Vendors in Patna using polythene bags freely at vegetable market on Thursday.

PATNA: After a blanket ban on polythene carrybags of all sizes, the state government plans to ban single-use plastic and polystyrene (thermocol) products such as plates and cups in keeping with the Centre’s commitment to make the country plastic-free by 2022.

Deputy CM Sushil Modi, who also holds the environment portfolio, informed the Bihar legislative council about the state's proposed move while responding to a call attention motion brought by RJD MLC Subodh Kumar on non-implementation of the plastic ban law on Thursday.

“After the implementation of the ban on plastic bags in Bihar, 23,302kg of plastics worth little above Rs 56 lakh have been seized from various parts of the state in 18,717 raids conducted so far,” he said, adding, the ban is being monitored by the chief secretary.

“We will now ban single-use plastic and thermocol products as they badly affect the environment,” said Modi, adding, a task force has been formed to carry out raids.

The ban envisages penalty ranging from Rs100 to 500 for household use of plastic and Rs1,000 to Rs5000 for littering plastic at public places.

The state government enforced the ban in urban areas in December, 2018. Even plastic packaging sheets were covered under the ban. Later, a similar ban on plastic bags and sheets was enforced in rural areas as well in January this year.

Modi said state urban development and housing department has also initiated the bidding process for disposal of plastic waste from north and south Bihar. He added that talks were on with manufacturers on waste recycling.

The state pollution control board chairman, Ashok Ghosh, said plastic and thermocol products are toxic and enter the food chain through crops. “It takes 300 to 400 years for plastic to degrade. Plastic degrades in water and ground and once it breaks below five micron it enters plants through roots and then the human body, which is carcinogenic,” said Ghosh.

He added that BSPCB had sent a proposal to the state environment and forests department proposing implementation of complete ban on manufacture, import, storage, transport, selling and use of disposable single use plastic and thermocol.

