Dear Friends, 

India generates approximately 9.46 million tonnes of plastic waste per year. Plastics can take up to thousands of years to decompose and can contaminate soil and water, posing significant risks to both humans and wildlife. The presence of microplastics in human blood showcases its overarching presence in our food chain and it has proved to be a leading health concern. 

In line with the clarion call given by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to phase out single use plastic by 2022, keeping in view the adverse impacts of littered plastic on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, which prohibits identified single use plastic items which have low utility and high littering potential by 2022. However, the draft rules have not yet been fully implemented.   

Pollution due to single use plastic items has become an important environmental challenge confronting all countries. India is committed to take action for mitigation of pollution caused by littered Single Use Plastics. In the 4th United Nations Environment Assembly held in 2019, India had piloted a resolution on addressing single-use plastic products pollution, recognizing the urgent need for the global community to focus on this very important issue. The adoption of this resolution at UNEA was a significant step. The Stockholm & Rio Declarations as well as the Sustainable Development Goals envisions and obligates us to immediately curb plastic pollution. 

Article 47 of the Constitution lays down for the state to raise the standard of living and to improve public health. Standard of living and public health depends upon the quality of the environment. While Article 48A puts a duty on the State to protect and improve the environment and further to safeguard the forests and wildlife. Article 51A(g) puts a fundamental duty on the citizens to protect and preserve the environment. 

To enable the fulfillment of these Constitutional directives it is imperative that we curb plastic pollution at an urgent pace. Right to a pollution free environment and right to health is time and again held as part of Article 21 by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India. Strict and immediate implementation of the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021 will be a step forward in ensuring a pollution free and healthy environment. In furtherance of our International, Constitutional, and moral, obligations we beseech you to kindly implement the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021 immediately and with full force in a strict manner. 

We the members of Youth For Ecological Sustainability (YES) are taking this issue very seriously and are determined to take proper action in saving Mother Earth. Hence, we are launching a 45-day campaign known as “Voice For Green Earth”, starting on 22nd April and culminating on 5th June. During our campaign, we the members of YES from 16 States will try to reach out to all of you and urge you to sign this petition and support us in highlighting this issue. By 5th June, with the signatures collected we will submit our petition to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India to immediately implement the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021.