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