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.