This May was the worst moth for the Indian automobile market in nearly 18 years. Sales of passenger vehicles nosedived by 20.55% on an annualized basis, according to the data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). It was the biggest drop since 2001. Auto sales have been falling for 11 consecutive months in the country now mainly because of a new national safety and environmental policy that made vehicle producers lift prices and even take some car models that are non-compliant with the new norms out of production. Dealers are overstocked with over half a million unsold cars, according to estimates. A number of major automobile producers in India have already announced shutdowns for June in an attempt to restore the market balance.

Continental plans to expand its off-road tyre capacity in Lousado, Portugal. It will invest $114 million. The production may start before the year end. After the expansion, a 73-year-old plant will continue producing tyres with a diameter of over 24 inches. The new production hall will be built adjacent to the radial agricultural tyre facility opened in 2017, the company has said. However, additional capacity is unknown yet.

Canada will ban disposable plastic goods as early as 2021, Justin Trudeau said on Monday. The specific items to be banned will be determined upon a science-based review, he added.

The Prime Minister informed that the matter had yet to be thoroughly discussed and the list of the banned goods agreed with the Canadian plastic producers. It may include plastic bags, single-use plastic cutlery, plates and straws.

‘As early as 2021, Canada will ban harmful single-use plastics from coast to coast,’ Trudeau said.

The government is taking cue from the European parliament that voted overwhelmingly for a wide-ranging ban on single-use plastics in March to counter pollution of waterways and fields. Legislatures of the EU member states must vote for the measure to take effect.

Trudeau announced the move on the bank of a lake in Quebec’s Gault Nature Reserve in less than five months before the national elections in which the climate change and the pollution are among the top campaign issues.

Under 10% of plastic is recycled in Canada. The government said that 1 million birds and over 100,000 marine mammals worldwide get injured or die annually from when they mistake plastic items for food or become entangled in them.

The European Union calls for the disposable utensils that will remain in use to be made of sustainable materials whenever possible. The EU legislative bodies also plan to recycle 90% of plastic bottles and halve the litter of the top 10items most often found in oceans by 2025.