It is somewhat ironic that the Delhi Government want to preserve water and the forests, but at the same time, replace plastic with paper! and in doing so, they will destroy the forests and pollute the water through production.


Water and Forests: Basic Necessity for Maintaining Life and Biodiversity
(The Human Voice)
Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2012

World Forestry Day has been celebrated since 1972 as a day to highlight the importance of forests and calling for urgent attention towards the protection and preservation of �our forest heritage�. The very next day, 22nd March 2013 will be celebrated as World Water Day (WWD), also in coordination with the FAO. World Water Day 2012 was themed on �Water and Food Security� and highlighted the importance of securing water resources for feeding the rapidly increasing global population. WWD 2012 was also more significant this year as it came exactly two weeks after the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply & Sanitation�s report that Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for drinking water has been met! This has also become one of the first MDGs to have been achieved so far.
Water is the basic essence of life. It will be no exaggeration to say that a majority of the world�s available water gets recycles and becomes available because of the forests. Forests and water are therefore critical for satisfying the ever increasing water demand of the even more rapidly urbanizing global economy. At the same time, our forests hold tremendously diverse life forms and the survival and sustenance of this biodiversity requires, more often than not, the availability of water in some form or the other. Thus, both water and forests are equally important natural resources which are required to ensure a flourishing and healthy environment as well as sustainable existence of the human civilization. And a decline in either of these resources would mean a degradation of both the environment and the human society. The situation is particularly serious in countries where there is population pressure on the land, such as in the tropics of Asia. According to the FAO, this is a problem of historic importance in which food production and forest management are the interlocked elements and it is widely felt that the forests have the key.
While our forests are a resource which most of us cannot directly manage, conservation of water is definitely something we can all contribute to in an effective manner. A big way in which we can do so is to regulate our dietary habits in an ethical manner. Coping with population growth and ensuring access to nutritious food to everyone call for a series of actions we can all help with:
� follow a healthier, sustainable diet;
� consume less water-intensive products;
� reduce the scandalous food wastage: 30% of the food produced worldwide is never eaten and the water used to produce it is definitively lost!
� produce more food, of better quality, with less water.
Of late, the world has also become more sensitive to virtual water, the kind hidden in the production and distribution of resources, such as food resources. Virtual water (also known as embedded water) refers to the water used in the production of a good or service usually for the purpose of trade. Producing 1 kilogram of wheat drinks up 1,500 litres of water! There are 7 billion people to feed on the planet today and another 2 billion are expected to join by 2050. The state of the worlds water resource and the tremendous pressure it is going to face can thus be imagined. A simultaneous pressure will also be faced by all other natural resources, beginning with our forests. Much needs to be done to avoid this imminent resource deprivation. Everyone, including the policy makers and politicians, researchers and scientists, planners and executives and the civil society, needs to become more sensitive and ready for taking pro-active steps towards the conservation of global, national and local water and forest resources.
Closer home in Delhi, River Yamuna, the principal fresh water resource for the National Capital Territory (NCT) continues to flow like a drain. Despite expensive measures to rid it from pollution there is little, if any, improvement in the rivers water quality in Delhi (and downstream). Water remains a priced commodity in the NCT and every time upstream Haryana discharges more polluted water into Yamuna as before it enters Delhi, water treatment plants in the city have to be shut down, a fact to which every parched Delhiite becomes a gloomy witness. Fortunately, the Government of Delhi accepts that for ecological sustainability, one-third of total geographical area of any state needs to be under green cover. Consequently, several plantation activities along with creation and upkeep of city forests and biodiversity parks has been a key mandate of the Government. However, when it comes to securing water resources, instead of optimizing its own water resources, Delhi does not hesitate to search far and wide for water  even if it means damaging forestland upstream of the NCT. This attitude of affluence, both political and economic, may help get things done in an anthropocentric system of doing things, it is nothing less than a disaster in-the-making in terms of Natures ways of doing things. And the sooner our planners and policy makers realize this, the sooner can we ensure sustainable urban development of India's national capital.
Courtesy: Delhi Greens Blog

This is part of "The Human Voice" programme of Wockhardt Foundation.

Times of India

 

No stay on plastic ban, HC promises quick verdict

Nov 24, 2012,

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Friday refused to stay the Delhi government's notification imposing a blanket ban on plastic bags in the capital.

A division bench of Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw declined to entertain a submission on behalf of a plastic manufactures' association to stay the ban, but promised the petitioner it will dispose of the matter soon. The case will now come up for hearing on November 27.

