag despite the ban and all options other than plastic bags that are available at the moment are difficult to purchase and more expensive for small vendors.
• Ministry officials have explained that the ban is being introduced in phases to give manufacturers time to shift to thicker polythene bags that are easier to recycle. While manufacturers can use the same machine for 50- and 75-micron bags, the machinery will need to be upgraded for 120 microns.
• According to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, there is also a complete ban on sachets using plastic material for storing, packing or selling gutkha, tobacco and pan masala.
• The CPCB issued one-time certificates to 200 manufacturers of compostable plastic and the BIS passed standards for biodegradable plastic.

• Earlier this year, 124 countries, parties to the United Nations Environment Assembly, including India, signed a resolution to draw up an agreement which will in the future make it legally binding for the signatories to address the full life of plastics from production to disposal, to end plastic pollution.
• Bangladesh became the first country to ban thin plastic bags in 2002. New Zealand became the latest country to ban plastic bags in July 2019. China issued a ban on plastic bags in 2020 with phased implementation.
• As of July 2019, 68 countries have plastic bag bans with varying degrees of enforcement.
• Eight states in the US have banned single-use plastic bags, beginning with California in 2014. Seattle became the first major US city to ban plastic straws in 2018.
• On July 2, 2021, the Directive on Single-Use Plastics took effect in the European Union (EU).
• The directive bans certain single-use plastics for which alternatives are available; single-use plastic plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks and cotton buds cannot be placed on the markets of the EU member states.
• The same measure applies to cups, food and beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene, and all products made of oxo-degradable plastic.
• Vanuatu and the Seychelles have banned plastic straws outright.
• European Union: In July, 2021, the Directive on Single-Use Plastics took effect in the European Union (EU).
• The directive bans certain single-use plastics for which alternatives are available, single-use plastic plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks and cotton buds cannot be placed on the markets of the EU member states.
• The same measure applies to cups, food and beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene, and all products made of oxo-degradable plastic.

 Government Initiatives

• Reusables in government offices: Many government offices in various states like Kerala made the switch to ink pens and steel cutlery to ensure articles like plastic water bottles, disposable teacups and plastic carry bags are no longer used across the office premises.
• Fishing for plastic waste from water bodies:Kerala’s Suchitwa Mission have been engaged in not just finding fish but also take care of plastic that either gets stuck in the fishing nets or floats in the sea. They have managed to recover 25 tonnes of plastic waste.
• Crackdown on plastic usage: Many states like Maharashtra, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka and Punjab have imposed some form of a ban on plastic.
• Utilising plastic for road surfacing: Governments are using plastics for road surfacing and many states are considering to implement this pioneering tactic to manage their plastic waste. Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are a few states that have already begun work on these lines.
• Up-cycling plastic for better purposes: From construction materials to threads and fabrics for the textile industry, many organisations across India have been up-cycling plastic for more significant purposes. Even the government’s recent proposal to introduce plastic currency notes is a great step in up-cycling plastic waste.
• Plastic Waste Management Rules: The Government has notified the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 which:
• Increased minimum thickness of plastic carry bags from 40 to 50 microns and stipulate minimum thickness of 50 micron for plastic sheets also to facilitate collection and recycle of plastic waste.
• Expand the jurisdiction of applicability from the municipal area to rural areas, because plastic has reached rural areas also.
• Bring in the responsibilities of producers and generators, both in plastic waste management system and to introduce collect back system of plastic waste by the producers/brand owners, as per extended producers responsibility.
• Promote use of plastic waste for road construction as per Indian Road Congress guidelines or energy recovery, or waste to oil etc. for gainful utilisation of waste and also address the waste disposal issue.
• Though recycling is the best option for plastic, methodology and systemisation for recycling is slow. While the production model of plastic is very huge and uncontrollable, the numbers of recycling plants are very less.
• Thus a ban on single-use plastic would help. Government should educate the public and trade bodies to achieve the benefits of the ban. Since long term benefits of plastic bag ban use will benefit the economy and also save taxpayer money can lead to plastic bag cleanup.