Page 61 - Plastics News December 2022

IN THE NEWS

plastic by 2030; enable regulations to crease the cost of everyday products tracted by this harmful bill, and in-
keep up with technological innova- to consumers and hand the reins to stead focus on plastics legislation that
tions in recycling; develop national re- foreign countries that would cripple would strengthen the US economy
cycling standards; establish producer existing supply chains, Baca added. It while reducing plastic waste.”
responsibility systems to increase also would harm the global environ- In addition to Booker and Merkley, the
recycling access and collection; and ment by shifting production overseas legislation was introduced by Demo-
have science inform policy by study- where plastics often are made with crat representatives from California
ing the greenhouse-gas emissions of fewer protections and environmental Jared Huffman and Alan Lowenthal.
all materials,” said Baca. standards.
If passed, the legislation would in- “ACC urges Congress not to be dis-

State government ‘ruining’ plastic industry, say Ludhiana traders

said they were badly hit due to the the plastic industry. When other states
ban on plastic goods in Punjab, staged could take a lenient stand and allow
a protest at Jagraon Bridge here on plastic products to be used, then why
Wednesday. The protest was sup- not Punjab, they asked.
ported by Congress leaders, including The protesters also asked the gov-
former MLA Sanjay Talwar and coun- ernment to apply the Delhi model on
cillor Pankaj ‘Kaka’.
non-woven products. They said non-
The protesters raised slogans against woven bags should not come under
The shopkeepers and traders, who the state government for “ruining” the banned category.

Maharashtra Revises Single-Use Plastic Ban: Items Now Allowed for
Production and Use

Maharashtra’s government has par- Also to be allowed will be non-woven and MSME businesses in the state.
tially rolled back the state ban on cer- polypropylene carry-bags not more Previously, on March 23, 2018, the
tain plastic items that was implement- than 60 grams per square meter and Maharashtra environment depart-
ed in 2018. The decision is aligned plastic packaging material with thick- ment had banned the production, use,
with the Indian federal government’s ness less than 50 microns if it is nec- storage, distribution, wholesale, re-
ban on plastic. essary to maintain the functionality of tail, import, and transport of all types
the product. This is for industries that
What is now allowed? of plastic bags, single-use disposable
are able to prove their productivity
Maharashtra’s state government now has been adversely impacted by the items made of plastic, thermocol,
allows the production and use of sin- plastic ban. small bottles made of polyethylene
gle-use disposable plastic items like terephthalate (PET, PETE) with less
straw, cups, plates, glasses, forks and All of these products need mandatory than half liter capacity, etc.
spoons, and containers like bowls, approval from the Central Institute of Then on April 11, 2018, the Maha-
among others, made of compostable Plastic Engineering and Technology rashtra government allowed produc-
plastic material. (CIPET) and Central Pollution Con- tion and sale of PET/PETE bottles if
trol Board (CPCB).
A senior official speaking to Hindu- the manufacturers, producers, sell-
stan Times explained: “Compostable Impact ers, and traders set up collection
plastic is different from plastic made The partial roll-back will help stake- centers, reverse vending machines,
up of petrochemicals and fossil fuels. holders across the plastic industry – and crushing machines for recycling
It can be composted at commercial manufacturers and traders – and high units at strategic locations to collect
facilities.” volume users like restaurants, shops, and recycle waste bottles.

December 2022 PLASTICS NEWS 61