Hindustan Times

'Plastic surgery' for Mumbai


Mumbai, Dec. 29 --

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) proposal to ban plastic bans in Mumbai is set to become a reality with the state government saying it would support the move. Currently, bags thinner than 50 microns cannot be sold - a ban imposed after the July 2005 deluge. It was found that plastic bags had choked several drains, amplifying the effect of the downpour.

Once the BMC passes the new proposal, all plastic bags would be banned. "The issue is under civic jurisdiction. We will extend all the help required to implement the ban," said Environment Secretary Valsa Nair. The Hindustan Times was the first to report, on December 27, that the BMC was contemplating the ban. Mayor Shraddha Jadhav pushed for a total ban because the BMC was finding it tough to keep a check on bags that are thinner than 50 microns while allowing those that are thicker.
Once cleared by the BMC, the proposal would have to be sent to the state government. The government would then have to amend the law to make the ban a reality. Nair said the Centre had also prepared a draft law to ban plastic bags across India. The state had given its suggestions and a final notification is expected soon. "One of our suggestions was to increase the penalty for using plastic bags thinner than 50 microns to Rs 5,000 from the present Rs 1,000," said Nair. "The Central notification will take a while to be implemented. But if the BMC decides to ban plastic bags, we can do that soon." Between April 2008 and October 2009, the BMC seized 19,400 kg of plastic bags thinner than 50 microns. Rs 98 lakh was collected in penalties. Jadhav said the proposal would be tabled in a meeting of party group leaders on January 2. "We will discuss it on a priority basis," she said. She added that she would encourage the use of cloth bags as an alternative and would take the opinion of plastic bag manufacturers into account. A complete ban on plastic bags already exists in Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Kerala and Matheran. Last week, the Pune civic body also okayed such a ban.

According to civic statistics, Mumbai generates 8,000 metric tones of garbage every day, of which plastic accounts for 4 per cent.

From the news outlets

Packaging Law.Com

India Proposes New Rules on Plastic Containers
with Far-Reaching Implications

Dec 15, 2009
The Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests (MEF) proposed new regulations that would effectively ban the use of recycled or biodegradable plastics in food contact packages, in addition to imposing significant other requirements. Draft notification S.O. 2400(E), or the "Plastics (Manufacture, Usage and Waste Management) Rules" (Plastics Notification), applies to "containers," which are defined in the regulations to include "flexible or rigid containers made of virgin plastic or recycled plastics or biodegradable plastics with or without lid used to store or dispense commodities."

Section 5(b) of the Plastics Notification states, "no person shall use carry bags or containers made of recycled plastics or biodegradable plastics for storing, carrying, dispensing or packaging foodstuffs." Keller and Heckman LLP submitted comments on the Notification on behalf of the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) and the International Chewing Gum Association (ICGA) opposing the ban. The comments pointed out that: food packaging substances are already regulated by Indian government agencies other than MEF, and that sophisticated processes exist for recycling PET and other plastic materials to produce safe recycled and biodegradable materials for use in food packaging applications.

The Notification also prohibits the manufacture, distribution, and sale of "non-recyclable laminated plastic or metallic pouches, multilayered packaging, and other non-recyclable plastics." Additionally, the proposed rules mandate labeling all plastic bags and containers for commodities to indicate whether they are made from "recycled," "biodegradable," or "virgin" material.
While the Plastics Notification does not expressly ban the use of colorants, it specifies that containers made from virgin plastic be "natural in shade." SPI's comments explain that colorants in food and drug packaging are sometimes used to protect packaged products from ultraviolet rays that can accelerate the degradation of food or reduce the strength of packaged drugs. The comments also point out that consumers identify with certain products and brands by the color of the packaging.

Luibeg Comment:
"The draft Notification of September 17th 2009 issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests affects the entire plastic manufacturing industry in India and will have a far reaching negative impact if introduced. It is known that there has been a significant reaction from all areas of the industry who have submitted suggestions, strong representation and objections against the proposed Act in it`s current format. Luibeg have submitted alternative proposals which clearly define the different technologies available, i.e. oxo-biodegradable and hydro-biodegradable, together with the correct test protocols and International Standards which should be applied to each technology. (There has been major confusion amongst the various Government Departments as to which test protocol or Standards to follow, resulting in the incorrect methodology being used with resultant test results being wongly issued) We have also argued a case as to why "compostable" is not a route to follow in India and why alternatives to plastic are not a practical solution. We are aware of the fact that many of our customers and industry colleagues have written independently to the Government on this very serious matter, although to date, Symphony and the Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics Association have yet to directly respond. In the meantime, State Governments continue to introduce blanket bans on plastic bag manufacturing, as referred to in the Pune article reproduced on this site and the Indusry suffers as a result of the continuing uncertainty and confusion. As everyone knows, plastic is an established fact of life which will never go away - it is neither a practical nor economical solution to ban the production of plastic products. The solution lies in adopting technology to overcome and control the problems, whilst ensuring that the Industry continues to grow and accept the positive alternatives to protect its future. Panic measures with the introduction of unworkable or unenforceable laws exacerbated by the failure to understand or accept alternative technologies will only create disaster and the problems will still remain unresolved."

Punescoop.com

Complete Ban On Plastic Bags In Pune Soon

Thu Dec 24, 2009

Use of plastic bags of all sizes and shapes will soon be banned in the city. The general body (GB) meeting of the Pune Municipal Corporation on Wednesday approved a resolution enforcing a complete ban on use of plastic bags.
The decision, taken to prevent further degradation of environment due to plastic, will come into force once the state government gives it a final approval.
At the GB, standing committee chairman Nilesh Nikam congratulated all corporators for unanimously supporting the decision. He said the decision assumes significance as it comes a few days after the Copenhagen summit.
Use of plastic bags of all sizes and shapes will soon be banned in the city. The general body (GB) meeting of the Pune Municipal Corporation on Wednesday approved a resolution enforcing a complete ban on use of plastic bags.
The decision, taken to prevent further degradation of environment due to plastic, will come into force once the state government gives it a final approval.
Source: Times Of India Complete ban on plastic bags in Pune soon

At the GB, standing committee chairman Nilesh Nikam congratulated all corporators for unanimously supporting the decision. He said the decision assumes significance as it comes a few days after the Copenhagen summit.
The proposal banning use of plastic bags was first moved by corporators Ashok Yenpure and Dilip Umbarkar in May this year. The standing committee had approved the proposal in the wake of the solid waste mangement imbroglio the city had to face following agitations by residents of Urali and Phursungi, where city's waste is dumped.
While the civic administration made no statement on how the ban on use of plastic bags will be implemented, corporators demanded that action should be taken against all traders, shopkeepers, hawkers and vendors who keep such bags.
Meanwhile, in another decision, the general body approved a proposal to transport 100 metric tonnes of organic waste for generation of biogas if any person was willing to implement it on land

Following a short but extensive end of Year visit to India, Luibeg are very pleased to make the following announcements:

With a view to strengthening our direct representation within the individual States of India, we have expanded the Luibeg Group through the appointment of a number of high profile Companies to represent us in Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Delhi and West Bengal. Full details will be released shortly. The appointments will allow us to access a large number of manufacturers through existing and long standing trading associations, and to also have direct representation with the respective State Pollution Control Boards and Government Departments.

We have just completed and signed off the documentation for the Registration of our new Company in India. This is a major step in expanding our presence in the Country and the new “Luibeg” Company will take forward the entire Indian operation.

Extensive production trials will commence in January with four of India`s major packaging companies. Full details will be reported on conclusion of their trials and the subsequent testing of films to be used. We are delighted with this significant development.

Luibeg are also delighted to announce that through one of our esteemed customers, 21st Century Packaging in Delhi, we are now supplying d2w for the manufacture of bio-medical waste bags used in nearly every hospital in Delhi. This highly important contract comes as a result of the ban on non degradable plastics introduced by the Government.

On behalf of the Luibeg Team, we would like to wish everyone, not least our customers and shareholders a very Happy Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year in 2010.

