India’s government has unveiled Draft Notification Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, mandating certain requirements for plastic carry-out bags and banning certain single-use plastics beginning in 2022.
Although it is not specifically mentioned in the proposal, beauty packaging will most certainly be affected by these changes. According to Allure, in 2018, in the U.S. alone, almost 7.9 billion units of rigid plastic were created just for beauty and personal care products. Much of this plastic ends up in landfills.
The proposed ban will take place in three phases:
Phase 1: Eliminating Thinner Single-Use Bags
First, as of September 30, 2021, non-woven plastic carry bags (made of virgin or recycled plastic) must be at least 60 grams per square meter (GSM) or 240 microns thick. Compostable plastic carry bags would be exempted.
Phase 2 and 3: Banning Single-Use Plastic Commodities
Second, starting on January 1, 2022, India is proposing to ban the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of certain single-use plastic commodities, including candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, ear buds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags and polystyrene decorations.
Lastly, as of July 1, 2022, India would ban the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of additional single-use plastic items (including items made with polystyrene and expanded polystyrene). The single-use plastic commodities that would be prohibited after this date include the following food-contact articles: plates, cups, glasses, cutlery, straws, trays, stirrers and wrapping films around sweet boxes. Non-food contact items include wrapping/packing films around invitation cards and cigarette packets, and plastic/PVC banners less than 100 micron thick.