HC was hearing the All India Plastic Industries Association's (AIPIA) plea against the government's notification imposing a blanket ban on the usage of plastic bags from November 23. It asked the court to "declare impugned the notification dated October 23, 2012, null and void being ultra vires to the Parent Act, i.e. Environment Protection Act, 1968, and rules framed thereunder". The petitioners contended that the notification also violated their fundamental rights.

They had earlier told the court that the government exceeded its jurisdiction while issuing the notification as only the central government is authorized to do it. The plea said the government acted in "haste without deciding the question of legal competence" while issuing the notification. It claimed the issue of jurisdiction is pending before the Supreme Court.

"The Delhi government in a fanatic pursuit to endorse its pre-determined agenda of completely closing down the plastic bags industry in arbitrary and unreasonable manner, brushed aside the objections of the petitioners," the manufacturers said.

The petition further argued, "The notification, banning the manufacturing of plastic bags would jeopardize livelihoods of lakhs of people directly and indirectly associated with the plastic bags industry and the business of petitioner and constituent members shall come to a standstill."

According to the notification, no person can manufacture, import, store, sell or transport any kind of plastic bag in the city. With the ban coming into effect from Friday, all kinds of plastic bags, even those used to cover magazines, books or invitation cards, will not be allowed. The notification bars even garbage bags from being used. The ban, however, will not affect the use of plastic specified under the Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998. Plastic used to pack food products such as milk, flour bags and plastic cups largely used by tea vendors will be allowed.

Times of India

21.11.12

Plastic ban to begin with carry bags only

 

NEW DELHI: The ban on plastic bags will finally be imposed in the city on November 23 but for the time being, only carry bags will be outlawed.

The ban, notified in October, says that no person shall manufacture, import, store, sell or transport any kind of plastic bag in the area that makes up the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. It stipulates that no person, including a shopkeeper, vendor, wholesaler, retailer, trader and hawker, shall sell or store or use any kind of plastic carry bag for storing or dispensing eatables or non-eatable goods or materials. However, in the absence of viable alternatives, government officials said that they cannot clamp down on packaging material and will only start with carry bags.

"Nothing is likely to change overnight but this time we are hopeful that the ban will be more effective. More agencies have been roped in to carry out raids and we will start by making examples of big stores and shops to discourage others from using the bags," said an official from the environment department.

Manufacturing of plastic bags will also come to a complete halt in the capital from Friday. "This is one area where we will not allow any leniency. The manufacturers have gone to court with the issue but so far there are no directions and we will proceed as per our law," said the official.

This is the second effort by the Delhi government to ban the plastic bag. In its first attempt in 2009 it had failed to make any dent in the usage of plastic bags as monitoring has been the sole headache of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee.

"The department continues to be short of manpower which is why more agencies have been roped in. Certain segments like big stores will also be monitored first. Our idea is not to imprison or fine people and also do not want the law to turn into a tool for harassment for small vendors and shopkeepers," said a government official.

The earlier version of the ban had implied that no plastic bags, including packaging material was to be permitted. This included garbage disposal bags, carry bags without handles and plastic bags used in grocery stores for storing spices and pulses. With no clear alternative in mind, the government will be holding a meeting with stakeholders to decide on the implementation of the ban.

"We have switched to bags without handles for selling meat but are still not sure whether this is permitted or not," said Abdul Qureshi, a meat seller in Lakshmi Nagar. Others like Bhim Singh who runs a small dhaba in east Delhi have switched to plastic containers.

"It is slightly more expensive but so far we haven't had the need to hike prices. Int e long run we may have to consider that option," he said.

 