New York Times (Global business)

13.11.09

NEW DELHI, INDIA

In the 1990s, Ahmed Khan’s company in Bangalore, India, churned out hundreds of thousands of plastic bags and other packaging material each month that eventually ended up as garbage. Now, he is in the business of scouring the city’s landfills and trash cans to reclaim some of that waste and pave the way to a more environmentally friendly enterprise.
Mr. Khan, 60, is trying to solve two of the biggest problems in India: battered roads and overflowing landfills. His solution: streets made with recycled plastic.
Mr. Khan’s company, K.K. Plastic Waste Management, which he founded with his brother, Rasool Khan, has built more than 1,200 kilometers, or 745 miles, of roads using 3,500 tons of plastic waste, primarily in Bangalore, India’s technology and outsourcing hub.
Mixing plastic with asphalt, Mr. Khan forms a compound called polymerized bitumen. When used in roads, it withstands monsoons and everyday wear and tear better than traditional pavement.
“Typically, our roads have a life of three to four years under ideal conditions, but the plastic has increased that by at least another year or two,” said Sunil Bose, head of the Flexible Pavement Division at the Indian Central Road Research Institute, a government agency.
Building a road with a mix of plastic costs about 3 percent more than constructing a conventional road, but Mr. Khan said that in the long run such roads cost less because repair and repaving expenses are much lower.
Mr. Bose said more pilot projects would be undertaken to meet standards in states around the country over the next six months under the supervision of his institute, which approved the technology in 2004 after years of testing.
Polymerized bitumen is not a new compound and has been used for paving in places other than India. But typically the bitumen is mixed with new plastic, making it an expensive venture that has no environmental benefits. Mr. Khan’s innovation uses waste plastic, including bottles and food packaging.
India was not a big user of plastic until the mid-1980s, when the government sanctioned increases in the national production of plastic to help industries become globally competitive. The use of plastic was also stimulated by the movement of more people to cities and importing of more foreign goods.
India, which traditionally recycled a lot of its garbage, was not prepared to handle the increase in plastic waste, including discarded bags, which some experts say can take as long as 1,000 years to decompose.
In 2005, after monsoon rains flooded Mumbai, plastic bags were blamed for clogging the underground drainage system and intensifying the effect of the floods. In areas frequented by tourists, like Goa, heavy consumption of bottled water has resulted in trash on beaches, creating eyesores and endangering marine life.
Even India’s cows, considered sacred, have not been spared. After 3,000 cows died in Lucknow in 2000, the city investigated and found plastic bags in their stomachs. Apparently the bags had been ingested as the animals grazed at dump sites.
Several state governments have banned plastic bags in recent years, although Bangalore has not.
Mr. Khan said he had never set out to be an environmental entrepreneur, but after an anti-plastics movement gained strength in the mid-1990s, he decided that environmentalists had a valid argument and started to worry about his business. From 1998 to 2000, he and his brother developed their technology, testing it on more than 600 potholes in Jayanagar, an upscale neighborhood in Bangalore.
Convinced that they had made a breakthrough, they approached Bangalore University and later the road institute for research and support. Several years and many more road tests later, they were given their first contract by the Bangalore municipal government to pave 40 kilometers of roads.
The Khans’ business spread to other cities and states, and although they patented the plasticized pavement in India, other companies are copying the technology. The Khans said they had decided not to object.
With a ban on plastic bags being enforced in the Indian capital and the Indian High Court asking the government to explore new ways of using plastics, the New Delhi municipal government is showing interest as well. The road institute is working with the Public Works Department in New Delhi to start a project in the city using the technology.
The plastic in Mr. Khan’s roads is collected by garbage collectors, who form the backbone of the Indian recycling industry. These workers collect trash from homes and offices and sort through it for material that can be sold to specialized middlemen, who sell it to recycling companies. Typically, an average garbage collector is paid less than a dollar a day, making as much as 8 rupees, or 17 cents, a kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, depending on the quality of the plastic. But Mr. Khan offers them 8 to 10 rupees a kilogram, ensuring a steady supply. With the help of the Bangalore government, he is also setting up collection points in residential areas.
Of the 35 tons of plastic waste generated by Bangalore each day, Mr. Khan said he was already using three to five tons daily on the roads.
The plastic waste is churned into flakes, then combined at a ratio of eight tons of plastic to every 100 tons of bitumen. For every kilometer of single-lane road, about two tons of plastic is needed.
Five years after the laying of Mr. Khan’s first plastic-mix pavement, the roads seem to be surviving. Mr. Khan attributes this to the plastic’s tendency to act as a binding agent, thereby increasing the ability of bitumen to hold together at higher temperatures. And since plastic is water-resistant, the roads do not get waterlogged, have fewer potholes and need repairs less frequently than conventional roads.
Not everyone is enthusiastic. Despite interest from Sheila Dikshit, chief minister of Delhi, only two kilometers of such pavement have been laid in the Indian capital, and that was five years ago. Local news reports suggest that senior officials have not allowed proposals to go further because contracts for regular maintenance of roads are a big business in India, worth 350 billion rupees a year. Not only would some businesses lose money, but government officials who take kickbacks could also lose, the reports have said.
The information officer for the chief minister’s office, who goes by a single name, Satpal, said, “We’re always going to say there’s no corruption.”
Ms. Dikshit’s office did not respond to other written questions and follow-up phone calls.
Mr. Bose, however, said the slow pace of growth was the result of officials’ desire to be cautious about adopting any new technology too rapidly, lest unforeseen problems arise.
“We have to be careful that adulteration does not begin,” he said, referring to the practice of mixing other substances with plastic.
Some environmentalists are also skeptical. “The focus really has to be on reduction of plastics rather than finding ways to get rid of it,” said Bharati Chaturvedi, director of Chintan, a nongovernment environmental research and action group based in New Delhi. “Technology is no solution to policy and public action.”
Mr. Khan said he was frustrated by the sluggish pace of adoption.
“The government has to take initiative and make it mandatory, if it is to have any effect,” said Mr. Khan, who spent about $325,000 to finance the initial research and testing.
His goal has always been to make a profit, he said. He declined to discuss the financial state of his company but said the cost of the technology and the limited acceptance had made it difficult. Unless local public works departments and the National Highway Authority incorporate bitumen modified with waste plastic into their requirements for road specifications, he said, the technology would remain a novelty.
As for the idea that the focus must be solely on reducing plastic consumption, Mr. Khan said it was impractical to imagine a world without plastic. He said he preferred to think about eco-friendly ways of disposal.
“We have to start looking at plastic as raw material rather than waste,” he said.

From The Hindu 8.11.09

Plan to make Tirunelveli plastic-free
P. Sudhakar

Waste below 20 microns to be sent to cement plant

Local body to give one rupee for every kg brought

TIRUNELVELI:
If Collector M. Jayaraman’s innovative plan goes well with the officials, public, rag pickers and waste plastic traders, the Tirunelveli Corporation area will be liberated from the hazards of synthetic materials.
Mr. Jayaraman has formulated a scheme for buying plastic waste of 40 microns and below. According to him, polythene bags, plastic cups etc., were lying in large quantities in the extension areas of all four zones of the Corporation, streets, public and private places and irrigation channels.
Besides chocking the irrigation and drainage channels and causing health hazards, these non-degradable plastic waste also prevents the percolation of rainwater into the earth as it forms an impermeable layer beneath the top soil. Whenever these plastic wastes, being dumped along with other refuse, are burnt, they emit carcinogenic gases like dioxin, he says.
To check this menace, the district administration, along with the local body, has made an arrangement to send the polythene bags and other waste below 20 microns to India Cements’ manufacturing unit here, where the waste is burnt along with coal in the kiln. As the success of this arrangement is closely associated with the segregation of plastic waste at source, Mr. Jayaraman has introduced this programme.
Plastic waste below 40 microns may be collected by anybody and taken to the unit offices of Tirunelveli, Palayamkottai, Thatchanallur and Melapalayam zones on Tuesdays and Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
“Every kg of plastic waste brought to the unit offices at Pettai (Tirunelveli zone), Maharaja Nagar (Palayamkottai zone), Perumalpuram (Melapalayam zone) and Thatchanallur (Thatchanallur zone) will fetch one rupee,” Mr. Jayaraman said.

