World Environment Day: Intensify Efforts for More Sustainable Outcomes

India is the fifth-highest source of plastic waste in the world, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board, and the country wants to do something about it.

On the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day, the government is calling for a ban on all single-use plastic products, including straws, drink bottles, and shopping bags, by 2022, the BBC reports.

A Central Pollution Control Board rep says India produces about 3.5 million tons of plastic waste each year.

"The magnitude of plastic waste, combined with the financial and institutional limitations of cities and municipalities, demands a multi-pronged approach to tackle the issue effectively," the government says.

"Close collaboration among governments, businesses, and communities is vital to finding sustainable solutions," the government says.

India's plastic waste is made up of mostly single-use products, including plastic bags, bottles, and straws.

A ban on single-use products is already in place in several countries, including the US.

But the government wants to go even further.

It's calling for a ban on all plastic products made by 2020.

"We must think of how we can help our people and the planet by tackling pollution squarely," the government says.

(China is the world's biggest source of plastic waste.)

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