The Indian government has announced it will be banning single-use plastics, in a milestone achievement for climate action.

India is the latest country to join the single-use plastics ban, with more countries like Canada taking the plunge in recent years.

While 25 Indian states had previously banned single-use plastics within their jurisdictions, in reality, there didn’t seem to be much of an effect.

It's hoped that, by making the ban nationwide rather than restricting it to certain parts of the country, it will be more effective, and more readily enforceable.

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Though the ban was announced in August of 2021, it wasn’t enforced until 1 July 2022, to give businesses enough time to prepare for the change. Among the plastic items banned were straws, cutlery, plastic sticks for balloons, sweets packets and ice-cream wrappers and cigarette packets.

India is a large country which uses approximately 14 million tonnes of plastic annually and is a huge contributor to plastic waste in the oceans. Thanks to the new single-use plastic ban, this waste can now be limited, and it will be much easier to clean up our seas and oceans.

Though plastic bags weren’t included in the ban, there is hope that they will be banned in the future. For now, though, the Indian government is encouraging plastic bag manufacturers to make the bags thicker and more durable, so that they can be reused before they are thrown away.

While there is still much to do to help combat the climate crisis, this is an excellent step in the right direction. Hopefully, other countries will begin to follow suit and enact their own single-use plastic bans in the near future.

Inspired to act?

DONATE: You can give to the Sea Life Trust today, to help protect our oceans and the animals that live in them.

VOLUNTEER: Get involved with Keep Britian Tidy, and volunteer to help keep our country free of plastic litter.

SUPPORT: Donate to Kids Against Plastic to help educate the next generation about plastic waste, and to support them in cleaning up our planet.

GET INVOLVED: Join in on the Million Mile Clean to help clean up our oceans and beaches, and keep them free of plastic and other waste.