News: Ban on single-use plastics in Indian waters

Members with ships trading to and from India are advised to take note of the requirements on 'Prohibition on use of Single Use Plastics' (seen in the attachment on the right), issued by the Directorate General of Shipping, India on 16 October 2019.
 
Following requirements apply to all Indian ships and foreign ships in any port or place in India:
 

Items prohibited with immediate effect:

• Cutlery, plates and cups
• Up to 10 litre bottles for water and other drinks
• Garbage and shopping bags
• Dispensing containers for cleaning fluids which are less than 10 litre volume.
  
  

With effect from 1 January 2020, the following single use plastics will be prohibited for use:

• Bags, trays, containers, food packaging film
• Milk bottles, freezer bags, shampoo bottles, ice cream containers
• Bottle for water and other drinks, dispensing containers for cleaning fluids, biscuit trays
• Hot drink cups, insulated food packaging, protective packaging for fragile items
• Microwave dishes, ice cream tubs, potato chip bags, bottle caps.

Enforcement:

• A foreign ship intending to enter an Indian port is required to make a log entry identifying the 'Single Use Plastic Items' on board the ship and state the time, latitude and longitude  “when” along with the location of store where these items are stored prior entering Indian territorial waters. Further no single use plastic items to be discharged to port reception facility at an Indian port; same to be verified during PSC inspections.
• No detention of foreign ships will be enforced. A handwritten deficiency in the printed PSC Form 'B' to be rectified prior departure may be issued; however, no such deficiency will be uploaded on IOCIS (the Indian Ocean Computerised Information System, to hold PSC data).

Category: Pollution