The government notified new norms for plasticwaste management across the country.The Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, which is aimed at curbing the over 6,000 tonnes of uncollected plastic waste generated daily, will target plastic manufacturers and industries that use it.This will be brought about by a new principle of Extended Producers Responsibility Act. Those industries using plastic will have to pay proportionately towards collection through the same distribution system they use for retailing their products. Such industries will be liable to lose their certification for operations if they do not abide by the norms.The government also aims to standardise the 50 micron size plastic bags as opposed to the 40 micron ones, which was the minimum permissible limit earlier.

The problem with plastics is they do not easily degrade. They may break down, but only into smaller pieces. The smaller those pieces get the more places they can go.Many pieces wind up at sea. Tiny bits of plastic float throughout the world’s oceans. They wash up on remote islands. They collect in sea ice thousands of kilometers (miles) from the nearest city.
Effects of Plastic Pollution
It can wreak havoc on natural environments, leading to long-term issues for plants, animals, and people. Some of the major long-term effects of plastic pollution are:
It Upsets the Food Chain
Because it comes in sizes large and small, polluting plastics even affect the world’s tiniest organisms such as plankton. When these organisms become poisoned due to plastic ingestion, this causes problems for the larger animals that depend on them for food. This can cause a whole slew of problems, each step further along the food chain. Plus, it means that plastic are present in the fish that many people eat everyday.
Groundwater Pollution
Water conservation is already a concern, but the world’s water is in great danger because of leaking plastics and waste.. Groundwater and reservoirs are susceptible to leaking environmental toxins.
Land Pollution
When plastic is dumped in landfills, it interacts with water and form hazardous chemicals. When these chemicals seep underground, they degrade the water quality.
Air Pollution
Burning of plastic in the open air, leads to environmental pollution due to the release of poisonous chemicals. The polluted air when inhaled by humans and animals affect their health and can cause respiratory problems.
It is Poisonous
Man artificially makes plastic by using a number of toxic chemicals BPA(a plastic chemical). Therefore, use of and exposure to plastics has been linked to a number of health concerns affecting people around the world. The processes of making, storing, disposing of, and just being around plastics can be extremely harmful to living things.