The Hindu Buisnessline

Delhi: 8 plastic mfg units issued show cause notice


NEW DELHI: As part of its drive against plastic bags, Delhi Government has issued show cause notices to eight plastic manufacturing units in the national Capital for producing bags of thickness and size, more than prescribed.
“We had inspected 48 plastic bag-making units and lifted samples for analysis of thickness and size. On analysis, it was found that eight units were manufacturing plastic bags more than the thickness and size prescribed in the law,” an official from De lhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) said.
As per the norms, the minimum thickness of recycled bags and virgin bags shall not be less than 20 microns or any minimum thickness as specified by the government. Action has been initiated against the defaulting units under the Water Act/Air Act as wel l as the Delhi Degradable Plastic Bag (Manufacture, Sale and Usage) and Garbage (Control) Act, 2000, the official said.
He added that the defaulters might face closure or follow the law. As per the Act, recycled bags should be coloured and pigmented, and dyes used in manufacturing plastic bags should to be in accordance with the pigments and listed in Bureau of Indian St andards (BIS). The government has also prosecuted more than 30 retail outlets across the city for selling goods in plastic bags. – PTI

More from The Hindu

5 Tons of plastic waste cleared.

ERODE: Five tonnes of plastic waste and bottles is what about 450 students collected from forests near Sathyamangalam.
The students drawn from a dozen schools and a couple of colleges were on a mission recently to clean the forest area and temples where people frequent. Assisting them were Special Task Force personnel and staff from the Sathyamangalam Division of Forest Department.
Divisional Forest Officer S.Ramasubramaniam says under instructions from Conservator P.Durairasu the Department spoke to Inspector General of Police, STF, C.Sylendra Babu and also schools in and around Sathyamangalam. The result of the discussion was the decision to rope in students to clean forests, he says.

On Saturday 450 students and 50 persons from STF and Forest Department covered Bhavani Sagar, Sathyamangalam, Thengumarada, Gejaletti, Hassanur, Arepalayam, Gunderipallam, Thalavady, Sujilkuttai and other areas.
Mr.Ramasubramaniam says the students, drawn from class six onwards, were divided in to 11 groups and put under the care and guidance of STF men and rangers, forest watchers for the day-long operation. Most of the waste the students collected was plastic, dumped in and around Bannari Amman, Karumannarayar temples and Thalavady. Rotary Club of Sathyamangalam and Bannari Amman Sugars also joined the project in that they as sponsors donated T-shirts with environmental messages to the students. At the end of the campaign the DFO says students of Little Flower Mat. School won the prize for their enthusiastic participation. They collected more waste than others. The STF and Forest Department also gave away prizes to best student in each of the 11 groups.
The waste collected has been handed over to the Sathyamangalam Municipality, which in consultation with the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board will look at ways to safely dispose or recycle it.
Mr.Ramasubramaniam assures that Forest Department will not stop with the cleaning campaign. It has also decided to set up bins at places where people frequent so as to prevent litter. Signboards will also be put, he adds.

From The Hindu

TIRUNELVELI: In an attempt to liberate Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts from the clutches of plastic pollution, the India Cements Limited (ICL) here will use this waste being generated from these three districts along with coal, the regular fuel.

According to an estimate, 285 tonnes of solid waste is being generated in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin Corporations and Nagercoil municipality every day and ragpickers and conservancy workers segregate the recyclable plastic from the garbage. After segregation, 5.30 tonnes of plastic, which cannot be reused or destroyed, poses a serious threat to the environment.


Plastic to Crude Oil Process - From TreeHugger.com

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, in a bid to manage this hazardous waste scientifically, held discussion recently with representatives of cement manufacturing units across the State on using waste plastic as a ‘supplement fuel’ along with coal — the regular source of energy.

As the management of ICL, having its manufacturing unit at Sankar Nagar on the outskirts of the city, has come forward to use waste plastic along with coal in its factory, Minister for Environment, Youth Welfare and Sports T.P.M. Maideen Khan, Chairman of TNPCB R. Balakrishnan and District Collector M. Jayaraman held discussions with the representatives of ICL, including its senior vice-president S. Nandakumar and assistant general manager (quality assurance) S. Dhakshinamurthy at Tirunelveli Corporation on Saturday.

As plastic waste is being burnt instantly without giving no time for emitting carcinogenic gases, there will not be any threat to the environment.

The first step towards this exercise will commence shortly at ICL employees’ colony at Sankar Nagar where the waste plastic will be collected and sent to the factory.

At the same time, awareness campaigns on ‘segregating plastic at source’ will commence on October 25 at Tirunelveli and Tuticorin Corporations and Nagercoil municipality. “The TNPCB has allotted Rs. 2 lakh each for these local bodies and some more municipalities for conducting an awareness campaign on plastic pollution and segregation at source. It will be conducted continuously,” said Mr. Balakrishnan.

Despite shortage in manpower and other infrastructure like lorries to carry the waste plastic to the cement factory at Sankar Nagar, the public representatives and the heads of these local bodies should cooperate with the TNPCB and the ICL to make this venture a grand success, said Mr. Maideen Khan. “Based on the success, we’ll decide on the final strategy for expanding it to other areas”.

Tirunelveli Mayor A.L. Subramanian, Tirunelveli Corporation Commissioner K. Baskaran, Tuticorin Mayor Kasthuri Thangam, Tuticorin Corporation Commissioner P. Gubendran and Regional Director for Municipal Administration T. Mohan were among those who participated in the deliberations.

More from the Press

Times of India

NMC seizes 15 kg plastic bags

29 October 2009
NAGPUR: Despite a ban on ultra thin plastic bags, the festival season saw their return with a vengeance. Since the plastic bags are cheap, shopkeepers are blatantly flouting and offering them to customers to carry the wares. Nagpur Municipal Corporation's health department, resuming its drive against use of plastic bag, conducted raids at various city shops, vendors and seized almost 15 kg of banned plastic bags on Tuesday. The health department raided Akshay Traders, Ashok Restaurant, Vrindavan Prasad, Nikhare Steel Gift Centre, Paunikar General Stores, Disha Saree Centre, A Kumar Tea Company, Nikhil Readymade Centre, Sheetal General Stores, F1 Restaurant and Dosar Restaurant and seized almost 15 kg banned plastic bags. A fine of Rs 5,000 was recovered from each shop owner. A senior health department official told TOI that even after the state had banned manufacture and use of plastic bags below 50 micron thickness under the Maharashtra Non-Biodegradable Garbage Control Act, 2006, manufacturers and vendors were still supplying these bags.


Indian Army cleans 14-km stretch to Amarnath cave
20 October 2009

JAMMU: The Indian Army, in a major environmental drive, cleaned four tonnes of non-biodegradable waste on the 14 km stretch from Baltal to Amarnath cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, a senior official said Tuesday. The track, located at the height of 12,000 feet above sea level at Baltal to the cave shrine, was littered with plastic bags, empty mineral water bottles and other non-biodegradable material. This exercise was undertaken by the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS), Sonamarg, 100 km north of Srinagar, under the plan laid out by its Commandant Brigadier Jagmohan Varma, said Colonel D.K. Kachari, PRO of the Northern Command. A team of 247 Army personnel undertook the drive to collect non-biodegradable waste lying in the area with each individual collecting 20 kg approximately. A total of four tonnes of non-biodegradable waste was collected and disposed off, cleaning up the environment under the banner "Save Green Himalayas", Kachari said.

