New Kerala.com
SC not to lift ban on use of plastic bags
New Delhi, Jan 29 :
The Supreme Court today refused to lift the ban on the use on plastic and polythene bags.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan today declined the plea of the All India Plastic Manufacturers Association for staying the operation of Delhi High Court judgement which had banned the use of polythene bags in the national capital.
Earlier, counsel for the petitioner submitted before the court that the use of polythene bags do not cause environmental pollution. Also the livelihood of the people working in the plastic industry was at stake.
The apex court was, however, not impressed by the contention of the petitioner.
---------------------
India Environment Portal
Now, 70-micron plastic bags may come under ban
Sandeep Ashar / DNA
Friday, January 29
Mumbai: The ban on polythene bags may get extended beyond 50 microns. The civic administration, which was recently asked by the government to formulate a draft suggesting revisions to the existing ban, is likely to recommend the inclusion of plastic bags made up of polythene thicker than 50 microns in the ban’s ambit.
Unconfirmed reports suggested that to increase the efficacy of the ban, carrybags below 70 microns could well be brought under the scanner.
The anti-plastic carrybag drive begun with a ban on the use of plastic below 20 microns in 2005. A year later, the ban was extended to below 50-micron plastic. A senior civic official said that any ban has to be progressive in nature. The draft recommendations prepared by the civic body will be tabled before the corporation next week.
The draft will also suggest recommendations of including thin bags (not classified as carrybags) in the ban’s ambit. Current provisions in the Maharashtra Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Ordinance, 2006, exclude thin plastic.
The civic administration is likely to press for a restriction on the use of materials like cups and plates made of thin plastic.
Dr Mahindra Parmar, president, All India Plastic Manufacturers’ Association, said that his organisation will not have an objection to an extension of the ban to 70 micron. “We feel that this will only increase the tendency of the people to re-use permitted plastic. This will lead to a reduction in discarded plastic,” he said.
Dr Parmar also said that quality polythene bags are made of above 100-micron plastic. He, however, added that ban on plastic of any thickness will not work till proper arrangements are made for its efficient disposal. The association has proposed to work with the BMC to set up recycling centres.
Friday, 29 January 2010
Thursday, 28 January 2010
From the press
OneIndia
Plastic garbage turns off for tourists in Himachal Pradesh
Kufri, Jan 28
The plastic garbage scattered in the Kufri region of Himachal Pradesh has been disappointing the tourists visiting the region.
Although Himachal Pradesh became the first state in India to impose a ban on the use of plastic bags on June 5, 2004, many shopkeepers across the state continue to use plastic bags in gross violation of the law.
The plastic waste scattered in and around the Mahasu Peak, one of the main attractions of the Kufri region.Located at an altitude of 10,000-feet above sea level, the Mahasu Peak is the highest in Kufri, and experiences heavy snowfall between the months of December and February.
"My impression before coming to this place was that it is a very beautiful place and we were expecting a lot of snowfall here, but when we came here, the impression was too bad. There is no proper disposable garbage. There is garbage all around. The municipal committee of this place should install more and more hoardings, and should make people aware that this place is of natural beauty, and we should not only enjoy ourselves but we have to sustain this for our future generations," said Ashish Gupta, a tourist from Delhi.
he state's tourism department admits the problem of pollution and worsening conditions of the hill destination.Director of the Tourism Department, Arun Sharma, said that meetings with locals and departments of the state government are being organized to resolve this issue."
The Tourism Department is ready to help them in this regard. I have already spoken to the Environment Department and District Administration, and we are going to discuss this issue with the Panchayat representatives in detail, to take necessary steps for curbing this problem. If then also we don't come across any solution, then simultaneously we will invoke penal provisions," said Sharma.
The Hindu
Plastic waste to be collected from six wards of Nagercoil Municipality
Staff Reporter
Nagercoil:
The district administration has selected six wards of Nagercoil Municipality for the implementation of collecting and sending non-degradable plastic waste from Kanyakumari district to India Cements in Tirunelveli district as fuel, said the Collector, Rajendra Ratnoo.
India Cements
The Collector said that the non-degradable waste from three wards would be collected once in a week, on Monday, and the same would be sent to India Cements everyday from the other three wards.
