Types of Plastic and Thermocol Banned and Allowed in India

The Indian government has decided to ban low-quality plastics that cannot be recycled. On a broader level, plastic less than 50 microns thick and weighing less than 2 grams is not allowed. This announcement was made by the Ministry of Environment, India, which is applicable from 2nd July 2022.

Here is the complete list of types of Plastic and Thermocol banned and allowed in India.

Types of Plastic and Thermocol Banned and Allowed in India

About 25 states are participating in this ban, including Maharashtra. While this is not the first time plastic has been banned in India. It also happened on 2nd October 2019, but this time, the government has prohibited factories from producing these types of plastic. It has created a more significant impact, lowering the availability or moving to a better quality of plastic.

List of Items Banned which are made of Plastic

• Less than 200 ml of drinking water PET/PETE bottle.
• Plastic Mineral water pouch.
• Plastic or non-woven bags with or without handle
• One-time/Single-use disposable items made up of Thermocol or Polystyrene or Plastic, e.g., dish, spoon, cups, glasses, fork, bowl, and container (Cutlery items)
• Disposable dishes or bowls and Straws are used for packaging foods in the hotel.
• Any non-compostable plastic bags except for Plant nurseries, horticulture, agriculture, and handling of solid waste
• Use of plastic and Thermocol for decoration (Polystyrene)
• Balloon sticks, Cigarette packs
• Sweet boxes, Candy, and Ice cream sticks
• Invitation cards
• PVC banners measuring under 100 microns

List of Items NOT Banned made of Plastic

• PET/PETE bottle has a liquid holding a capacity of 200 ml or more than 200 ml. They are printed with deposit and refund or policy or buyback price under EPR.
• Manufacture of Plastic and Plastic bags for export purposes in the special economic zone and export-oriented units.
• Plastic material is made up of at least 20% recyclable material. It should also have a thickness of more than 50 microns used for wrapping the content at the manufacturing stage or as an integral part of manufacturing. They should have the manufacturer’s name, type of plastic with a code number, and buyback price under EMR.
• Plastic packaging material with more than 50 microns thickness and of minimum 2 grams weight. They are usually used to seal groceries and grain products for wholesale and retail.
• Compostable plastic bags except for Plant nurseries, horticulture, agriculture, and handling of solid waste
• Paper-based carton packaging with one or more layers of plastic
• Virgin Plastic bags used for milk have a thickness of not less than 50 microns and are printed with a buyback price.
• Recyclable multilayered plastic
• Plastic is used for domestic purposes.
• Use of plastic is used for packaging and medicine, medical equipment, and pharmaceutical products.
• Use of Thermocol boxes for fish preservation.
• Recyclable plastic material for stationery.

Penalties under Plastic and Thermocol notification

If someone is found to be using the banned plastic, the court can act under the Environment Protection Act 1986, which permits jail of up to five years, a penalty of up to Rs 1 lakh, or both.

• First offense Rs 5000
• Second offense Rs 10000
• The third offense is Rs 25000 and imprisonment for three months.

Low-quality plastic and Thermocol are causing a lot of pollution, and most of them end up in dump yards. Let’s hope that we will have a better India with these banned.