News roundup

Times of India

NEW DELHI: Making it clear that banning the use of plastic bags in certain locations of capital does not prohibit the manufacturer to produce plastic bags, the High Court on Tuesday dismissed the plea of plastic manufacturers challenging the Delhi government’s notification on the ban.
Plastic Bag Ban
Upholding the government notification banning use of plastic bags in specified areas of the capital, a division bench of justice Madan B Lokur and justice A K Pathak observed: “Merely because some commercial interests of the petitioners are diluted does not mean that there is no public interest in issuing the impugned notification. We find no good reason to strike down the notification.”
The All India Plastic Manufacturers’ Association had approached the HC, seeking its direction to quash the notification on the ground that they were not consulted before issuing it and the ban would hamper their business interest.
The counsel for the petitioners had contended that the business of the petitioners had come to a standstill because of the notification and termed it an arbitrary measure, violating their fundamental right to trade and business.
Not agreeing with the petitioners contention, the HC bench noted: “We are unable to understand how this is possible. The manufacturing of plastic bags has not been prohibited by the respondents. At best, the manufacturing activity of the petitioners would have been reduced or their quantum of sales would have decreased but that is not sufficient to invalidate the impugned notification.”
The HC said all that the ban sought to achieve was a prohibition on the use, sale and storage of plastic bags in certain locations within Delhi. Again, it was not as if there was a blanket ban on the use, sale or storage of all kinds of plastic bags, it stated.
“It is clear that the limitation on the sale, use and storage of plastic bags in certain areas in Delhi has been laid down keeping in view the problem of solid waste management, particularly of plastic bags, which choke drains and enter the food chain thereby potentially causing health risks,” the HC bench noted.
The Delhi government, on January 7, had banned the use of plastic bags in shopping malls, five star hotels, restaurants, dairies, fruits and vegetable outlets under the Environment Protection Act. The ban had followed the Delhi High Court’s August 7, 2008 order based on the Justice Chopra committee report.

NEW DELHI: Despite the ban on plastic bags, the festival season has witnessed their return to the market. Since the plastic bags come cheap, shopkeepers are blatantly flouting the rules to maximise profits. While traders say that it is not possible to switch to eco-friendly bags “so soon” as the government has not made cheap alternatives available, the environment department admits that it needs to change its strategy to enforce the ban.
Environment department secretary Dharmendra told ToI that the increase in the usage of plastic bags over the past few days had come to the notice of the department and that it would take more stringent measures to deal with the problem. “The use of plastic bags has increased as it is festival time and more people are going shopping. Since our earlier measures have obviously failed to deliver, we will have to rework our strategy,” he said.
According to sources, Delhi consumes roughly 30% more plastic bags than what other states do. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) started taking action against offenders much later after the ban was announced in January this year. As per RTI responses available with Vinod Jain, director of NGO Tapas, till last week DPCC had filed complaints in 30 cases while MCD had taken action in five cases each at Najafgarh and Karol Bagh. An NDMC official stated that the agency was not taking any action against offenders, but would only carry out an awareness campaign.
Violation of the ban invites five years imprisonment or Rs 1 lakh in fine, but there has been not much progress in conviction rate because of the long and tedious process of filing complaints against offenders. As per the Environment Protection Act, 1986 under which defaulters stand to be prosecuted the complaint against a violator has to be made by the government or by a private person who has given a 60-day notice to the government. While insiders said there was no way that the judicial process could be bypassed, critics said lack of conviction would prove to be the biggest hurdle for enforcing the ban.
Traders, meanwhile, said there was nothing they could do unless the government made cheap alternatives available. Since business has been extremely good at present, shopkeepers have switched over to cheap plastic bags to maximize profits. Sadar Bazaar market association president Narendra Gupta, said: “We have done as much as we could to generate awareness. Complying with the ban will be a slow process. We cannot expect small traders to suddenly start distributing expensive jute and cloth bags.”

The Hindu:

GANDHINAGAR: The Gujarat government has imposed a ban on sale and use of gutkha and plastic bags in 10 temple towns and pilgrimage centres with immediate effect.

The Thaindian News

Shimla, Aug 16 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh is set to impose a total ban on the use of plastic bags from Oct 2, state Environment Minister J.P. Nadda said Sunday.
“From Oct 2, there would a complete ban on the production, storage, use, sale and distribution of all types of polythene bags made of non-biodegradable materials. But the ban will not include those bags used for packing food items like milk and cereals,” Nadda told IANS.
Ban on Plastic Bags - A good move
The government is also planning to include all plastic materials like disposable plates, cups and glasses in the ambit of the ban, he said.
The ban on use of coloured polythene bags manufactured from recycled plastic was initially imposed Jan 1, 1999. Later in 2004, the ban was imposed under Section 7(h) of the State Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Rules on the use of small polythene bags having thickness less than 70 microns and size less than 18″x12″.
“Now there is total ban on the use of polythene bags of all types and sizes,” Nadda added.
Before the partial implementation of the ban in 2004, polythene pollution was a major problem in the state. During the monsoon, the rainwater brought along heaps of polythene bags and other non-biodegradable material that choked most of the municipal drains.
Under the Himachal Pradesh Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act of 1995, any violator would face a fine up to Rs.25,000. The minimum fine has been fixed at Rs.500.
R.K. Sood, joint member-secretary of the Himachal State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, said: “After imposing the ban in 2004, plastic pollution has come down dramatically.”
Nadda said the government is now exploring the option of promoting paper and jute bags in the state.
“We are exploring the option of promoting paper and jute bags in a big way. Special sensitisation drives would be launched in the state to educate the common man about the ecological hazards and about which type of carry bags are environment-friendly. The tourists would be provided jute bags at various entry points in the state,” he said.
The state would soon have its environmental master plan to tackle critical areas of environmental degradation.
“The master plan will include a baseline study of the environmental vulnerabilities and details of measures to tackle problems mainly related to urban solid waste, industrial pollution and ecological degradation caused by hydropower projects,” the minister said.

More plastic bans

Darjeeling to ban plastic altogether


Kolkata
The recent landslides in the Darjeeling hills that took over 20 lives have forced the local administration to take stern action against the use of plastics in the area. According to local officials, plastic bags in the soil played an important role in causing large-scale landslides in the hills.
The Darjeeling municipality is expected to take up the matter at the Chairman-in-Council meeting on Friday and may announce the total ban on the use of plastics, including carry bags and sachets, later this week. While the tourists will be warned, the locals may be penalised if found violating the ban.
“The use of plastics is also responsible for the incidents of landslides in the hills. When plastics, which are non-degradable, are used and thrown in the hills they are not disposed off properly and start piling up. Since plastics are non-cohesive and non-adhesive, soils remain loose. Therefore slight rain, vibration or even a feeble earthquake causes a landslide,” said Sadhan K Ghosh, Professor at the Centre for Quality Management System in Jadavpur University.
According to the authorities of Darjeeling municipality, the previous attempts of enforcing the ban had failed since people from the grassroots level were not involved in it.
The amount of penalty is yet to be ascertained. The idea is to start with Darjeeling and then take it to other hill towns, like Kalimpong and Kurseong.
The municipality is in talks with the police to chalk out a legal plan of action. NGO like Janmukti
Citizen’s Welfare Organization, comprising civic officials, businessmen and merchants and Gorkhaland Personnel (GLP) — a wing of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) — have been entrusted with the job of stopping the use of plastic.
“We will be passing a resolution to ban plastics carry bags and even the sachets of gutka, pan masala. An Anti Littering Act will also be formulated,” said Pemba Tshering, Chairman of Darjeeling municipality.
It’s not for the first time that the ban on plastic has been initiated in the hills. In 2001, a similar ban was announced but it was a short lived one after the Gorkha National liberation Front issued a statement dissociating itself from the ban. In 2006, again the Darjeeling municipality tried to impose the ban on plastic bags less than 50 microns thick but it too failed.
“Plastics have been blocking the drains. Our party has banned the use of plastics up to a certain thickness and is trying hard to ban the use of plastics altogether,” said Roshan Giri, general secretary of the GJM.
Meanwhile, Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi welcomed the move of banning plastics in the hills. The Governor suggested other hilly regions to emulate the step.

MADURAI PLASTIC MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION AGM

Mr. L. Narasimhan - Luibeg Director of Sales addressing the Members of PLASMA and Madurai Plastic Manufacturers Association at the A.G.M. held in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu on 8th & 9th August.

Luibeg were invited to have a Stand and to also give a presentation on the introduction of d2w additives to over 350 Members who attended the A.G.M. Strong interest was shown in the d2w range of additives and as a result, Mr. Narasimhan was requested to double the length of his presentation.

