Guwahati, Aug 11: Several single-use plastic (SUP) items continue to be available in Guwahati, as well as Delhi, Mumbai, and Bhubaneswar, according to a study by environmental research and advocacy organisation Toxics Link. A total of 560 locations (140 per city) were surveyed across the four cities.

The report, ‘Revisiting single-use plastic ban’, stated that 84 per cent of 560 surveyed locations across Delhi, Mumbai, Guwahati, and Bhubaneswar still use or sell banned plastic items. SUPs are plastic products manufactured using fossil fuels and designed for a single use before being discarded.

They are commonly used for packaging, as food containers, and other everyday items. The major concern with SUPs is that they are non-biodegradable and can persist in the environment for a long time, contributing to pollution in oceans, areas surrounding landfills, and ecosystems, as per the report.