Which single-use plastics are banned in India?

India's single-use plastic ban is an environmental measure rather than a food-safety one, but because most of the banned items touch food it belongs in any list of prohibitions a consumer meets at the table. The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, notified on 12 Aug 2021, identified nineteen items with low utility and high littering potential and prohibited their manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use from 1 Jul 2022.

The food-related items are plastic plates, cups, glasses, cutlery, straws, stirrers and trays; the wrapping or packing film used around sweet boxes; and plastic sticks for candy and ice-cream. The rest of the list covers earbuds with plastic sticks, balloon sticks, plastic flags, thermocol decorations, thin PVC banners and film on invitation cards and cigarette packets. Separately, plastic carry bags had to be at least 75 micron thick from 30 Sep 2021 and 120 micron from 31 Dec 2022.

Multilayer packaging and PET bottles are not covered, and straws attached to tetra-pak cartons were the subject of an industry representation whose outcome was not published. Enforcement rests with state pollution control boards and municipal bodies, not FSSAI.