Mangalorean.com Oxo-Biodegradable:The Truth Above The Myths

07 Nov, 2012

By Goldwin Fernandes Mangalore: There is an emerging trend in the packaging industry today and its name is oxo-biodegradable plastic carry bag. By now most of the general public has either heard, experienced or read about this new type of packaging technology. But has it gained the popularity it deserves? Why is it not in large scale circulation? There are still a number of misconceptions about this kind of carry bag simply because it carries the tag line of “plastic”. Because polyolefins are not made by nature, many environmentalists assume that there are no biological mechanisms for their biodegradation. They ignore the fact that abiotic processes play a vital role in biodegradation. What then is oxo-biodegradable plastic? Conventional plastic bags used weren't biodegradable, but now can be made biodegradable by adding certain transition metal compounds. These bags are economical and better for the environment. The commonly used transition metal ions in commercial oxo-biodegradable plastics are manganese, iron, cobalt and nickel. None of these are “heavy metals” and none have been shown to be eco-toxic. These should not be confused with toxic heavy metals like lead , mercury, cadmium and chromium which are not used in the manufacture of Oxo-Biodegradable Plastic bags. At the end of its useful life the plastic bag falls apart and completely biodegrades leaving no harmful residue. And whats more interesting to note is that the plastic does not just fragment, but will be consumed by bacteria and fungi. When it has reached the stage of fragmentation it is no longer a plastic, its just like any other natures wastes, and , is biodegradable in the same way as that of nature's waste , such as straw and twigs. This process will continue till the entire material has biodegraded to nothing more than carbon dioxide , water and humus . It does not leave any fragments of plastic in the soil (ASTM 6954-04). Therefore biodegradation is the process of breaking down of organic substances with the help of other living substances like bacteria and microbes. Ours is a tropical climate. Biodegradation is favored by a tropical climate which in turn favours the growth and proliferation of temperature loving bacteria known as thermophiles. They aid in the rapid oxo biodegradtion of oxo biodegradable bags also know as Life Controlled Plastics. Although oxo-biodegradable plastics were invented for use in packaging and in agriculture over 30 years ago, they had not until recently gained the popularity. One misconception is that oxo-biodegradable plastic causes pollution of oceans and seas due to plastic wastes floating in the ocean currents and consequent damage to sea mammals that ingest them by mistake as food. In other reports, mammals have become entangled in some forms of packaging and in particular by netting from fishing vessels. They are unlikely to be oxo-biodegradable polyolefins since most of these materials float on the surface where they are rapidly oxidised under the influence of UV light and oxygen. Another common misconception is that transition metal ions that are present in oxo-biodegradable plastic is harmful to soil and has adverse effects on humans through the food chain but on reality a risk analysis carried out by the UK Food Standards Agency has shown that all the important transition metal ions used as catalysts of oxo-biodegradation are widely distributed in agricultural soils and taken up by the foods that humans eat, and in drinking water. Some of them, typically iron, cobalt and manganese are essential trace elements, all obtained from foodstuffs and drinking water. For example, high concentrations of cobalt are found in fish (0.01 mg/kg), nuts(0.09 mg/kg), green leafy vegetables (0.009 mg/kg) and fresh cereals (0.01 mg/kg).Cobalt is also included in some multi constituent licensed medicines, at a maximum daily dose of 0.25 mg. Cobalt is an essential trace element and Co deficiency has not been reported in humans presumably because of its widespread availability from food and water. Similarly, nickel is present in a number of enzymes in plants and microorganisms, and in humans it influences iron absorption and metabolism. It is found in a variety of foods as ionic Ni, particularly in pulses, Oates and Nuts. Oxo – biodegradable plastic is believed to leave residual plastic particles in the soil after its biodegradation, but this is not true either. Oxo-biodegradable plastics, after modification by environmental oxidation, are no longer plastics. Before oxidation, they are hydrophobic and cannot support the growth of micro-organisms, After exposure to environmental influences (oxygen, light and/or heat) they act as nutrients for bacteria and fungi, which colonise the surface of the oxidised plastic. And whats more interesting to note is that the plastic does not just fragment, but will be consumed by bacteria and fungi. When it has reached the stage of fragmentation it is no longer a plastic, and , is biodegradable in the same way as that of nature's waste , such as straw and twigs. This process will continue till the entire plastic has biodegraded to nothing more than carbon dioxide , water and humus . It does not leave any fragments of plastic in the soil (ASTM 6954-04). Oxo-biodegradable plastics can be recycled with conventional plastics. They can also be incinerated for complete energy recovery. Any bag cannot be called a biodegradable bag unless tested under a standard specification.Tests performed according to ASTM D6954-04 tell the industry and consumers what they need to know about the bag ; degradable, biodegradable and non phyto-toxic. Many plastic bags end up in landfills due to the collection of municipal solid waste. It is a fact that the temperatures in landfill is much higher than the ambient temperatures and has a lot of microbial activity and moisture. At the surface and several meters below there is enough oxygen and water for aerobic biodegradation of organic matter to take place. When oxo biodegradable plastic is used these factors speed up the process of degradation. This will allow free flow of air and water through the upper layers of the land fill which will in turn biodegrade organic materials rapidly in the MSW aerobically and thus eliminate the production of deadly methane. This again reduces the volume of waste in the landfill and increase the life of the land fill. Having sorted out these common misunderstandings it is clear that oxo-biodegradable plastic is not an evil, but instead the need of the hour for a safe and environment friendly form of packaging. We need biodegradable plastics today. Oxo- Biodegradable plastics pass all the usual and compulsory eco-toxicity tests carried out in accordance with the international standards laid down by American Standards for Testing and Materials (ASTM D6954-04). Action needs to be taken today to switch to biodegradable plastic before millions of tonnes of synthetic waste is accumulated in the environment . Oxo-Biodegradable bag is the new technology bag that uses low resources compared to other types of materials, it is recyclable, incinerate-able, safe for environment, food grade, FDA approved and also biodegradable.. The new age mantra!!!! .