This was a pilot project and if successfully implemented, it would be extended to other parts of the district, with an intention to announce Kanyakumari as a ‘plastic-free district’ on or before April 1.
More than 400 college and school students underwent special training programme, organised by Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to take this message to the people from all walks of life.
They would visit nook and corner of each and every village to create awareness among the people on the need for not using plastic items. They would instead tell them to use eco-friendly paper bags and cups.
All the local bodies had been asked to pass a resolution in the council meeting about the ban on the usage of plastic materials.
Throwing the plastic materials would obstruct the rise in groundwater level during rainy season.
Paper bags
The Project Officer of District Rural Development Agency, Santhos Kumar, was asked to select self help groups capable of making paper bags and cups on or before March 15.
As fuel
The Executive Engineer of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, Kirubanatha Rajan, said that the district administration of Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts made an agreement with India Cements to provide non-degradable wastes to be used as fuel for manufacturing cement.
Plastic garbage turns off for tourists in Himachal Pradesh
Kufri, Jan 28
The plastic garbage scattered in the Kufri region of Himachal Pradesh has been disappointing the tourists visiting the region.
Although Himachal Pradesh became the first state in India to impose a ban on the use of plastic bags on June 5, 2004, many shopkeepers across the state continue to use plastic bags in gross violation of the law.
The plastic waste scattered in and around the Mahasu Peak, one of the main attractions of the Kufri region.Located at an altitude of 10,000-feet above sea level, the Mahasu Peak is the highest in Kufri, and experiences heavy snowfall between the months of December and February.
"My impression before coming to this place was that it is a very beautiful place and we were expecting a lot of snowfall here, but when we came here, the impression was too bad. There is no proper disposable garbage. There is garbage all around. The municipal committee of this place should install more and more hoardings, and should make people aware that this place is of natural beauty, and we should not only enjoy ourselves but we have to sustain this for our future generations," said Ashish Gupta, a tourist from Delhi.
he state's tourism department admits the problem of pollution and worsening conditions of the hill destination.Director of the Tourism Department, Arun Sharma, said that meetings with locals and departments of the state government are being organized to resolve this issue."
The Tourism Department is ready to help them in this regard. I have already spoken to the Environment Department and District Administration, and we are going to discuss this issue with the Panchayat representatives in detail, to take necessary steps for curbing this problem. If then also we don't come across any solution, then simultaneously we will invoke penal provisions," said Sharma.
The Hindu
Plastic waste to be collected from six wards of Nagercoil Municipality
Staff Reporter
Nagercoil:
The district administration has selected six wards of Nagercoil Municipality for the implementation of collecting and sending non-degradable plastic waste from Kanyakumari district to India Cements in Tirunelveli district as fuel, said the Collector, Rajendra Ratnoo.
India Cements
The Collector said that the non-degradable waste from three wards would be collected once in a week, on Monday, and the same would be sent to India Cements everyday from the other three wards.
This was a pilot project and if successfully implemented, it would be extended to other parts of the district, with an intention to announce Kanyakumari as a ‘plastic-free district’ on or before April 1.
More than 400 college and school students underwent special training programme, organised by Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to take this message to the people from all walks of life.
They would visit nook and corner of each and every village to create awareness among the people on the need for not using plastic items. They would instead tell them to use eco-friendly paper bags and cups.
All the local bodies had been asked to pass a resolution in the council meeting about the ban on the usage of plastic materials.
Throwing the plastic materials would obstruct the rise in groundwater level during rainy season.
Paper bags
The Project Officer of District Rural Development Agency, Santhos Kumar, was asked to select self help groups capable of making paper bags and cups on or before March 15.
As fuel
The Executive Engineer of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, Kirubanatha Rajan, said that the district administration of Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts made an agreement with India Cements to provide non-degradable wastes to be used as fuel for manufacturing cement.
B.Y.O???
Bring Your Own Bag:
102 Cities and Countries That Ban or Tax Plastic Bags
The "paper or plastic" mantra once commonly heard at check-out stands around the world is rapidly being replaced with, "Did you BYOB, "Bring Your Own Bag."As with so many other trends in the U.S., San Francisco started the bag-ban movement, effective April 2007 and translating into 5 million fewer plastic bags being used every month. Bangladesh outlawed the petroleum-based products in 2002, with cities and countries from China to Zanzibar soon following suit.
