Page 60 - Plastics News August 2018

IN THE NEWS

Centre asks citizens to share Compostable bags’ retail
stories on 'positive role' of plastic use banned by Maharashtra

government
he Central government has launched a contest
Tasking citizens to share stories on “positive role of
plastics in daily life” and “removing negativity” around he Maharashtra government has banned compostable
its use. The two competitions, paragraph and slogan Tbags for retail use restricting the 100% organic
writing, ask citizens to share success stories in this material to agriculture sector. This means if you want
regard as “negativity around the use of plastics needs to use 100% environment-friendly bags, you cannot do
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compostable bags are banned for all others. According
to a report from Times of India an online brochure
on plastic ban recently released by Maharashtra
Pollution Control Board bans “any compostable plastic
bags except for plant nurseries, horticulture, agriculture
and handling of solid waste. Experts have questioned the
government’s move. compostable bags are the one that
undergoes degradation by biological processes during
composting to yield CO2, water, inorganic compounds

to be effectively addressed”. The competitions, listed
on MyGov.in website, a citizen engagement platform,
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Rs 32,000 are being offered for paragraph writing, Rs
14,000 is being offered for slogan writing. There have
been 600 entries made to these contests so far. “Plastics
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owing mainly to its ability to sustain itself in the nature
for long period of time as compared to other conventional
materials. By virt-ue of their superior characteristics,
plastics are replacing various metals and traditional and biomass at a rate consistent with other compostable
materials almost in all applications. At the same time, materials and leaves no visible, distinguishable or toxic
plastics have attracted a lot of attention, not so much for residue. Asked about the government’s decision, senior
their positive attributes, but because of their negative 03&% RIÀFLDOV FRXOG QRW ÀQG D VSHFLÀF UHDVRQ ´$Q\
environmental impa-cts,” said the introduction for the decision on freeing the rules for compostable bags
competition. has to be taken by the apex high-power committee on
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It further added, “It is necessary to understand the plastic ban was issued under the name of Maharashtra
positive role that plastics are playing and could continue Plastic and Thermocol Products (Manufacture, Usage,
to play in impr-oving the quality of life of citizens. This 6DOH 7UDQVSRUW +DQGOLQJ DQG 6WRUDJH 1RWLÀFDWLRQ
can be done by ensuring effective management of waste/ XQGHU ZKLFK WKH QRWLÀFDWLRQ FLWHG WKH ULVLQJ
creating economic wealth from waste that is ‘cash from concerns of ‘usage and disposal of plastic are diverse
trash’. The negativity aro-und the use of plastics needs to DQG LQFOXGH DFFXPXODWLRQ RI ZDVWH LQ ODQGÀOOV ZDWHU
be effectively addressed.” There have been 600 entries bodies and in natural habitats, physical problems for
made to these contests so far. However an NGO, Delhi wild animals resulting from ingestion or entanglement in
Greens, has written to the ministry to remove these plastic, the leaching of chemicals from plastic products
and the potential for plastics to transfer chemicals to
competitions immediately.
wildlife and humans.’

Plastics News August 2018 60