KSIA opposes administration's move to ban plastic

 Nov 12, 2012

Times of India

 

MANGALORE: The Kanara Small Industries Association (KSIA) has opposed imposition of ban on Plastic Carry bags and Plastic articles in Dakshina Kannada District from November 15. B A Nazeer, president, KSIA said this is a shocking news on the industry in the district where more than 50 small scale industries have made investments with financial assistance from various banks and financial institutions like Karnataka State Financial Corporation.

Besides this a large number of workers, most of whom are women have been employed in the industries with life time facilities like insurance and Provident Fund. Any blanket ban on use of plastic carry bags in the district will not only effects entrepreneurs financially but also financial institutions. A localized ban will not yield any results but will be an injustice the entrepreneurs of Dakshina Kannada district, Nazeer contended.

About more than 5000 people are employed directly and another 10,000 people indirectly in more than 50 units in the district. Total ban on plastic carry bags will affect the massive employment provided by the industry. In this connection it is to be noted that after long deliberations at the national level, the order of Plastic Waste Management Rules 2011 has been submitted to Supreme Court which has Apex Court has accepted.

The Central Government by its order dated February 4, 2011 has already stated that thickness of carry bags should be minimum of 40 microns and clearly defined the role of municipalities and producers of plastic carry bags. Stricter implementation of above rules will definitely address environmental concerns related to plastics. This association has already offered to join hands with the government and district administration to eradicate this menace

The state government must formulate a state policy in this regard instead of local and regional policies for stricter implementation of rules, Nazeer said adding KSIA opposed 'unjustified and illegal raids' by MCC officials on trade establishments and seizure of plastic carry bags and also other bags without giving acknowledgment for the seized goods, thereby creating fear among traders and users. This has ruined the Diwali business of the traders.

KSIA strongly opposes raids on trade establishments since no order has been issued by the district administration. KSIA urged the Chief Minister to intervene immediately and instruct the district administration not to impose ban on carry bags above 40 microns as prescribed in above mentioned rules. They must be given at least one year to study consequences in this regard and plastic manufacturers will adhere to ban on less than 40 microns carry bags.

 

Delhi govt sets Nov 24 deadline for plastic ban

Darpan Singh, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, October 28, 2012

The Delhi government has set a November 24 deadline for the enforcement of a blanket ban on the manufacture, import, sale, storage and use of plastic carrybags, sheets, films or tubs — irrespective of their thickness.
Without any feasible alternative in sight, the order also bans

plastic sheets used to line dust bins. But the ban will not affect the use of plastic carrybags specified under the bio-medical waste (management and handling), rules, 1998.

Plastic used to pack food products such as milk and flour bags — in which goods are sealed prior to use — will be allowed.

“The state cabinet passed the ban order on September 11 and the government notified it on October 23. A copy of the notification has been uploaded on the government’s environment department website. Enforcement has to begin a month after the date of notification,” said a top government official, who is part of a team authorised to enforce the ban.

OP Ratra, who was a member of the national plastic waste management task force of the ministry of environment and forests (1996-97), said, “There are about 1,000 big units in Delhi that manufacture plastic carrybags of various types. The ban will hit about 50,000 people working at these units.”

Praveen Khandelwal of the Confederation of All India Traders’ Association said, “If we put together units of all sizes, the number is around 4,500 and if we include people involved in distribution and supply, about 2.5 lakh will lose jobs because of this ban.”

While Ratra, who represents the plastic lobby, says use of plastic is not harmful if it is recycled properly and not littered, Khandelwal says the government must provide an alternative.

“We have launched a campaign to promote alternatives such as jute, cloth and recycled paper bags. Starch-based compostable material (confirming to biodegradability tests as per IS 17088 Standard) may be used for making carrybags as a substitute to plastic,” said another senior government official.

“We’re providing people with a list of alternative bag manufacturing units and specification for biodegradable plastic bags,” he said.

 

 

Zee News

HC questions Delhi govt on plastic ban

 

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Tuesday issued notice to the central and city governments on a petition filed by the All India Plastic Industries Association (AIPIA), challenging the government's notification imposing a blanket ban on plastic bags in the capital.

A division bench of Chief Justice D. Murugesan and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw sought a reply from the city government and others in the matter and posted it for further hearing Nov 23, the day the city government is set to implement the notification.
The court also issued notice to all the civic bodies, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Delhi Cantonment Board and Green Planet Waste Management Pvt. Ltd. in this regard.

