Delhi plans blanket ban on plastic bags

The Delhi government is set to prohibit the production, storage and use of plastic bags in India’s capital. The ban will also apply to some packaging applications including clear sleeves for greeting cards.

“Any kind of plastic will be banned now, whether it is thin or thick. However, the ban has not been imposed on woven plastics,” said Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit. “Plastic bags choke drains and spoil the environment,” she added.

Official documentation setting out the scope of the ban states: "No person, including a shopkeeper, vendor, wholesaler, retailer, trader and hawker, shall sell or store or use any kind of plastic carry bag for storing or dispensing eatables or non-eatable goods or materials.”

The ban won’t, however, apply to any plastic bag applications covered by the Bio-Medical Waste Management and Handling Rules, 1998.

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