All about the thickness of plastic carry bags

In today’s blog, we are discussing about the new changes in the thickness of plastic carry bags and our insights about it. The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change notified Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021 on 12th August 2021 and this notification mentions the thickness of plastic carry bags.

Carry bags are bags made of plastic that are used for carrying or distributing self-carrying commodities. This definition appears in the MoEFCC’s latest draft notification under the PWM rules (Published on 6th Oct. 2021). This do not include bags that are part of the package in which items are sealed before use.

The PWM Rules 2016 and 2018 mentioned about 50 microns thickness of the plastic carry bags and at present the same carry bags are still in use. Although there was one more Amendment published on 12th August 2021 that mentions the following points about the thickness of plastic carry bags:

The thickness of plastic carry bags need to be

• 75 microns from 30th September 2021.
• 120 microns from 31st December 2022 compared to 50 microns at present.

Current Scenario:

There are plastic carry bags that do not fall under the definition of carry bags but are still used in market for carrying food products and beverages, like shown in the image below.

Why is the thickness of the plastic carry bag important?

• The cost of producing thicker bags is higher, which will lead to a decline in the number of customers due to the additional expense, resulting in a decrease in the use of plastic carry bags.
• In comparison to thinner plastic carry bags, thicker bags are easier to recycle.
• Any thin plastic carry bag will degrade into microplastic faster than a thicker version.

Why is there still a chance to make this rule better?

• This regulation only applies to carry bags that are theoretically defined, but it may lead to an increase in the usage of other plastic bags that are not technically carry bags but are used by retailers to carry food, beverages, or groceries. As a result, the amount of plastic waste produced will rise.
• In order to meet the greater thickness of the plastic carry bag, virgin plastic consumption will be raised.
• There is no certainty that the reasons for increasing the thickness, such as reduced use of plastic carry bags and increased recycling of plastic, would be realized. Because, if the cost of manufacture rises, retailers can charge consumers more for other things, making plastic carry bags less expensive for them. However, because our waste management system is not very organized, there is still a chance that plastic carry bag waste would end up in the landfill. As a result, the causes for it are based on speculation rather than proof.

Suggestions

There are several possibilities, therefore this rule will have an impact in some way. We can also improve the rules to boost the possibility of success in reducing plastic waste.

• Either include other plastic bags also in the definition of a carry bag or prohibit the use of those plastic bags for carrying items. However, there should be some alternatives before outlawing, so that the public’s needs are not affected.
• EPR makes a significant contribution to the waste management system, however, it is not enough. So that no waste ends up in landfills, the government should focus on better, technology-based waste collection and disposal systems.

Contributed By- Zeba Asif, Manager and Ashlesha Karande, Communication Executive at Social Lab

Social Lab Environmental Solutions is a waste management company, which helps brands take-back and scientifically dispose of post-consumer plastic waste of their products. Brands take our services to fulfill Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligation under Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2018.

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