From The Hindu

Source: The Hindu ( http://www.hinduonnet.com/2009/08/08/stories/2009080850060200.htm)

Karnataka - Mangalore
Head to Chilimbi for ornamental fish
Special Correspondent

A variety of beautiful fish awaits people who wish to add colour to their aquariums

MANGALORE: Ahead of Sunday's opening of an outlet of the Karnataka Fisheries Development Corporation (KFDC) at Chilimbi here, a range of ornamental fish have been lined up for your aquariums.
From the most active tiger barbs to suckers that rarely move and can calmly stay put for hours on end; from the bright parrot fish to the plain but classy arrowana; (also called vastu fish), a variety of beautiful creatures awaits people who wish to add colour to their aquariums.
Those new to the hobby could look for imported aquariums and take advice from the officials for their own mix and match of varieties. "You cannot buy carnivorous fish that fight in your aquarium", said an official. To elaborate this point, he showed to The Hindu a small reddish variety called, Siamese fighter each packed in polythene bags. The aggressive breed, he said, is known for fighting with even bigger fish even if it is from its own genus.
Other varieties on display to be augmented later at the outlet are lion-head gold yellow morph, sear, finger shark, pink tail barb, and flower horns. Aquariums mounted on a cupboard are also available at the outlet.
The outlet sells aquarium accessories, fish food, medicines and aqua plants, among others. KFDC chairman Ramachandar Baikampady said the corporation would set up an ornamental fish development centre at the Veterinary College in Hebbal, Bangalore. Many species from the world over would be reared and made available to the people, he said.
The ornamental fish counter is just one part of the outlet. In the other part of it, you can buy your favourite fresh, frozen or dry fish. A unique feature is that you can sit and watch as your chosen fish is dressed and packed. The fish cutting area has been provided with a place for people to relax and watch it.
The outlet promises to bring together both marine and inland fish and use only bio-degradable plastic. The modern air-conditioned fishery outlet on the main road near the Lady Hill Circle promises to be clean and odour-free. Mr. Baikampady said the outlet would stock tiger prawn, mackerel, lobsters, lady fish(kana), crabs, sear fish, among other varieties.
Minister for Fisheries Anand Asnotikar is scheduled to inaugurate the outlet on Sunday.

Times of India 6.8.09

Ist registered firm producing biodegradable plastic

MANGALORE: Everest Plastic Industries has earned the credit of being the first officially registered firm producing biodegradable plastic in the state.
Minister for ports, inland waterways, environment, and ecology J Krishna Palemar handed over the license to the industries proprietor Cynthia Fernandes at a function held here on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, Palemar said it was the first biodegradable plastic manufacturing firm in the state to receive the license. He said the state government was contemplating banning the use of thin plastic.
Stressing the need for creating awareness on the use of plastics at the school level, he said the government was providing Rs 2,900 per school for this purpose. Cynthia Fernandes said the biodegradable plastic degrades completely like other materials such as paper and helps keep the environment clean. She said a very small amount of a pro-degrading formulation is put into the manufacturing process. This breaks the molecular chains in the polymer, and at the end of its useful life the product self-destructs, she said. The product does not just fragment, but is consumed by bacteria and fungi after the additive has reduced the molecular weight to a level which permits micro-organisms access to the carbon and hydrogen. It is therefore "biodegradable".

Press Conference

Krishna J Palemar, Minister of State for Environment (Karnataka) presenting the first License Certificate to Mrs Cynthia Fernandes, proprietore of Everest Plastic Insustries.





From Daijiworld.com
Mangalore, Aug 6:
“Bio-degradable plastic is the need of the hour as the usage of other plastic has been found to be poisonous. The state government is also planning to ban the thin plastic which is not bio-degradable”, said state environment minister Krishna J Palemar on Wednesday August 5.


( Above right: Journalists from many naional and State newspapers and TV attending the launch of d2w oxo-biodegradable products.)

He was speaking in a programme at the press club organized by Everest Plastics Industries, Kulshekar, as part of its launch of ‘D2W-oxo-biodegradable plastic’. Palemar said that the awareness about the problems of plastic should start from schools and the usage of degradable plastic should also be encouraged.

Goldwin Fernandes addressing journalists at the Mangalore Press Club


Palemar handed over the certificate of registration to Cynthia Fernandes, proprietor of EverestPlasticsIndustries. Errol gave a brief introduction of the product. He said that the plastic D2W was degradable after usage and could be disposed in a landfill leaving no harmful residue.
He added that the company had introduced this product after seeing the problems caused by plastic waste. Agnel Rodrigues from Ad-venture Media conducted the programme.


further details from
http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=63730&n_tit=Mangalore:+Bio-degradable+Plastic+Need+of+the+Hour%97Krishna+Palemar+++

The Times of India

No study to assess impact of ban on plastic bags in Delhi
3 August 2009

NEW DELHI: Delhi government has not conducted any study to assess the impact of the ban on plastic bags, environment minister Jairam Ramesh said on Monday.
"According to the Delhi Environment Department, a notification in January this year has been issued forbidding the use, sale and storage of plastic bags in notified places including fruit and vegetable outlets of Mother Dairy, Amul and DMS etc.," he said in reply to a written question in Rajya Sabha.
He, however, said the ban (on plastic bags) is not applicable to packing of milk and milk products in the city. Replying to another query, Ramesh said the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Board (TTDB) in Andhra Pradesh has passed a resolution on June 2009 to prepare an action plan for immediate reduction and ultimate elimination of use of plastic in Tirumala. "The Board has also proposed to introduce biodegradable plastic bags for carrying laddus and other prasadams," the minister said.

from: SkiRebel Magazine

Garbage pile up at Gulmarg enrages environmental groups
Published by Mike Styles

July 29, 2009

Plastic water bottles and other waste being scattered below the gondola at the world’s highest major ski area, and it’s the subject of a worrying new report from environmental groups, SkiRebel.com has learned.

The Gulmarg ski area in India is facing a “tough battle” in dealing with non-biodegradable waste such as discarded plastic water bottles and packaging material according to the report. The waste lies scattered beneath the route of the gondola, the world’s third highest, reaching around 4,000m (13,000 ft).Environmentalist M.R.D. Kundangar is concerned that the surrounding ecosystem could be severely damaged.“Hazardous elements released from this waste matter over a period of time directly effect the local ecology, with the result that soon we may lose many sensitive varieties of medicinal plants,” Kundangar told local media.

Affarwat and its adjoining slopes have many hot-shot spots of very fragile bio-diversity and the hazardous waste is a direct threat to some of the rare medicinal and other plant species that grow here.”
There are no known plans to collect and remove the waste that has so far accumulated on the mountainside.Resort management, which blames the build up of waste under the gondola on the separate lift operating company, are now reported to be considering banning plastic bottles. The use of polythene bags is reportedly banned in Gulmarg, but the ban is not being enforced, according to visitors.An alternative to the bottle ban could see visitors charged a deposit on plastic bottles taken up in the gondola which will be refunded if the bottles are brought back for disposal at the bottom of the lift.

Times of India

High tides wash ashore 640 tons of rubbish

Sukhada Tatke
28 July 2009

MUMBAI: The Arabian Sea has thrown back at the city what the city has been throwing into it for so long. During the three days last week when exceptionally high tides hit Mumbai’s coastline, leading to heartache and damage for some while proving to be a spectator sport for others, a variety of non-biodegradable waste also made its way from the sea into the city.

Data compiled by the BMC shows that the city got as much as 640 tons (6.4 lakh kg) of waste comprising plastic, polythene bags and thermocol from the sea. This is more than four times the average amount that is dumped on the coast in three days.
“We have contractors to clean up beaches and labourers usually work until 1 pm. This time, however, they had to work overtime. They were asked to collect the garbage immediately and make sure it didn’t stay on the road for too long,’’ additional municipal commissioner R A Rajeev said. “We found a lot of plastic, thermocol and polythene bags. We had to use as many as 107 heavy vehicles to ferry the waste,’’ he added.

