Air India will also immediately replace 200 ml water botles by larger 1,500 ml ones. Starting from October, 2, other single-use plastic items will be gradually removed and replaced in two stages. Air India Express and Alliance Air flights will be the first to stop using such items with all Air India flights following the suit slightly later.
Earlier, in his Independence Day speech in mid-August, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi called the nation to take the "first big step" on October 2, the birthday of independence hero Mahatma Gandhi to eradicate single-use plastic in a bid of making the country a better, cleaner place.
A national campaign to support Prime Minister's initiative is expected to start mid-September. It will encourage people first to become aware of single-use plastic items they encounter in their daily life reducing or totally refusing their usage; then to collect single-use plastic; and recycle. Cloth bags are widely promoted for shoppers to replace plastic bags, too.
Every year, India generated about 5.6 million tons of plastic waste. Urgent measured are badly needed to protect heavily littered environmet across the country.
Single-Use Plastic Banned on Air India Flights
News in Asia
Air India, the flag carrier airline of India, has announced it will stop using single-use plastic on all the airline's flights to support the government's "clean India" mission. Packaging and cuttlery will be replaced with eco-friendly paper and wood.