New Delhi: Thermoformers and Allied Industries Association (TAIA) on Monday (June 27) urged the government not to impose a blanket ban on single-use plastics from July 1 and instead do it in a phased manner. Plastic plates, cups, glasses and trays are made from single-use plastics and the imposition of a ban will stop the manufacturing of these products and kill the Rs 10,000-crore size industry that employs 2 lakh people directly and 4.5 lakh people indirectly, it said. Speaking to PTI, TAIA Secretary Bhavesh Bhojani said,
The products that we manufacture are 100 per cent recyclable but are put under the blanket ban. The relaxation has been given to manufacturers of carrying bags, bottles and multi-layered plastics (MLP) but not to us.
Also Read: Amul Urges Environment Ministry To Postpone Plastic Straw Ban By One Year
Plastic carry bags and bottle makers have been given different specifications for phasing out the manufacturing of these products. For instance, manufacturers are allowed to produce 75 microns plastic carry bags till December 2022 and after that they have to shift to 120 microns and above, he said.
When other plastic manufacturers are given relaxation, why not to those who make products from single-use plastics? The industry will collapse and many will lose jobs if the ban comes into force from July 1, he said.
The TAIA Secretary appealed to the government to allow single-use plastic product makers to use above 200 microns or 4 grams plastics for up to two years and by then the industry will find an economically viable alternative material.
The government has suggested using biodegradable plastics instead of single-use plastics. But the biodegradable plastic is expensive and largely imported, he said, adding that using such an expensive material is unviable for manufacturers and becomes expensive for end-users.
The blanket ban will affect the packaging of food, beverages and agricultural produce, he added.
There are 850 manufacturers engaged in making single-use plastic products in the country.
Single-use plastics have been banned by state governments including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and partially in Himachal Pradesh.
Also Read: India Committed To Eliminating Single-use Plastic, Says PM Modi At One Ocean Summit
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
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