Single Use Plastic Ban Items List 2026: Full List of Banned Items in India

Single Use Plastic Ban Items List 2026 is still in force across India. The ban has been active since 1 July 2022 and covers 19 identified single use plastic items that have low utility and high littering potential. Making, importing, stocking, distributing, selling or using these items is not allowed anywhere in the country. Anyone who breaks the rule can face a fine or jail term under Section 15 of the Environment Protection Act, along with local municipal laws.

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the ban through Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021 on 12 August 2021. Central Pollution Control Board, along with the state pollution control boards, keeps a watch on illegal manufacturing and sale of these items. National and state level control rooms were set up for this work. Enforcement did not stop after 2022. Ladakh ordered a strict ban on identified single use plastic items and littering in June 2026, with fines going up to ₹10,000. Cities like Madurai and Bengaluru are also running regular checks on shops, malls and roadside vendors.

Single Use Plastic Ban Items List 2026

All banned items fall into four broad groups. The first is the plastic stick family, which covers ear buds, balloon sticks, flags, candy sticks and ice cream sticks. Next comes the cutlery group with plates, cups, glasses, spoons, knives and straws. The third group is packing film, which includes sweet boxes, invitation cards and cigarette packets. The last group has items like thermocol decoration, banners below 100 microns and plastic stirrers. Plastic carry bags below 120 microns have also been banned since 31 December 2022.

Packaging used for fast moving consumer goods is not part of this list. Toothpaste, soap, shampoo and chocolate wrappers still use plastic packing, and these are handled separately under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules. Thicker plastic carry bags that can be reused are allowed, although states can bring stricter limits if they want.

Full List of Banned Single Use Plastic Items

These are the items that cannot be made, stored, sold or used in India. The list covers daily use items found at tea stalls, sweet shops, party halls and road side kiosks, so it is useful for shopkeepers, event planners and regular buyers to know each one of them.

1. Plastic carry bags below 120 microns: thin bags that tear easily. The thickness limit went up from 75 microns to 120 microns on 31 December 2022.
2. Plastic plates: the disposable plates used at stalls, parties and community feasts.
3. Plastic sticks for balloons: the small stick that holds a balloon in place.
4. Plastic flags: small festival and event flags fixed on plastic sticks.
5. Candy sticks: plastic sticks used inside candies and lollipops.
6. Ice cream sticks: plastic sticks used in ice cream bars.
7. Ear buds with plastic sticks: cotton buds with a plastic stem.
8. Wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes: the shiny film wrapped over sweet boxes.
9. Plastic wrapping on invitation cards: the plastic cover that comes with wedding and event cards.
10. Cigarette pack wrapping films: the thin plastic film around cigarette packs.
11. Plastic cups: disposable tea, water and juice cups.
12. Plastic glasses: single use glasses used at functions and gatherings.
13. Plastic cutlery such as forks, spoons and knives: the disposable cutlery handed out with packed food.
14. Plastic trays: trays used to pack sweets, fruits and snacks.
15. Plastic straws: drinking straws, including the ones attached to juice and soft drink packs.
16. Plastic or PVC banners less than 100 microns: thin publicity banners used on roads and outside shops.
17. Polystyrene or thermocol for decoration: thermocol sheets, balls and cutouts used in decoration work.
18. Non woven plastic bags below 60 GSM: thin non woven carry bags common at small shops.
19. Plastic stirrers: small stirrers used for tea, coffee and cold drinks.

What Is Not Covered Under the Ban

A few plastic products are outside this list. Multi layered packaging used for chips, biscuits and other FMCG goods is not banned, but the companies that make them have to follow EPR targets for collecting and recycling the waste. Carry bags thicker than the allowed limit are legal, because they can be used again and again. Compostable plastic items certified by Central Pollution Control Board are also allowed. Important to remember that a state or a union territory can add more items to its own ban list, so local rules may be stricter than the central list.

For the official notice, you can download the PIB note on the single use plastic ban.

Penalty for Selling or Using Banned Plastic Items

The punishment depends on the law that is applied. Section 15 of the Environment Protection Act allows a fine or imprisonment, or both. On top of that, municipal bodies and pollution control boards collect spot fines from shops, hotels and malls that stock banned items. Some of the recent action taken against violators includes:

• Spot fines collected by municipal corporations during market and mall inspections.
• Cancellation of the consent to operate given to units that make banned single use plastic items.
• Seizure of banned stock during raids by state pollution control boards.
• Environmental compensation on producers who fail to meet EPR collection targets.

How to Report Illegal Sale of Banned Plastic

STEP 1 - Note down the shop name, the exact location, the date and the type of banned item being sold or used. A photo or a short video helps the checking team act faster.

STEP 2 - Send the details to your municipal corporation or local body, since they handle most of the market level checks and spot fines in their area.

STEP 3 - If no action is taken locally, file a complaint with the state pollution control board. These boards can also cancel the consent to operate of units found making or stocking banned items.

State Level Bans in 2026

More than 30 states and union territories had already brought their own orders on plastic carry bags and single use plastic items even before the central ban started. That pattern continues in 2026. Ladakh's June 2026 order bans the sale and use of identified single use plastic items and also penalises littering in public places. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka keep running drives against banned carry bags and wax coated cups. For families and shopkeepers, the simple rule is to check the local body notice along with the central list, because the stricter of the two will apply.

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