The AIPIA moved the court challenging the draft notification issued by the Delhi government Oct 23 that imposed a blanket ban on plastic from Nov 23, under which no person can manufacture, import, store, sell or transport any kind of plastic bag in the city.

From Nov 23, all kinds of plastic bags, even those used to cover magazines, books or invitation cards, will not be allowed. Garbage bags will not be allowed too.

However, the ban will not affect the use of plastic specified under the Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998.

Plastic used to pack food products such as milk, cooking oil, flour bags and plastic cups largely used by tea vendors will be allowed.

Approaching the court, the plastic manufacturers association said: "Declare impugned notification dated 23 Oct, 2012, null and void being ultra vires to the Parent Act, i.e. Environment Protection Act, 1968, and rules framed there under. The notification is also violating fundamental rights of petitioner."

Senior advocate Arvind Nigam appearing for petitioner said the city government exceeded its jurisdiction while issuing notification as only the central government can issue such a notification.

The plea said that the government acted in "haste without deciding the question of legal competence" while issuing the notification. It claimed that the issue of jurisdiction is pending before the Supreme Court.

"The Delhi government in a fanatic pursuit to endorse its predetermined agenda of completely closing down the plastic bags industry in arbitrary and unreasonable manner, brushed aside the objections of the petitioners," said the plea.

The petition said: "The notification, banning the manufacturing of plastic bags would jeopardise livelihoods of lakhs of people directly and indirectly associated with the plastic bags industry and the business of petitioner and constituent members shall come to a standstill."

 

Indian Express

 

Plastic manufacturers move HC against ban on plastic bags

A plastic manufacturers' association on Tuesday approached the Delhi High Court challenging the city government's notification imposing a blanket ban on plastic bags in the capital.

A bench of Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw issued notices to the Centre and the city government and sought their replies by November 23 on a plea by All India Plastic Industries Association (AIPIA) against the October 23 notification.

The notification, under which no person can manufacture, import, store, sell or transport any kind of plastic bag in the city, will come into force from November 23.

The court also issued notice to all the civic bodies, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Delhi Cantonment Board and Green Planet Waste Management Pvt Ltd.

According to the notification, from November 23 all kinds of plastic bags, including those used to cover magazines, books, invitation cards, will not be allowed. Garbage bags too will not be allowed.

The ban, however, will not affect the use of plastic specified under the Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998.

Plastic used to pack food products such as milk, cooking oil, flour bags as well as plastic cups, largely used by tea vendors, are also allowed.

The plea by plastic manufacturers' association said, "Declare impugned notification of October 23, 2012 null and void being ultra vires to the parent Act, i.e. the Environment Protection Act and Rules framed thereunder. The notification also violates the fundamental rights of the petitioner."

Senior advocate Arvind Nigam appearing for the petitioner said the city government has exceeded its jurisdiction in issuing the notification.

He said, "The government exceeded its jurisdiction in issuance of the notification in haste without deciding the question of legal competence and the issue of jurisdiction is pending before the Supreme Court."

"The Delhi government in a fanatic pursuit to endorse its predetermined agenda of completely closing down the plastic bags industry brushed aside the objections of the petitioners in arbitrary and unreasonable manner," the petition said.

It added, "The notification, banning the manufacturing of plastic bags would jeopardise the livelihoods of lakhs of people directly or indirectly associated with the plastic bags industry and the business of petitioner and the constituent members shall come to standstill."

 

 

 

 

Govt grapples with notifying plastic ban

Darpan Singh, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, September 26, 2012

A fortnight after the state cabinet passed an order imposing a blanket ban on the manufacture, sale, storage and use of plastic bags in the Capital, the government is yet to issue a notification.

Officials say the notification will take "a week or two" because of "some procedural

delays" and "practical issues".

A notification was expected within a week of the cabinet order. The ban will be enforced only seven days from the date of notification in accordance with a Delhi high court order.

Sanjiv Kumar, principal secretary (environment), told Hindustan Times on Wednesday, "The notification can be issued next week. It can come this week as well. We're constantly working on it. We need to issue a one-month notice to plastic manufacturing companies in accordance with a court order."   

"This (enforcement of the ban) is a multi-department activity. Delhi Pollution Control Committee, the three municipal corporations, environment and labour departments and sub-divisional magistrates will be responsible for enforcing the ban. DPCC and SDMs will act as prosecution agencies," said an official.

The markets are also not giving the right signals.

Ashok Randhawa of Sarojini Nagar mini market association said, "Our 300-odd shops consumed 100 kg of plastic bags. After the cabinet order, it has come down but only by 25%."

