Date: 2025-08-06Category: Not ApplicableState: Tamil NaduCountry: India
ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE AND FOREST DEPARTMENT--Amendments to the Ban on ̒one time use and throwaway plastics under the Environment (Protection) Act.
**Executive Summary**
This document is a notification from the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette, published on August 6, 2025. It announces amendments to the ban on 'one time use and throwaway plastics' under the Environment (Protection) Act. The amendments take effect immediately and include specific conditions for non-woven plastic bags greater than 60 GSM.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Amendments to Plastic Ban:**
* The amendments relate to the ban on ‘one-time use and throwaway plastics’ under the Environment (Protection) Act.
* The amendments are effective immediately.
* **Exceptions to the Ban:**
* Plastic bags that form an integral part of packaging for goods sealed prior to use in manufacturing or processing units are now exempt from the ban.
* **Non-woven Plastic Bags:**
* Non-woven plastic bags greater than 60 GSM are permitted under specific conditions:
* The manufacturer's identity and State Pollution Control Board consent order details must be printed on the final products.
* The bags must be labeled: "This bag is made from non-woven plastic fabric more than 60 GSM."
* The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and Urban Local Bodies will periodically inspect to verify GSM and requirements.
* Urban Local Bodies must have separate systems for collecting non-woven plastic bag wastes for recycling or co-processing in Cement Plants.
* Manufacturers/producers of non-woven plastic fabrics must register under the "Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic packaging."
* The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board will continue to promote the use of cloth bags through the Meendum Manjappai Campaign.
* **Revised Definition of "Use and Throw Away Plastic":**
* The definition now explicitly includes items such as: plastic carry bags, plastic flags, plastic sheets used for food wrapping, spreading on dining table etc., plastic plates, plastic coated tea cups and plastic tumblers, water pouches and packets, plastic straw irrespective of thickness, non-woven plastic bag less than 60 Gram per Square Metre (GSM), ear buds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, candy with plastic sticks, ice cream with plastic sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration, plastic thermocol plates and cups, wrapping or packing around sweet boxes, invitation cards and cigarette packets, plastic stirrers and trays, cutlery such as plastic forks, spoons and knives and plastic or PVC banners less than 100 micron.
* **Definition of "Non-woven Plastic bag":**
* Non-woven Plastic bag" means Non-woven Plastic bag made up of plastic sheet or web structured fabric of entangled plastic fibers of filaments (and by perforating films) bonded together by mechanical or thermal or chemical means, and the "non-woven fabric" means a flat or tufted porous sheet that is made directly from plastic fibers, molten plastic or plastic films.
**Impact Analysis**
**Manufacturers of Non-woven Plastic Bags**
* **Impact:** Need to comply with new printing, labeling, and registration requirements to legally produce and sell non-woven plastic bags greater than 60 GSM.
* **Action Required:**
* Print identity and consent order details on products.
* Label bags correctly.
* Register under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic packaging.
**Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board / Urban Local Bodies**
* **Impact:** New responsibilities for inspection and waste management.
* **Action Required:**
* Periodically inspect and check non-woven plastic fabrics and bags.
* Ensure separate collection systems for non-woven plastic bag wastes.
**Commercial Establishments / Industries**
* **Impact:** Compliance with sourcing and disposal of plastic bags.
* **Action Required:**
* Ensure compliance with guidelines for usage of plastics, including non-woven plastics.
* Cooperate with inspection authorities.
**Public**
* **Impact:** Impacted by changes in available packaging and continued promotion of cloth bags.
* **Action Required:** Support the Meendum Manjappai Campaign and adapt to new regulations regarding plastic usage.
Key Entities Referenced
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986: Central Act under which the amendments to the ban on certain plastics are made.
Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board: Responsible for inspecting and checking non-woven plastic fabrics/bags, promoting the use of cloth bags, and enforcing compliance with consent order details.
Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016: Referenced for the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic packaging requirements.
Meendum Manjappai Campaign: Campaign by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to promote the use of cloth bags.
Tamil Nadu Government Gazette: Official publication where the amendments to the ban on certain plastics are published.