Our nation's capitol [US] set an example for the rest of the country this month when they began levying a 5-cents surcharge on plastic and paper bags at stores that sell food and/or alcohol. U.S. legislators took note and introduced the Plastic Bag Reduction Act, imposing a five-cent fee on “single-use” bags in larger stores.Last June -- despite intense push-back from plastic-bag manufacturers -- the United Nations jumped into the fray and called for a global ban on single-use plastic bags, the second most common form of litter after cigarette butts.The movement is seen as a way to protect the environment, curb global warming and reform a disposable-minded society.
The ubiquitous bags are blamed for choking birds and fish, floating into trees, rooftops and streets and sticking around years longer than paper. About 100,000 whales, seals, turtles and other marine animals are killed by plastic bags each year worldwide, according to Planet Ark, an international environmental group. The Chinese call them "white pollution" and they're known derisively in South Africa as the "national flower."
As a result of all this hue and cry, the BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag) movement is growing by leaps and bounds. RUBs, or re-usable bags, made from cloth or recycled materials have turned into a major industry. Many stores now take 5-cents off each RUB they pack.
Plastic Bag Fees
Belgium – Effective July 1, 2007
Denmark – Adopted in 1994
Germany - Adopted in 2003
Hong Kong – Adopted April 2009; Effective July 2009
Irish Republic – Effective March 2002, 15-cents per bag
Israel – Adopted June 2008
Italy – Adopted in 1988; Ban to be introduced in 2010
Netherlands – Effective January 2008
Seattle, Washington – Adopted by city council on July 28, 2008 – Defeated by ballot initiative on August 18th
Toronto, Ontario —Effective June 1, 2009
Washington, D.C. – Adopted June 16, 2009
Plastic Bag Bans United States--
Alaska – As of 1998, 30 villages and towns have bans--
District of Columbia - Effective January 2010--
Edmonds, WA – Adopted August 2009; Effective August 2010--
Fairfax, Calif. – Passed by voter initiative on November 4, 2008--
Kauai County, Hawaii- Effective 2011--
Malibu, Calif. – Adopted May 2008--Manhattan Beach, Calif. – Adopted July 1, 2008 – In lawsuit--Marshall County, Iowa – Effective April 9, 2009--
Maui County, Hawaii - Effective 2011--
North Carolina (Outer Banks) – Adopted June 24, 2009; Effective September 1, 2009--
Oakland, Calif. – Adopted June 29, 2007 – Voluntary ban--Paia,
Maui, Hawaii – Effective 2008--
Palo Alto, Calif. - Adopted March 2009; Effective September 2009--
San Francisco, Calif. – Adopted April 2007--
Suffolk County, New York – Adopted in 1988--
Westport, Connecticut – Adopted September 2, 2008; Effective March 19, 2009
Bangladesh - Effective March 1, 2002--
Dahka - Banned plastic bags in January of 2002--
Bhutan - Adopted June 2006
Botswana - Effective February 1, 2007
Brazil – Effective October 2007
Buenos Aires, Argentina – Effective September 2008
China - Effective June 1, 2008
Coles Bay, Tasmania - Effective April 2003
Egypt (Red Sea Province) – Effective January 1, 2009
Eritrea – Adopted in 2005
France – Phase out completely by 2010--
Corsica – Full ban effective 1999--
Paris – Full ban adopted January 2007
India - In 2002, the Indian government mandated a thickness rule on plastic bags. All bags must be greater than 20 microns in thickness--
Delhi, India – Full ban effective January 2009--
Chandigarh, India – Full ban effective October 2, 2008--
Himachal Pradesh, India - Full ban effective 2003--
Maharashtra, India - Full ban effective August 2005Italy – Effective 2010. Previously, the country had a plastic bag tax
