Indian Railways to implement single-use plastic ban from October 2

Come October 2, 2019 (Gandhi Jayanti), and Indian Railways will ban single-use plastic materials from all railway stations, and trains. Already, authorities have been directed to expedite installation of 1,853 plastic water bottle crushing machines at major railway stations. According to reports, the implementation of returning plastic drinking bottles is now a part of Extended Producer Responsibility.
The move by Indian Railways has been taken a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to shun single-use plastic from October 2, during his Independence Day speech. Reports suggest that 6289 tonnes of plastic waste lies on the railway tracks across the country. Now the Railway Board has asked General Managers of Zonal Railways and Production units to ensure the ban on single-use plastic. All railway vendors must be encouraged not to use single-use plastic carry bags. Railways are also going to encourage reduce, reuse, and refuse plastic products.


According to the new rules, single-use plastic cannot be less than 50 micron, “except where the thickness of such plastic sheets impairs the functionality of the product.”
The policy order further read, “As part of Extended Producer Responsibility, the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) should implement the return of plastic bottles at railways stations.”