The use of plastic is one of the biggest causes of environmental pollution all around the world. The manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of some single-use plastic products including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene shall be prohibited from July 1, 2022.

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), India produces over 25,000 tonnes of plastic waste every day.

1. The thickness of plastic carry bags will be increased from 50 microns to 75 microns from September 30, 2021, and to 120 microns from December 31, 2022.

2. The first category of single-use plastic items proposed to be phased out are plastic sticks used in balloons, flags, candy, ice cream and earbuds, and thermocol that is used in decorations.

3. Plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, straws, trays, wrapping and packing films used in sweet boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets, stirrers and plastic banners that are less than 100 microns in thickness will be removed in the second phase.

In June 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that India will eliminate all single-use plastics in the country by 2022. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on people to stop the use of single-use plastic bags in his Independence Day speech in 2019.