Karachi, Pakistan - Effective December 2008
Kenya – Adopted in June 2007
Loddon Shire, Victoria (Australia) - Effective December 2005
Macedonia – Effective January 1, 2009
Manitoba, Canada--Coldwell – Adopted August 12, 2008; Effective October 2008--
Eriksdale – December 9, 2008--
Leaf Rapids - Effective April 2007
Mexico City, Mexico – Adopted March 2009; Effective August 2009
New South Wales (Australia)--Huskisson – Adopted November 2003--
Kangaroo Valley – Adopted November 2003--Mogo – Adopted September 2003
Nova Scotia, Canada – Effective fall 2008 (applies to liquor stores only)
Papua New Guinea - Effective December 2004
Quebec, Canada – Effective 2009 (provincial ban applies to liquor stores only)--
Huntingdon – Full ban effective January 2008--
Amqui – Full ban effective Spring 2008Rwanda - Adopted in 2005
Somalia - Adopted in 2005
Somaliland – Effective March 2005
South Africa - Adopted May 9, 2003
South Australia – Adopted November 2008; Effective May 2009
Spain – Mandatory phase out of 50-percent by end of 2009
Taiwan – Adopted in 2007
Tanzania – Effective October 2006--
Zanzibar – Ban in 2007
Uganda - Effective July 1, 2007
Ulanbaatar, Mongolia – Adopted June 2008
United Kingdom
--Aylsham, England – Effective May 3, 2008--
Banchory, Scotland – Effective January 2008--
Girton, England – Effective January 2008--
Hay-On-Wye, Wales – Effective December 2007--
Hebden Bridge, England – Effective December 2007--
Henfield, England – Effective May 2008--
Kew, England – Effective July 2008--
Llandysilio, Wales – Effective 2007--
Modbury, England – Effective May 1, 2007--
Overton, England – Effective October 2007--
Selkirk, Scotland – Effective April 4, 2008--Tisbury, England – Effective January 2008
102 Cities and Countries That Ban or Tax Plastic Bags
The "paper or plastic" mantra once commonly heard at check-out stands around the world is rapidly being replaced with, "Did you BYOB, "Bring Your Own Bag."As with so many other trends in the U.S., San Francisco started the bag-ban movement, effective April 2007 and translating into 5 million fewer plastic bags being used every month. Bangladesh outlawed the petroleum-based products in 2002, with cities and countries from China to Zanzibar soon following suit.
Our nation's capitol [US] set an example for the rest of the country this month when they began levying a 5-cents surcharge on plastic and paper bags at stores that sell food and/or alcohol. U.S. legislators took note and introduced the Plastic Bag Reduction Act, imposing a five-cent fee on “single-use” bags in larger stores.Last June -- despite intense push-back from plastic-bag manufacturers -- the United Nations jumped into the fray and called for a global ban on single-use plastic bags, the second most common form of litter after cigarette butts.The movement is seen as a way to protect the environment, curb global warming and reform a disposable-minded society.
The ubiquitous bags are blamed for choking birds and fish, floating into trees, rooftops and streets and sticking around years longer than paper. About 100,000 whales, seals, turtles and other marine animals are killed by plastic bags each year worldwide, according to Planet Ark, an international environmental group. The Chinese call them "white pollution" and they're known derisively in South Africa as the "national flower."
As a result of all this hue and cry, the BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag) movement is growing by leaps and bounds. RUBs, or re-usable bags, made from cloth or recycled materials have turned into a major industry. Many stores now take 5-cents off each RUB they pack.
