Page 58 - Plastics News December 2020

Indian railway to replace plastic teacups with sustainable alternative

can help create several jobs. Goyal was quoted by ANI as
saying: “There are nearly 400 railway stations serving
tea in Kulhad (earthen cups). “We are making efforts to
implement the same across the country as part of the
Indian Railways contribution in making India plastic-
free. It'll also generate employment.” As part of this
move, the North Western Railway zone urged its officers
to use of green catering products at Indian Railways
stations. Another 25 railway stations will also start
serving tea and other food items in eco-friendly Kulhads
and plates/bowls, PTI reported. Many previous railway
ndian Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has reportedly ministers have proposed replacing plastic cups with
Irevealed plans to replace plastic teacups in railway traditional kulhads. In 2004, then-railway minister Lalu
stations across the country with sustainable alternative. Prasad had issued an order to start serving hot beverages
The decision is part of the broader attempt to make India in kulhads to boost potters' income and switch to a
plastic-free. During the inauguration of the recently 'greener' alternative. However the fact remains that
electrified Dhigawara-Bandikui section of North Western while the carbon footprint of single-use plastics is about
Railway Alwar on 29 November, Piyush Goyal said that 6 kg, meaning for every one kilogram of plastic
close to 400 railway stations are currently serving tea in produced, six kilograms of carbon dioxide is emitted, so
earthen cups known as 'Kulhads'. Furthermore, the far, there is no ready estimate of the carbon footprint of
minister said efforts are being directed to implement the making a kulhad.
same across the country as it is environment friendly and

MCD to ask Uttarakhand Government to reinstate plastic ban
C onsidering the sudden spike in the usage of plastic in
the last nine months in the city due to covid 19, the
municipal corporation of Dehradun (MCD) will send a
proposal to the State Government to reinstate the
plastic ban again. In the second and the last board
meeting of the corporation this year chaired by
Dehradun mayor Sunil Uniyal 'Gama', all 27 proposed
proposals were approved earlier this month. One of the
proposal called for reinstating the ban on the plastic,
which was removed in a hurry due to covid 19 as lot of
plastic had to be used in covid linked precautionary
equipments. However, no decision regarding the budget send a proposal to the State Government”, he said. The
of the corporation was taken in the meeting as the mayor
Uttarakhand government has stalled its previous order,
stated that it will be discussed only after Covid-19 which banned the use of plastic products. Uttarakhand
impact will diminish in the city. As stated by municipal was the third state after Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh
commissioner Pandey, the MCD worked hard to restrict
to enforce a ban on plastic. In January 2017, the then
the plastic use in the city but the plastic usage has Congress government in state issued an order banning
increased manifold in the last nine months since the manufacture, distribution and sale of polythene carry
government lifted the ban during Covid-19 pandemic. bags and single use plastic cutlery.
“But we need to impose the ban again and the MCD will

DECEMBER 2020 58 Plastics News