The waste was taken to the Deonar dumping ground. The sea at Juhu and Dadar threw out the maximum amount of garbage (1.18 lakh kg and 3.35 lakh kg respectively). Madh and Manori gave out 37,000 kg and 23,000 kg, while Versova and its extension threw out 29,000 kg and 22,000 kg. People whose homes were destroyed by the tides also got the largest amount of rubbish. “It was not just the first day, when the tide was 5.05 metres tall, that we suffered.
The next two days, which saw 5.01-m and 4.94-m tides, left us completely shattered. We spent two days after that getting rid of the water and cleaning out the garbage,’’ 53-year-old Pratibhatai Parkar of the Geeta Nagar slum at Cuffe Parade said.

Environmentalists are not surprised. “It reflects very poorly on us socially. How will foreigners, lured here by the Incredible India tourism ads, feel when they are hit by a wave filled with offal and coackroaches on Marine Drive?’’ asked Mumbai Environmental Social Network (MESN) member Rishi Aggarwal. “Most of the rubbish makes its way into the sea through the nullahs, and it also reflects our appalling garbage-segregation performance,’’ he added. Francin Pinto, director of the NGO, Garbage Concern, pointed to the public’s lack of awareness. “The problem is that people are just not sensitised. And even if you take the initiative and try to sensitise them, those living in theslums are usually more responsive to learning than those in high-rises,’’ she said. “Slumdwellers at least understand that the waste they throw into gutters may come back to haunt them,’’ she added.

Luibeg have decided to publish the recent articles relating to the debate between European Bioplastics and the Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics Association as we believe it is most important that the Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics Association and the users of the oxo-biodegradable technology receive as much support as possible.
We strongly endorse the statements made by the OPA and Symphony Environmental and seriously question the validy of the statements made by European Bioplastics, who as already stated, operate as a lobby for the Hydro biodegradable or "compostable" industry.

As far as India is concerned, Luibeg have discovered considerable confusion amongst manufacturers and also Official Government Agencies, who are now seriously looking at becoming involved with what is a very new area of technology in order to deal with the growing and urgent requirement to solve the plastic problems in that Country. There is absolutely no requirement for composting in India, as the infrastructure is just not available and would be far too complicated to introduce.
There are enough problems with waste management - some of these arguments have already been reported on this site. Having said this, the Authorities have been misled in to believing or thinking that the only legislation or Standards for which all bio-degradable (including oxo-biodegradable) plastics should be tested under, are those suitable only for composting/hydro biodegradable plastics.
Equally, India will always be a buyers' market at every level, from the buying of raw materials and production, through to the wholesaler and end user, there is quite frankly no room for any product which costs considerably more to manufacture and through misconception, will not solve any of the problems in that Country!

This raises the question:
who is responsible for feeding this misleading information, thus creating the confusion over testing standards in India?

We are very pleased to say that when the two technologies have been fully explained, the manufacturers and the Government Agencies immediately realize that the only technology to use, is the oxo-biodegradable technology. Once the full evidence has been put forward and studied, including all supporting test reports and endorsements, there is an immediate realization that the costly alternatives of hydro and other materials are not and never will be suitable for India.

There is a further misconception - some people believe that with a vast land area and massive population, India is an easy target to exploit!! They automatically think that India can grow substantial quantities of suitable crops to fuel the production of hydro plastics and at a very low cost by taking advatage of the vast numbers of low paid workers, thereby abusing the trust and honesty of a genuine and highly motivated Nation.
Anyone who sadly believes that this is in fact the moral route to go down, in order to extract substantial profits for the originators and promoters in the West, is very wrong indeed!!
A prominent Indian business-man recently said: "it is very clear that in the West, some people and organizations see India as a land of mud huts and elephants!" ... and "think that they can take advantage of this, only because of a distinct lack of understanding as a result of their ignorance of India, its citizens, history and culture"...."such people and organizations are not welcome here."

The hydro plastics technology and products will never succeed in India and we will strongly attack any attempt by this lobby/Industry to discredit the oxo-biodegradable technology.

from Plastopedia

Oxo-degradable producer hits back at European Bioplastics' attack

Symphony Environmental has responded sharply to yesterday's condemnation by European Bioplastics of oxo-degradable additives. It calls the European Bioplastics charges "both ill-founded and unjust" and points out that European Bioplastics is the lobby for hydro-biodegradable or “compostable” plastics and that its attack is based on commercial interest.

Far from oxo-biodegradable plastics not being verified by standard specifications, Symphony says they can be assessed for degradability, bio-degradability and non eco-toxicity by ASTM D6954-04. Claims that oxo-biodegradable plastics could encourage people to drop litter can equally be applied to hydro-biodegradable plastics, says Symphony – and "oxo-bio will harmlessly self-destruct if it gets into the open environment. Hydro-bio will not completely degrade unless someone collects it and puts it into a composting facility."

And the claim that fragments remain in the environment has been proven untrue: "after the oxo-bio additive has reduced the molecular-weight to 40,000 Daltons or less it is no longer a plastic, and biodegrades in the same way as leaves and straw."

European Bioplastics' reference to an attempt by the oxo-biodegradable industry to "water down the criteria of EN 13432" was not to enable oxo-biodegradable materials to meet the standard, says Symphony. Rather that European Bioplastics "fought to prevent the amendment of EN13432 because it has a commercial interest against a European Standard with tests appropriate to oxo-bio.
"Composting is not the same as biodegradation in the environment - it is an artificial process operated according to a much shorter timescale than the processes of nature. Therefore, standards such as EN13432, ISO 17088, and their American (ASTM D6400) and Australian (AS 4736-2006) equivalents, designed for compostable plastic, cannot be used for plastic which is designed to biodegrade if it gets into the environment. The hydrobio industry has consistently lobbied for standards and legislation which give its product an artificial advantage, and has consistently blocked proposals for change."

Symphony concludes: "Composting of organic waste makes sense, but compostable plastic does not. It is up to 400 per cent more expensive than ordinary plastic. It is thicker and heavier and requires more trucks to transport it. If buried in landfill, compostable plastic will emit methane (a greenhouse gas 23 times more powerful than CO2) in anaerobic conditions. It is definitely not a 'green' alternative."

Source: britishplastics.co.uk

from: Food Production Daily .com

Bioplastic bodies trade blows as row breaks out
By Rory Harrington, 23-Jul-2009

A war of words has broken out within the bioplastics packaging industry with two trade bodies levelling a series of negative allegations about the different sectors.
The controversy was ignited yesterday after industry association European Bioplastics (EB) publicly denounced claims made by the oxo-biodegradeable (OB) industry as “misleading” and “free of substance”.

The Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics Association (OBPA) hit back by saying its products were superior and EB had gone on the attack in a bid to protect its market share.
EB issued a position paper distancing itself from the OB sector, saying there were “serious concerns amongst many plastics, composting and waste management experts that these products do not meet their claimed environmental promises”.

The oxo-biodegradation industry says its plastics “self-destruct” or biodegrade when they are exposed to UV irradiation or heat because substances such as cobalt, nickel and zinc are added to conventional plastics at the time of manufacture. These reduce the molecular weight of the material over a pre-determined period and they fragment – allowing them to be consumed by bacteria and fungi.

But EB challenged these claims because it says at present they cannot be verified with reference to international standards. The organisation said OB products did not biodegrade but only fragment into invisible pieces, saying “this is not generally considered as a feasible manner of solving the problem of plastic waste”.

"Bioplastics are still a relatively young industry", said Andy Sweetman, Chairman of the Board of European Bioplastics. "Inherent implications made on the environmental suitability of our products are subject to close scrutiny by all kinds of stakeholders. It is, therefore, vital that claims on biodegradability or compostability are backed by internationally accepted standards.”
He added that it was vital that the public not be confused by claims on biodegradability and compostability resulting from differing methods.

"If certain products that claim to be biodegradable or compostable are proven not to fulfill acknowledged standards, this is liable to impact negatively on our own members’ products, even though they do fully comply", Sweetman said.
He added it was vital its own compostability mark, known as the seedling, not be associated with any oxo-biodegradable product as they did not comply with recognized European standards. This is why EB had successfully fought against attempts by the OB industry to “water down” EN 13432, said Sweetman.

