Page 9 - Plastics News December2018

FROM THE EDITOR'S PEN

We stand vindicated

ays after dairies across Maharashtra threatened to stop the sale of milk in plastic pouches,
Dcontending that we -Plastic manufacturers have decided to go on indefinite strike from
December 15, Shiv Sena leader and Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam said that there is
no ban on the use of plastic pouches for milk, allowing them to use plastic pouches until
further notice.
Many of us know that some plastic manufacturing units were closed due to the plastic ban
that included those supplying pouches to these dairies. Now, the milk dairies have been asked
to submit details of plastic pouches ordered from manufacturers. An undertaking will be
taken from plastic manufacturers, stating that the pouches are exclusively for milk dairies
and that they would be allowed to manufacture the pouches.

The minister Ramdas Kadam, agreed to temporarily suspend action against plastic milk
pouches till February 15, which means Dairies can use plastic milk pouches till February 15
2019. The state government has asked the dairies to submit a detailed plan, under EPR,
to put in place a mechanism for buyback of milk pouches from consumers, within the next
two months. Mr. Rajiv B.Tolat
The whole gambit of Plastic ban at times seems to be manipulated according to the whims
and fancies of the government thereby trying to force the (Plastics) industry to succumb to
its pressure.
And I say so for, according to a report of the committee constituted by the Union Environment
Ministry in 2017, it has recommended that the onus of collecting and disposal of plastic
waste should lie solely on municipal bodies. Not only that the committee has suggested
changes in the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and Plastic Waste Management Rules,
2016. This vindicates the stand of the Plastics Industry as a whole, which has been blamed
for none of its fault.
The nine-member committee with members from the central government and municipal
bodies has said the responsibility of waste collection and segregation rests solely with the
urban local bodies. In its report the committee clearly states “Handing over this responsibility
to the producers would be very impractical and inefficient. We would have a situation wherein
there would be multiple channels for waste collection leading to large inefficiencies.”
The panel has instead recommended levying a suitable fee depending on the quantum of
plastic production. This fee will get collected into a fund which would be used only for the
purpose of plastic waste handling, collection, segregation, treatment and processing. We
are publishing the recommendations of this committee in this issue for our readers.
Wish Merry Christmas and A Happy New year to all our readers!

Rajiv B.Tolat
Hon. Editor
publication@aipma.net

9 December 2018 Plastics News