As one of the flagship amendments to the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2021, the pan-Indian ban on a group of single-use plastic products (SUPPs) introduced in mid-2022 provided a departure point towards more progressive plastic waste legislation. The amendments have mostly been welcomed, yet challenges persist to facilitate their implementation, assess potential environmental impacts of alternative materials, and raise socio-economic concerns raised by various stakeholders. Considering the recent amendments to the PWM Rules, we critically engage with and highlight key considerations and prevailing challenges with regards to phasing out SUPPs. We argue that to shape sustainable solutions that reduce plastic pollution, uncertainties related to the environmental fate of SUPP alternatives need to be better understood while recognising and accounting for broader socio-economic impacts of SUPP bans, including industry concerns, impacts on socio-economically disadvantaged communities, and the informal recycling sector. A stronger knowledge base on these aspects can mitigate negative social and environmental externalities, including potentially harmful consequences of ambitious plastic pollution reduction measures.
The Ocean Plastics Charter aims to bring together leading countries, sub-national governments, businesses, and civil society organisations to commit to a more resource-efficient and sustainable approach to keep plastics in the economy and out of the environment. With this charter, it aims to transition to a more sustainable and resource-efficient method of managing plastics. Through[…]
These regulations are intended to promote sustainable development, food security, and the sustainable management of fishing activities in Palau’s waters. They also intend to create economic returns, employment generation, and export earnings from the sustainable harvesting of tuna and tuna-like species by encouraging the development of domestic fishing industries and a local tuna market. These[…]
This subchapter E of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations outlines the pesticide programs, including registration and classification procedures, policies, special review procedures, standards, labelling requirements, packaging requirements, data requirements, and good laboratory practice standards. It also covers state registration of pesticide products, rules of practice governing hearings under the federal Insecticide, Fungicide,[…]
The Plastics Roadmap aims to decrease littering and other environmental harm brought on by plastics, prevent needless use, enhance plastic recycling, and replace traditional polymers derived from fossil fuels combined with various substances and liquids. To guarantee more focus on sustainable product development, reuse, product recyclability, and the growing usage of recovered plastics, these objectives[…]
The regulations aim to enhance aquaculture pollution prevention and control, protect aquatic ecosystems, ensure product quality and safety, and promote sustainable development. They consist of 24 articles divided into four sections: general provisions, delimitation of prohibited areas, pollution prevention and control, and environmental monitoring and supervision of fishery waters.