Plastic Bag Fees
Belgium – Effective July 1, 2007
Denmark – Adopted in 1994
Germany - Adopted in 2003
Hong Kong – Adopted April 2009; Effective July 2009
Irish Republic – Effective March 2002, 15-cents per bag
Israel – Adopted June 2008
Italy – Adopted in 1988; Ban to be introduced in 2010
Netherlands – Effective January 2008
Seattle, Washington – Adopted by city council on July 28, 2008 – Defeated by ballot initiative on August 18th
Toronto, Ontario —Effective June 1, 2009
Washington, D.C. – Adopted June 16, 2009
Plastic Bag Bans United States--
Alaska – As of 1998, 30 villages and towns have bans--
District of Columbia - Effective January 2010--
Edmonds, WA – Adopted August 2009; Effective August 2010--
Fairfax, Calif. – Passed by voter initiative on November 4, 2008--
Kauai County, Hawaii- Effective 2011--
Malibu, Calif. – Adopted May 2008--Manhattan Beach, Calif. – Adopted July 1, 2008 – In lawsuit--Marshall County, Iowa – Effective April 9, 2009--
Maui County, Hawaii - Effective 2011--
North Carolina (Outer Banks) – Adopted June 24, 2009; Effective September 1, 2009--
Oakland, Calif. – Adopted June 29, 2007 – Voluntary ban--Paia,
Maui, Hawaii – Effective 2008--
Palo Alto, Calif. - Adopted March 2009; Effective September 2009--
San Francisco, Calif. – Adopted April 2007--
Suffolk County, New York – Adopted in 1988--
Westport, Connecticut – Adopted September 2, 2008; Effective March 19, 2009
Bangladesh - Effective March 1, 2002--
Dahka - Banned plastic bags in January of 2002--
Bhutan - Adopted June 2006
Botswana - Effective February 1, 2007
Brazil – Effective October 2007
Buenos Aires, Argentina – Effective September 2008
China - Effective June 1, 2008
Coles Bay, Tasmania - Effective April 2003
Egypt (Red Sea Province) – Effective January 1, 2009
Eritrea – Adopted in 2005
France – Phase out completely by 2010--
Corsica – Full ban effective 1999--
Paris – Full ban adopted January 2007
India - In 2002, the Indian government mandated a thickness rule on plastic bags. All bags must be greater than 20 microns in thickness--
Delhi, India – Full ban effective January 2009--
Chandigarh, India – Full ban effective October 2, 2008--
Himachal Pradesh, India - Full ban effective 2003--
Maharashtra, India - Full ban effective August 2005Italy – Effective 2010. Previously, the country had a plastic bag tax
Karachi, Pakistan - Effective December 2008
Kenya – Adopted in June 2007
Loddon Shire, Victoria (Australia) - Effective December 2005
Macedonia – Effective January 1, 2009
Manitoba, Canada--Coldwell – Adopted August 12, 2008; Effective October 2008--
Eriksdale – December 9, 2008--
Leaf Rapids - Effective April 2007
Mexico City, Mexico – Adopted March 2009; Effective August 2009
New South Wales (Australia)--Huskisson – Adopted November 2003--
Kangaroo Valley – Adopted November 2003--Mogo – Adopted September 2003
Nova Scotia, Canada – Effective fall 2008 (applies to liquor stores only)
Papua New Guinea - Effective December 2004
Quebec, Canada – Effective 2009 (provincial ban applies to liquor stores only)--
Huntingdon – Full ban effective January 2008--
Amqui – Full ban effective Spring 2008Rwanda - Adopted in 2005
Somalia - Adopted in 2005
Somaliland – Effective March 2005
South Africa - Adopted May 9, 2003
South Australia – Adopted November 2008; Effective May 2009
Spain – Mandatory phase out of 50-percent by end of 2009
Taiwan – Adopted in 2007
Tanzania – Effective October 2006--
Zanzibar – Ban in 2007
Uganda - Effective July 1, 2007
Ulanbaatar, Mongolia – Adopted June 2008
United Kingdom
--Aylsham, England – Effective May 3, 2008--
Banchory, Scotland – Effective January 2008--
Girton, England – Effective January 2008--
Hay-On-Wye, Wales – Effective December 2007--
Hebden Bridge, England – Effective December 2007--
Henfield, England – Effective May 2008--
Kew, England – Effective July 2008--
Llandysilio, Wales – Effective 2007--
Modbury, England – Effective May 1, 2007--
Overton, England – Effective October 2007--
Selkirk, Scotland – Effective April 4, 2008--Tisbury, England – Effective January 2008
Saturday, 23 January 2010
Plastic makers move BMC with recycle mantra
Sandeep Ashar / DNA
Even as the city’s political leadership debates on whether or not to impose a blanket ban on plastic bags, the plastic manufacturers have come forward with a solution to reduce the menace of the toxic trash.
The All India Plastic Manufacturers Association, a representative body for over 600 plastic manufacturers of Mumbai and 2,000 across the country, has proposed to recycle and nullify the adverse impacts of discarded plastic waste.
Recycling of banned plastic bags (below 50-micron) is also included in the proposal, which has been forwarded to the BMC.
The association representatives who met mayor Shraddha Jadhav recently, have offered to set up recycling centres to treat discarded plastic bags. Although the association is ready to incur all the costs, it wants the BMC to allocate space to get access to the plastic waste generated in the city. It has suggested that some of these centres could be set up in a small portion of the dumping grounds. “This will also facilitate access to segregated waste,” said one member.