EB also raised concerns that a public misperception of OB products could encourage more littering and interfere with organic and recycling schemes.
But the Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics Association (OBPA) dismissed EB arguments saying its products were tested for degradability, biodegradability and non-eco toxicity against criteria laid down in American Standard ASTM D6954-04. Authorities in France had published a standard for OB products, while the UK was in the process of developing one, it added.
The OB body also rejected charges of trying to dilute European standards.
“EP fought to prevent the amendment of EN13432 because they have a commercial interest against a European Standard with tests appropriate to oxo-bio,” an OBPA spokesman told FoodProductionDaily.com.

It added that composting was not the same as biodegradation in the environment as it was an artificial process operated according to a much shorter timescale than the processes of nature.
“Therefore, Standards such as EN13432, ISO 17088, and their American (ASTM D6400) and Australian (AS 4736-2006) equivalents, designed for compostable plastic, cannot be used for plastic which is designed to biodegrade if it gets into the environment,” added the spokesman. “The hydrobiodegradable industry has consistently lobbied for standards and legislation which give its product an artificial advantage, and has consistently blocked proposals for change.”
Regarding concerns that its products could lead to more litter, it said there was no evidence to suggest this would happen.
OBPA concluded: “Composting of organic waste makes sense, but compostable plastic does not. It is up to 400% more expensive than ordinary plastic; it is thicker and heavier and requires more trucks to transport it. If buried in landfill, compostable plastic will emit methane.”

The Independent comments

Andrew Buncombe: Politicians try talking a lot of rubbish again

Delhi Notebook


Thursday, 23 July 2009
There's a nice old-fashioned barney going on between local and national politicians in the Indian capital, and its all about plastic bags – or rather how to get rid of them. There was a time, in the Kodachrome-tinted era of yesteryear, when people in India carried cloth or jute bags to the market to take home their shopping.


Then of course, came the plastic bag: convenient, easy but all too simply discarded. The result? The piles of rubbish and mess people in India are too aware of. So earlier this year, following in the forward-thinking footsteps of officials in the Himalayan states, the Delhi authorities decided to ban plastic bags and threaten shopkeepers with hefty fines if they still provided them. Overnight, my local vegetable store put up a government sign warning there would be no more bags. Of course, bags were still available and the government has not handed out a single fine, but there appears to be an effort by people to cut down on plastic and to bring their shopping bags from home. (I went out and bought a smart new jute bag for 30p).

Now, the federal environment minister has told people to keep using plastic bags. Speaking in parliament, Jairmam Ramesh claimed banning plastic bags would lead to deforestation in India because trees were cut down to produce more paper ones. "Most states have banned plastic bags because municipal bodies had failed to deal with them," the minister said with curious logic, seemingly blind to the idea that the ban is the city's way of dealing with them.

Local government and green activists are not amused. "Mr Ramesh is not worthy of being an environment minister. I can't believe what he said," said Iqbal Malik, founder of the non-governmental group Vatavaran. "He doesn't care for the environment."

Another Blog Reports

From www.icis.com/blogs/india-chemicals/


We may finally be seeing some balance in the debate on plastic bags and pollution. Rather than being swayed by NGOs to introduce a blanket ban on plastic bags, Jairam Ramesh, the new environment minister, is pushing for greater recycling, better waste management and the use of biodegradable plastics.
Scenes such as [this] certainly don't help the cause of the plastics industry.

Photo by Dwanjabi

A closer look at the picture shows that most of the bags are below 20 microns. The industry is all for banning these bags which litter the streets and clog the drains, but in the words of one industry insider - there is a lot of politics involved in banning these type of bags.
So you either have local governments, such as the one in Delhi, introducing a blanket ban or others that prefer to turn a blind eye to this problem.

The difficulty in implementing a ban that restricts use of all plastic bags does not appear to worry the Delhi government. Its stand was recently upheld by the Delhi High Court which dismissed a petition by the All India Plastics Manufacturers Association on this issue. Delhi has banned the use of plastic bags in shopping malls, five star hotels, restaurants, dairies and fruit and vegetable outlets.
Replacing plastics with jute or paper is not the answer as these alternatives have their limitations and can be environmentally unfriendly in their own way. Recycling is probably the best way forward.
And Conserve India is showing how this can be done fashionably. This non-profit organisation recycles polyethylene bags (hand picked from the streets of Delhi) into evening bags, totes and other fashion accessories.
It was in 2002 that Anita Ahuja of Conserve India got the idea of recycling bags. It took a year to develop the technology and simple end-products. Today, the organisation, which has created income generation opportunities for many of Delhi's rag pickers, deals not only with thin gauge plastic bags but also with other types of plastics and exports most of its production.
Ahuja explains that she is not for or against a ban on plastics in Delhi. "It is a global problem," she emphasises. She makes another valid point. Today, even the poorest of poor use common plastic bags in their homes. In some case, these bags, stitched together, double up as temporary roofs. The government should not be taking away what a poor man finds useful. There is plenty of other plastic packaging waste generated by rich households which the government is welcome to ban.

Times of India

Plastic ban: 21 challans issued
Neha Lalchandani, TNN 18 July 2009,NEW DELHI:

Implementation of the plastic bag ban in the city has resulted in 21 challans being issued in the last one week. The Delhi Pollution

Control Committee (DPCC) will take the offenders in court by next week. A recent statement by environment minister Jairam Ramesh against a total ban on plastic bags appears to have propelled the Delhi government into implementing the ban seriously in the capital.

Six months after the ban was notified, the government issued its first challans on July 11. Of the 21 challans, 20 have been issued by DPCC while one was issued by an SDM. Reports from other agencies like MCD, NDMC and the health department are yet to come in. "Of the 20 challans issued by DPCC, 16 were issued in Rajouri Garden and South Extension. On Friday, four more were issued in Model Town,'' said a DPCC official.

According to sources, the department will file complaints against the offenders in designated courts by either Monday or Tuesday. "Since this is just the start of the drive, all challans issued till now will be taken to court collectively. Offenders will be charged under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 and stand to be slapped with a penalty of a maximum of Rs 1 lakh or 5 years imprisonment,'' said the official. The mode of punishment for offenders, however, can prove to be a long drawn out affair.

From Breaking News 24/7

WASHINGTON - In a new microbiological study of reusable shopping bags, scientists have warned of the risks that unclean reusable bags can have on human health.The study was commissioned and funded by the Environment and Plastics Industry Council (EPIC), a Canadian industry group which promotes responsible use and recovery of plastic resources.EPIC is a committee of the Canadian Plastics Industry Association.
The 15-page study releases the findings of two independent testing laboratories, showing that unclean reusable bags can pose a public health risk due to high levels of mold, bacteria and yeast present in the samples.In an Earth911 poll, 50 percent of readers said their favorite way to go green was shopping with a reusable bag.
Sixty four percent of the tested reusable bags were contaminated with some level of bacteria and nearly 30 percent had bacterial counts higher than what is considered safe for drinking water.Forty percent of the bags contained the presence of yeast or mold.Some of the sampled bags contained unsafe levels of coliforms and fecal intestinal bacteria.Possible sources of contamination may include improperly wrapped meats, spilled liquids or perishable food items and using the bag for non-food-related purposes, such as trips to the gym or as a diaper bag.
Though results of the study may cause alarm, proper care of the bags and responsible use will likely eliminate the studies concerns.As is with anything reusable and washable, the bags should be washed and cared for between uses to decrease the likelihood of bacterial contamination.
According to Dr. Richard Summerbell, research director at Toronto-based Sporometrics, an environmental microbiology laboratory that evaluated the study results, recommends that one should treat the reusable bags like a kitchen cutting board, which is also exposed to food and can become a source of harmful microorganisms.

