Sikkim Government Bans Plastic Bottles To Conserve Environment From 2022

The Sikkim tourism board has announced to ban the use of plastic from the new year 2022, including packaged mineral water bottles. This is the first step towards a better future and a plastic-free environment for the next generation. The state will generate and offer more eco-friendly and organic products as an alternative to plastic. This step is taken to transition and join the state government's campaign of banning plastic in the region. This decision will come in order by January 1, 2022.

Measures Planned

The CM stated that a three-month buffer time would be provided to deplete the prevailing stock of drinking water bottles offered at businesses. During a cleaning campaign on occasion, Tamang, who was joined by governor Ganga Prasad, said that the state government is taking initiatives to prohibit the flow of bottled drinking water from outside as per an India Today report.

Many other Tourist attractions have already prohibited the use of plastic water bottles to mitigate the use of plastic.

Flashback

Sikkim is way ahead as it is the first state to outlaw disposable plastic bags smaller than 50 microns in1998. In 2016, the entire state banned Styrofoam and polystyrene disposable plates and flatware, The Outlook reported.

This is not the first time they've mentioned prohibiting the utilization of plastic water bottles. They banned their use in government buildings and events in 2016 instead of promoting filtered water, water dispensers, and reusable water bottles.

Back in 2012, the town of Lachen in North Sikkim declared itself plastic-free. Visitors were urged to either dispose of their plastic bottles or transfer their water into reusable bottles available at the establishments.

Sikkim has also become the first Indian state to target single-use plastic bottles, thereby one of India's environmental leaders. It is also the first state in the country to adopt organic farming, according to a Northeast Today report.

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