He said use of plastic would not stop till the manufacturing was banned.

"Traders are smart. Most are not getting their shops' names printed on bags for fear of penal action."

There is economics involved as well.

"A plastic bag costs Rs. 1, while a jute bag costs Rs. 8. We will be either suffer losses or pass on the burden to buyers, which will again not augur well for us," he said.

Similar responses came from markets in Kamla Nagar, Khan Market, Defence Colony and Mayur Vihar. 

Praveen Khandelwal of Confederation of All India Traders' Association said, "We support the ban but the government is not providing a reasonable and affordable alternative. About 20 lakh bags are used every day in the Capital. The 5,000-odd manufacturing factories will be shut, rendering thousands jobless."

About 8,000 MT municipal solid waste is generated every day in Delhi.

"It's not practically feasible to line garbage bins with paper," said Pritam Pal Singh, a resident of Mayur Vihar.

"Items such as meat, sweets and curd cannot be sold wrapped in paper. Groceries are also sold best in plastic bags to ensure freshness," he said.

 

Times of India

26 Sep 12

 

No Blanket Ban on Plastic

 

BANGALORE: Going the Delhi way by putting a blanket ban on its manufacture, sale, storage and use is not the solution to tackle the plastic menace, asserted Karnakata State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) chairman Vaman Acharya.

"We will instead put in place segregation units, either automatic or semi-automatic, where plastic can be recycled and converted into good alternative fuel for stationary engines," he said.

 

For this, the board is in talks with some entrepreneurs who are running these plants quite successfally. "The idea is to create value for all used-varieties of plastic and making segregated plastic a source of income for these entrepreneurs”  said Aeharya.

To be run in a few units, these plants will concert the heterogeneous heap of waste into a less heavy liquid form which will be homogeneous in nature.

"Mature technology is available in the city. The need is to first ensure that plastic is segregated and made into something useful. Later we can look at improving the quality of the manufactured fuel," said Aeharya.

and made into something useful. Later we can look at improving the quality of the manufactured fuel," said Aeharya.

 

KSPCB logic

 

Given that chappals, tyres, broken furniture, bottles and cloth material like nylon and polyester also comprise plastic, KSPCB chief Aeharya said it is difficult to impose a total ban on plastic.

Even if there is organic waste thrown in a plastic bag, it defeats the purpose of segregation. Significantly, BBMP has said that the pourkarmikas will refuse to take the organic waste put inside a plastic bag. The mandate makes it essential for citizens to empty the contents of the plastic bag into the waste pushcarts.

 

KSPCB, however, is considering the viability of banning plastic up to 40 microns. Currently, the ban is on plastic of 20 microns or less thickness. Thicker plastics are more environment-friendly than the thin ones for many reasons. Thin plastic bags are quite affordable compared to the thicker ones and are therefore not reused much. Recycling the same is quite difficult given that at least 2OO-odd plastic bags need to be collected to make it one kilogram (one of the reasons why ragpickers avoid picking them up too). Also, by virtue of being light-weight, these plastic bags disintegrate fast, thereby polluting the environment.

 

Times of India
12.9.12

Delhi slaps blanket ban on plastic bags

The writer has posted comments on this article

TNN | Sep 12, 2012, 02.24AM IST

  

NEW DELHI: After a false start three years ago, Delhi may finally be on the road to being free of plastic bags. The Delhi cabinet on Tuesday approved imposition of a blanket ban on use, storage, sale and manufacture of plastic bags in the city.

The new ban, more comprehensive and better thought out, will supersede the earlier notification issued in January 2009 that prohibited only the use, storage and sale of plastic bags in commercial areas.

"There will be no leniency in implementing the blanket ban and crackdown on violators will be more aggressive this time," chief minister Sheila Dikshit said.

A notification on the ban will be issued soon and the government will have one year from that date to implement the ban completely.

The 2009 ban failed to make any difference in the city largely due to poor implementation. This time, the government has moved to plug loopholes in that law.

The ban has been extended to include all plastic bags, even those made of virgin or bio-degradable plastic of 40 microns or more thickness, which had previously been permitted. The only exception will be use of plastic carry bags under the Bio-Medical Waste Management and Handling Rules of 1998.

The ban now includes manufacturing of plastic bags and use of plastic sheets, films or covers for packaging books, magazines or cards.

Plastic ban: Traders say govt ignored them

"The 2009 ban did not do too well since the crackdown on violations was poor. Although a number of agencies had been authorized to take action, only the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) carried out raids. With plastic bags proliferating in the city, this action was just not sufficient," said a senior government official.

