New Delhi- Marking World Environment Day 2025, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change rolled out a powerful national movement titled “One Nation, One Mission: End Plastic Pollution” during a special event held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. In the lead-up to the event, nearly 69,000 awareness activities were held across the country, drawing participation from over 21 lakh people and showcasing a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led by example, planting a Banyan sapling under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative as part of the Aravalli Green Wall project, aimed at revitalizing the 700-kilometre Aravalli range. He also flagged off 200 electric buses under Delhi’s sustainable transport initiative, promoting green mobility and reinforcing India’s commitment to a cleaner environment.
To further tackle plastic pollution, the National Plastic Pollution Reduction Campaign was launched, running from June 5 to October 31, 2025. It includes a wide range of efforts such as reducing plastic waste in tiger reserves, rural and urban areas under the Swachhata Hi Sewa programme, and cutting down single-use plastic in government offices. Youth engagement is also a key part of the campaign, with competitions like slogan writing, poetry, skits, and hackathons encouraging creative solutions.
The government has tightened its regulations under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, with a 2024 amendment making it mandatory for local bodies to file annual reports online by June 30 each year. This shift to a digital system via the newly launched National Plastic Waste Reporting Portal is expected to streamline compliance and enforcement.
A ban on several single-use plastic items came into force in July 2022, and enforcement efforts have ramped up since. Authorities have carried out over 8.6 lakh inspections, seized nearly 2,000 tonnes of banned plastic items, and imposed fines totalling nearly Rs20 crore. These steps have also driven the growth of eco-alternatives. A compendium listing around 1,000 eco-friendly manufacturers across India was launched on World Environment Day 2025, while the Bureau of Indian Standards has developed new guidelines for biodegradable food utensils made from agricultural by-products.
The centralized EPR portal now registers over 51,000 producers, importers, and brand owners, alongside nearly 3,000 plastic waste processors. Since the introduction of the Extended Producer Responsibility guidelines in February 2022, over 157 lakh tonnes of plastic packaging waste has been recycled. Provisions to penalize violators under the polluter pays principle have also been strengthened, with revised compensation assessment guidelines issued in August 2024.
These updates and initiatives were shared by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, in a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha, underscoring India’s firm and evolving stand against plastic pollution.
