One Nation, One Mission: Centre Intensifies Drive to End Plastic Pollution with 69000 Events Nationwide

New Delhi, August 5: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change informed the Lok Sabha on Monday that its World Environment Day 2025 campaign, themed “One Nation, One Mission: End Plastic Pollution”, saw massive public participation with nearly 69,000 events held across India involving 21 lakh citizens.

Union Minister of State for Environment, Kirti Vardhan Singh, stated in a written reply that the campaign reflects a ‘Whole of Government’ and ‘Whole of Society’ approach, drawing in participation from government officials, industry representatives, civil society, and students.

Key Highlights from World Environment Day 2025 Celebrations:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a tree plantation initiative Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam by planting a Banyan sapling under the Aravalli Green Wall Project, which aims to reforest 700 km of the Aravalli range.
• The Prime Minister also flagged off 200 electric buses in Delhi to promote clean urban mobility.

National Plastic Pollution Reduction Campaign (NPPRC):

Spanning from June 5 to October 31, 2025, the campaign includes:

• Clean-up drives in tiger reserves and rural areas under Swachhata Hi Sewa.
• Reduction of single-use plastics in government offices under Special Campaign 5.0.
• Youth engagement through hackathons, poetry, slogan writing, and street plays on ending plastic pollution.

Strengthening Plastic Waste Regulation:

• The Ministry notified the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2024, mandating all urban local bodies and district-level panchayats to submit annual plastic waste reports online via a centralized portal launched on June 5, 2025.
• As per compliance data:
  • Over 8.61 lakh inspections have been carried out.
  • 1,985 tonnes of banned SUP items seized.
  • Fines totalling ₹19.82 crore imposed.

Support for Eco-Alternatives and Recycling:

• A Compendium of Eco-Alternative Manufacturers was released, listing nearly 1,000 units nationwide offering substitutes to banned single-use plastic items.
• The Bureau of Indian Standards has notified IS 18267 for food utensils made from agri by-products.
• Under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework:
  • 51,838 Producers, Importers, and Brand Owners registered.
  • 2,948 Plastic Waste Processors are on board.
  • Since the EPR guidelines took effect in 2022, over 157 lakh tonnes of plastic packaging waste has been recycled.

The revised Environmental Compensation guidelines issued by CPCB in August 2024 now provide a robust mechanism to penalize violators under the “polluter pays” principle.

The minister reiterated that this comprehensive strategy aligns with India’s broader environmental goals and promotes sustainable behaviour, industry transformation, and community participation to achieve a plastic-free future.