The official added that the DPCC member secretary was required to personally appear in court to file challans against offenders. "On such days, he spent his entire time in court and that took a huge toll on other work," he said.

Since in the previous order manufacturing was permitted within the city limits, these bags finally made their way to local markets. "There was also confusion regarding the kind of plastic bags permitted. In the previous ban, bags of 40-micron thickness or more and biodegradable plastics were permitted. But since there is no way of measuring thickness or assessing the plastic without sending the bag to a laboratory, we decided to impose a complete ban," he said.

The ban is also likely to be more effective this time, say sources, because it is a government initiative and not due to the high court's orders which brought about the 2009 ban. "The previous ban was imposed since civic agencies were unable to handle the city's municipal waste problem. The court said since they couldn't handle the waste, they should ban the problem issues, one of which was plastic. Now that the government is acting on its own intent, implementation should be better," said Bharti Chaturvedi, director of NGO Chintan.

Around one lakh people are directly employed in manufacturing of plastic bags and a few lakh more in selling and distribution. However, barely a fraction of them are recognized by the government since only 200-300 of the nearly 4,000 manufacturing units are actually authorized. The remaining are located in unrecognized industrial areas and function without a licence from the state pollution control board.

Expectedly, the ban has met with heavy criticism from the traders' associations, who said the government did not take their concerns into account.

"The matter is already in the Supreme Court and only the final hearing is to take place. Why was the government in such a hurry to bring about another proposal? Now that the cabinet has cleared this ban, we will appeal to the SC to conduct final hearing in the case as soon as it can," said Ravi Agarwal, chairman of the environment committee of the All India Plastic Industries Association.

Agarwal said when the draft notification for the ban was issued, the high court had said that the government will not be allowed to implement it for a week from the date of notification. "We will approach the HC in this matter now," he added.

The ban on manufacturing is what is pinching the industry. "The earlier ban rendered thousands jobless but at least the industry in Delhi did not shut down. Around 4,000 carry bag manufacturing units are functioning across the city and once the market was closed to them, they had started supplying to neighbouring states. Now, even this option has been closed," said Taresh Singh, a trader.

"Lakhs of people will lose their jobs but the government seems to have given them no thought. We will take a representation to the chief minister and ask her to constitute a task force comprising the industry and government officials to work out alternatives to plastic and formulate a rehabilitation plan," said Praveen Khandelwal, general secretary, Confederation of All India Traders.

Times View

This ban likely to be more effective

The proposed ban may well be greeted with scepticism given the fate of similar moves in the past. However, there is reason to believe that it might be more effective this time. One key factor is that the executive has initiated this ban rather than being forced by the judiciary into doing so. Also, there are no fine distinctions being drawn between plastic bags of varying thickness, which makes it easier to enforce. We hope, therefore, that this ban will be more effective than attempts in the past. Given the fact that some states have managed to do so, there is no reason why a geographically smaller territory like Delhi should be unable to make it work.

 

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Mangalorean.com

 

Oxo-Biodegradable and Compostable bags. . . . Its The Solution!