The association claims to have access to technologies that can reprocess all forms of plastic into useful products like plastowood, a durable wood-like material.
To improve efficiency of plastic waste collection, the association has suggested that collection of plastic waste in separate bins be made mandatory for all licensed shop owners. It has proposed to set up collection centres where this could be sold. The centres will in turn transport this to the recycling centres. The BMC could also share some of the revenue earned by the sale of the recycled products, it said.
Opposing a complete ban on plastic bags, the association has supported vigorous implementation of the existing provisions. While insisting that alternatives to plastic should be found, Jadhav said that the proposal will be deliberated upon.
Even as the city’s political leadership debates on whether or not to impose a blanket ban on plastic bags, the plastic manufacturers have come forward with a solution to reduce the menace of the toxic trash.
The All India Plastic Manufacturers Association, a representative body for over 600 plastic manufacturers of Mumbai and 2,000 across the country, has proposed to recycle and nullify the adverse impacts of discarded plastic waste.
Recycling of banned plastic bags (below 50-micron) is also included in the proposal, which has been forwarded to the BMC.
The association representatives who met mayor Shraddha Jadhav recently, have offered to set up recycling centres to treat discarded plastic bags. Although the association is ready to incur all the costs, it wants the BMC to allocate space to get access to the plastic waste generated in the city. It has suggested that some of these centres could be set up in a small portion of the dumping grounds. “This will also facilitate access to segregated waste,” said one member.
The association claims to have access to technologies that can reprocess all forms of plastic into useful products like plastowood, a durable wood-like material.
To improve efficiency of plastic waste collection, the association has suggested that collection of plastic waste in separate bins be made mandatory for all licensed shop owners. It has proposed to set up collection centres where this could be sold. The centres will in turn transport this to the recycling centres. The BMC could also share some of the revenue earned by the sale of the recycled products, it said.
Opposing a complete ban on plastic bags, the association has supported vigorous implementation of the existing provisions. While insisting that alternatives to plastic should be found, Jadhav said that the proposal will be deliberated upon.
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
Daily Times India
Plastic industry supports jail for law-breaking units
Gandhinagar, Jan 5 (IANS) The plastic industry is willing to support any government initiative aimed at evolving a consensus on deterrent punishment for those who manufacture plastic carrybags of less than 20 microns in violation of existing laws.
“We will support a government initiative for a consensus on providing a jail term for such law violators,” Jigish Doshi, chairman of the “Plexpo India 2010″ – India’s largest exhibition for plastic and packaging industry commencing in Ahmedabad Jan 9 – told mediapersons here Tuesday.
Noting the present rules providing for penalty were proving ineffective in deterring those involved in making plastic carry-bags of less than 20 microns, he stressed the need for prison terms as a deterrent.
“We would like to assure the authorities that the associations of plastic manufacturers themselves would help the authorities to identify such errant manufacturers and put them behind the bar,” Doshi said, adding the plastic manufacturers were “equally concerned about the environment as anyone else”.
Doshi contested the claim that any non-biodegradable plastic material was a threat to the environment.
“The problem is only with the very thin carry-bags of less than 20 microns which constitute less than one per cent of the total plastic materials manufactured in the country. Plastic is recycled in great measure with new products being manufactured from the old ones, thus disposal problems are automatically eliminated,” he said.
Advocating replacement of cement and steel components with plastic in many products, he noted plastic manufacturing was comparatively less polluting, non-toxic and caused zero emission.
The 90,000 unit strong national plastic manufacturing industry processes over six million tonnes of polymer per annum while another about 7.5 million tonnes of plastic is re-cycled. “Future demand is projected to increase the processing of polymer to about 20 million tones,” he added.
The four-day exhibition is being organised in association with Plastindia Foundation and the Gujarat government. More than 400 exhibitors from 12 countries like China, Singapore, the UAE, Canada, the US, Italy, Switzerland and South Korea are slated to participate in the exhibition, which is held once every three years.
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
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.
'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.
Sunday, 27 December 2009
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
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
Friday, 25 December 2009
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.
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.
Saturday, 14 November 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, 8 November 2009
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.
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.
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