Luibeg comment:

The recent study commissioned by EPIC highlights a major problem with using reusable shopping bags or "bags for life". The risks attached to using these bags in a country such as India can only be exacerbated due to the climatic condtions and other factors.
The current argument in Delhi between the Hon. Minister for Environment and Forests (Central Government) who advocates that biodegradable plastics should be adopted and used and the Chief Minister (Delhi) including various environmentalists who demand that all plastic bags should be banned continues to rage. Luibeg strongly support the argument put forward by Mr. Jairam Ramesh, the Minister for Environment. We do not believe that Mrs. Dikshit, the Chief Minister, has considered the long term problems of introducing a total ban on plastic bags and promoting reusable bags or even paper bags - recycled or otherwise.
We would like firstly to state that we are working closely with a number of reusable (jute) bag manufacturers to develop a disposable d2w bag liner which can be produced economically. This liner will go a long way to solving the problems raised in the EPIC Report. This will allow the reusable jute or cotton bag to be used in harmony with oxo-biodegradable plastic as a protection.
As for using paper bags - either new or recycled: have the Chief Minister and the environmentalists given consideration to the fact that the process of manufacturing paper cuases 70% more atmospheric pollution than the manufacture of plastic bags?
That paper bags use 300% more energy to produce them and consume large amounts of water in the manufacturing process, and when they degrade they emit methane and carbon dioxide. A stack of 1000 new plastic bags would be around 2 inches high, whereas a stack of 1000 new or recycled paper bags would be around 2 feet high!
In transporting paper bags, one should also remember that it would take at least 7 times the number of vehicles used to transport the same number of plastic bags - greatly adding to traffic pollution and increasing fuel consumption.
In considering the alternatives - oxo-biodegradable plastics: it should be remembered that less than 4% of oil is made into plastic and this is derived from a bi-product which would otherwise be burned off. A European study (Gesfellschaft fur umfrassende Analysen GmbH . Austria 2004) concluded that without the current use of plastics in packaging in Western Europe, an additional annual energy requirement of 101.3 million barrels of oil would be required. And as a result, an additional 42.9 million tonnes of Co2 would be produced.
The equivalent to the Co2 emitted by 12.3 million cars per year! This applies to India as well. And so the Government bans the plastic bag and as a result, puts thousands of people out of work in an Industry which contributes significantly to the GDP.What happens to all the other plastic products and applications which are manufactured?
For example: the food packaging - used in every aspect of retail packaging; the garment wrapping; the magazine wrapping; the shrink wrap and pallet wrap; the thermo moulded cutlery, boxes and trays; the pouches used for milk, water and edible oils; the woven sacks used for bulk commodities, such as cement, fertilizer, sugar, rice....the mulching film used to increase crop yields. Are they all to be banned as well??
With all due respect to the environmentalist and to the Chief Minister, we have to all face the fact that plastic will not go away and is here to stay. We should be looking towards the future and to the generations who will inherit our decisions of today. We need to work with the solutions which are constructive and not destructive!
The solution is here, it is safe and fully tested, and it is being introduced around the World (in over 70 Countries) including India - d2w oxo-biodegradable plastics. All of the above products can be and are being manufactured using d2w additives. Equally, all of these products have been successfully manufactured in India.
The banning of plastic does not solve the problem, it does not deal with the current waste plastic pollution. A greater understanding of how the oxo-biodegradable plastic works is required and then perhaps the lawmakers and environmentalists will begin to seriously appreciate the benefits of using this technology. A technology which is environmentally safe, contains no heavy metals, emits no methane, can be used with virgin and recycled polymers and will create total degradation of almost all plastics.
The process is simple: there is little if any increase to the manufacturing cost and a producer does not have to incur capital expenditure with new machinery or technology; he/they use their existing machinery and follow the normal extrusion process.
The degradation process is simple: the polyolefin consists of long entangled molecular chains. The catalytic effect of d2w additives break these chains by creating free radicles. The free radicles combine with the available oxygen atoms and create hydro peroxides, which are the precursor to total bio-degradation. The resulting chains are consumed by micro organisms leaving harmless residues of Co2, H2o and biomass.(MS-SYMPHONY)
How can a genuine environmentalist argue against this?

The debate continues

Indian Express
12 July 09


Darjeeling to ban plastic altogether
Kolkata: The recent landslides in the Darjeeling hills that took over 20 lives have forced the local administration to take stern action against the use of plastics in the area. According to local officials, plastic bags in the soil played an important role in causing large-scale landslides in the hills ....

Reply from Luibeg:

(delayed publication)

Sunday , 28 Jun '09

Dear Sirs,
There is an alternative to banning plastic, which is not the solution for the short or long term. OXO-BIODEGRADABLE d2w plastic will solve this problem. Manufacturers can use d2w additives to create totally degradable plastic with pre-defined degradation periods of 3-6 months up to 3 years depending on the end use of the product. The material is now widely used in India and is imported through a Company - Luibeg International in Chennai who have an exclusive distribution license to import the products. The beauty of the additive is that manufacturers will not have to change existing machinery or extrusion facilities.
See http://luibeg.blogspot.com The additives are all fully tested and certified and provide the total solution to plastic waste and pollution. Banning plastic manufacture only adds to the problem by closing down business and making people unemployed and yet, the plastic will always be there. Degrade the plastic and everyone will be happy.

Pros and Cons

Various claims and counterclaims are being made in the media. here is the latest:-


The Hindu
News update service
Sat 11 July


"Centre and Delhi Govt. differ on use of plastic bags.
New Delhi (PTI) The Centre and the Delhi Government seem to be heading for a confrontation on the issue of use of plastic bags with the city authorities determined to enforce the ban on them imposed six months ago.

The Centre is not in favour of a blanket ban on the bags.
Disfavouring use of paper bags as an alternative to plastic as it would lead to cutting of trees, Union Minister Jairam Ramesh, while replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, said "recycling of plastic, if carried out as per approved procedures and guidelines, may not be an environmental or health hazard."

However, officials in the Delhi Government said they were determined to rid the city from plastic bags and enforcement of the ban on these bags would continue as Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has already spoken to the minister.
The Chief Minister has conveyed to him that the city government was determined to carry on with its drive against the use of plastic bags, the officials said.

The Delhi government in January had imposed a ban on the use of plastic bags in hotels, hospitals and by small shopkeepers after a Delhi High Court order asking it to take immediate steps to ban plastic bags in shopping and marketing centres in the city.
Subsequently, the Delhi government issued directions to officials at district level to enforce the ban.
As per the Environment Protection Act, 1,986 violators could face imprisonment of five years and fine of up to Rs 1 lakh. "
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Luibeg comment:

Certain bio-degradable processes are indeed very costly to use and also to introduce, however this simply does not apply to the oxo-biodegradable process and especially d2w which has been carefully designed to ensure that the manufacturer does not have to incur any capital outlay with the purchase of new machinery, or in changing the extrusion process.

Unlike other oxo-bio processes where the application rates can vary up to 10%, d2w has only a 1% application rate. The end product and thickness of the film does not matter, the rate does not change. Thus making d2w the preferred additive for manufacturers to use - especially in India, where pricing of the entire manufacturing process is a very sensitive issue and of paramount importance.

Luibeg have worked extremely hard to ensure that the Indian manufacturer will not be hindered by substantial add-on costs in any aspect of using the d2w technology and we are the only Company who can supply a comprehensive range of additives to cover almost every form of plastic which is manufactured in the Indian market place.

Symphony Distributors Conference 2009

D2W international dealers at Symphony International conference 2009

Picture courtesy of Symphony Environmental Ltd

Times of India

'Make biodegradable plastic bag production mandatory'
29 Jun 2009, 2022 hrs IST, PTI

NEW DELHI: Toxic plastic bags may become a thing of the past if the Centre approves a proposal to make the production of eco-friendly biodegradable
'green' bags mandatory in the country.
The country's pollution control watchdog, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), has submitted a draft proposal to the Environment Ministry seeking mandatory manufacturing of bio-degradable bags prescribing to the standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) across the country.
Last year, the BIS had notified IS/ISO:17088:2008 for biodegradable plastic films for the manufacturers in the country. "However, being voluntary in nature, BIS standards are rarely adopted by the manufacturers. Hence, the Environment Ministry needs to issue a notification banning ordinary plastic bags and promoting biodegradable plastic bags," a senior official from CPCB said.
The move has come in the wake of a Delhi High Court order which had suggested promotion of biodegradable bags while asking the state government to ban plastic bags in shopping malls, public places and hotels besides hospitals. The official said that the draft proposal has been discussed in length in the environment ministry in May in view of the environmental hazards being caused by the commonly used plastic. "We hope it gets approved soon," he said.