By Goldwin Fernandes [ Published Date: September 7, 2012 ] In the wake of environment concern today, with all the hype that the media has given to the so called ill effects the use of plastic bags have on the environment, the consumers are led to believe that plastic is an evil to be extinguished. They find themselves in a position of whether or not to accept or refuse a plastic carry bag offered in a grocery store, mall, shopping centre etc. The solution to this is the use of Oxo-Biodegradable bags. Plastic made from oil , i.e.,conventional plastic bags used weren't biodegradable,but now can be made biodegradable by adding certain salts of transition metals. These bags are economical and better for the environment . They contain salts of cobalt , iron or manganese which are trace elements required in the human diet and are hence not harmful. These should not be confused with toxic heavy metals like lead , mercury, cadmium and chromium which are not used in the manufacture of Oxo-Biodegradable bags. At the end of its useful life the bag falls apart and completely biodegrades leaving no harmful residue. And whats more interesting to note is that the bag does not just fragments, but will be consumed by bacteria and fungi. When it has reached the stage of fragmentation it is biodegradable in the same way as that of nature's waste , such as straw and twigs. This process will continue till the entire bag has biodegraded to nothing more than carbon dioxide , water and humus . It does not leave any fragments of the bag in the soil (ASTM 6954-04). We need biodegradable carry bags today because tonnes of synthetic plastic waste is entering the world's environment everyday and will remain there for an extended period of time . Oxo- Biodegradable bags pass all the usual and compulsory test such as Degradability, Biodegradability and Toxicity tests carried out in accordance with the international standards laid down by American Standards for Testing and Materials (ASTM D6954-04). One of the benefits of Oxo-Biodegradable bags is that it can be recycled as part of the normal plastic waste stream. Apart from that it can be composted (not as per ASTM D6400), left in a landfill to naturally biodegrade or can be incinerated with energy recovery and be used as fuel. This goes to show that there is always development in the field of polymers. Environmentalists who lack technical expertise in this field suggest the use of paper bags , cloth bags or jute bags as an alternative. They are unaware of the negative effect these alternatives have on the environment. The process of making paper causes 70% more atmospheric pollution than manufacture of plastic bags . Paper bags use 300% more energy to produce and the process of making paper uses huge amount of water and creates a very unpleasant waste . It would take around 7 times the number of trucks to transport the same number of paper bags creating 7 times more cost and transport pollution . Besides cotton and paper contributes to greenhouse gases which are a main factor of the much dreaded global warming. Paper will disintegrate when wet which is not the same as bio-degradation . Paper bags are 5 times more expensive . Oxo-Biodegradable bags are certified as safe for the environment and for any food contact application . Another important feature of the Oxo-Biodegradable bag is that it can be programmed to degrade in whatever timescale required . The average life of the Oxo-Biodegradable bag is 12months , but shorter periods such as 4 months and longer time periods can be programmed during the manufacture. During this period the bags are re-used for shopping , or for use as bin liners etc. This is a popular choice of material for use in agriculture and widely used around the world. Long term re-usable shopping bags, be it cloth or jute or paper is not the answer to our problems. They are much thicker and more expensive , and a large number of them would be required for the weekly shopping of the average family. They are not hygienic unless constantly cleaned after each use . They have the highest GWP (Global Warming Potential) as per the latest report (Feb 2011) of UK Government Environment Agency -Life Cycle Assessment of Plastic , Paper and Reusable bags. The GWP of cotton carrier bag is 10 times more than that of any other carrier bag. Whilst sometimes called “Bags for Life“ they have a limited life , depending on the treatment they receive ,and become a very durable problem when discarded . Shoppers do not always go to the shop from home , where the re-usable bags would normally be kept , and consumers are unlikely to have a re-usable bag with them when buying on impulse items like clothing , groceries , CD's , magazines ,stationery etc . If people want to incinerate oxo-biodegradable products with heat recovery , or recycle them , or re-use them , then that can be done . The key point is what happens to the bags which is not collected , and gets into the environment as litter. Conventional plastic will subsist in the environment for many decades , but oxo-biodegradable bags will degrade in a short time leaving no harmful residue . It would be interesting to note that the total plastic consumption is only 6% to 8%of litter , in which plastic carry bags represent a very small fraction. The second main type of biodegradable bags is hydrobiodegradable or compostable bag . The first stage of degradation is hydrolysis. These materials biodegrade as per the specification 6400.(ASTM D6400). The life of these bags is about 1 year. The compostable technology is equally good; but a bit more costlier. The film can be composted in industrial composting (ASTM D6400) in two months to become manure and in home composting in 3-4months to form manure along with other organic matter. When the film is dropped as a litter, the film starts bio-degradation and the rate of bio-degradation depends upon the environment it attains. If the film is exposed to water and organic matter constantly it would biodegrade and become manure. If it is exposed to soil or water or sewage conditions also it can biodegrade. For a bag to be tagged as biodegradable they need to be tested and certified under certain specifications. The specifications of various countries for Oxo- Biodegradable are U.K. British Standard 8472, U.S. ASTM. D6954-04, UAE 5009:2009, France French Accord T51-808. The specifications for compostable bags are EN13432, ASTM D6400, IS/ISO 17088. There is a lot of litter today, and there will always be some litter. Hopefully education will reduce the litter problem over several generations . Action needs to be taken today to switch to biodegradable bags before millions of tonnes of synthetic waste is accumulated in the environment . Oxo-Biodegradable and compostable materials are the new materials. The new age mantra !! . Litter is the careless behavior of human beings in relation to waste disposal . In the end all that can be left to say is , nothing is as harmful as our attitude. About the Author   Goldwin Fernandes B.E., M.Tech, M.I.E.,M.I.S.T.E., F.I.V Completed Engineering in 1992, then worked as an R&D Engineer for a brief peroid. He has also 7 years of experience in the middle East before he returned to India . Since then he has been actively involved in conducting seminars at all levels and sharing information about the advantages of using various kinds of Biodegradable Bags and its effect on the environment. Material Reference Oxo Biodegradable plastics - Prof Gerald Scott. Oxo biodegradable plastics- Michael Stephans. Biodegradability of Plastics- Processes & Standards-Prof Gerald Scott. Bioplastics -naturtec