Nearly 10,000 tonnes of single-use plastic waste remains uncollected, Mr. Javadekar said.AKHILESH KUMARAKHILESH KUMAR  

There is no imminent ban on single-use plastic, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said here on Monday.

At a press conference, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not spoken about a “ban” on single-use plastic, but only said “goodbye” to it. “From October 2, we will begin an attempt to collect all that waste. Nearly 10,000 tonnes of plastic waste remains uncollected,” he said.

In his address at the United Nations Conference on Desertification, the Prime Minister said, “I think the time has come for the world to say goodbye to single-use plastic... My government has announced that India will put an end to single-use plastic in the coming years.”

Government officials have reiterated over the past month that the government will redouble efforts to limit the use and consumption of single-use plastic. Several States have laws against the use of single-use plastics, but they are not enforced.

India has a long-standing commitment to eliminate the use of single-use plastic by 2022. “We make a solemn pledge that by 2022, we shall eliminate all single-use plastic from our beautiful country. Our beloved Prime Minister Shri Modi ji has envisioned a new India by 2022 — an India of our dreams which shall be clean, poverty-free, corruption-free, terrorism-free, casteism-free … and most of all … which will be a global superpower. This India of our dreams shall also be single-use plastic free,' Union Minister Harsh Vardhan said on World Environment Day last year. He was the Environment Minister then.

A resolution moved by India at the United Nations Environment Assembly to eliminate such plastics by 2025 was defeated with the final text of the agreement only committing to their “significantly reduced use” by 2030.

Prices to increase soon! Subscribe now to avail the best prices today!

Already a subscriber? Sign in

Already a subscriber? Sign in

Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.

Enjoy reading our articles without intrusion from advertisements.

A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.

Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.

A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.

We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.

*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper or Android, iPhone, iPad mobile applications and print. Our plans enhance your reading experience on the website.

Support The Hindu's new online experience with zero ads.

Already a user? Sign In