What Plastic ban? Delhi is second only to Maharashtra in single-use plastic consumption

Single-use plastic products remain widely available in city markets in Delhi, despite a nationwide ban. According to a survey by the Centre for Science and Environment from July to December 2022, citizens reported that Delhi had the second-highest sighting of single-use plastic in circulation. Delhi (12.2%) ranked after Maharashtra (14.2%). Most of the products reported were unbranded.

In the survey, participants were asked to submit geo-tagged photos of banned single-use plastic items they encountered in their neighbourhood.

The survey was shared in CSE's latest report, "The State of India's Environment," released on Thursday.

"Of the total complaints reported, 35.5% complaints were reported against carry bags, followed by straws (22.3%) and cutlery (18.4%)," the report said. The report noted that complaints came from across the country, suggesting that enforcement of the ban was inadequate everywhere.

The report stated that the Central Pollution Control Board launched a public grievance redressal mobile app on 2 April 2021.

As of November last year, the total volume of complaints stood at 5,071 from 124 cities.

New Delhi reported 634 complaints, followed by Lucknow (294) and Ghaziabad (215)." "Of the total complaints filed, only 1,148 (22.6%) were redressed in the month," the report said. Of the 634 complaints lodged in New Delhi, 377 were redressed. "The stagnancy in the redress rate... received by CPCB is concerning," CSE added.

Siddharth Ghanshyam Singh, the programme manager for the municipal solid waste unit in CSE, said that markets in Delhi were flooded with banned single-use plastic items.

"Since the ban came into force, plastic straws in the packaging of renowned brands have gone off the shelves. However, surveys by CSE show that banned items are still available, and no action is taken against them. Awareness campaigns have been reduced," he said.

Atin Biswas, the programme director for the municipal solid waste unit in CSE, said: "Most of the banned products, including plastic cutlery, are non-branded and manufactured in the informal sector. This sector has nothing to do with branding and is only interested in making money. Since such units are not included in the government's records, how can the authorities shut them down?"

Biswas added that data from several studies show that "65% of the total plastic waste is packaging material that is single-use plastic." Municipal bodies and state pollution control boards or control committees have been entrusted with implementing the ban, but they lack proper staffing, he added.

He said that implementing the ban would require extensive public awareness and sensitisation so that people refuse to accept banned items when sold. Additionally, people can report prohibited items to the authorities when they are found.

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