Page 70 - Plastics News February 2017
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SSI up in arms after closure of plastic making units in Bengaluru
Small-scale industries (SSI) are up in arms after be integral packaging product, the closure order would
the closure of three plastic manufacturing units be revoked.” He also said campaign to create awareness
in Kamakshipalya by civic body officials recently for among BBMP officials about what is banned and what is not
allegedly violating the plastic ban. Earlier thid month under the March 2016 notification would be conducted.
the Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (KASSIA)
registered its displeasure during an interactive session Emirates now offers blankets
with Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) made from 100 percent recycled
Chairman Lakshman, Additional Chief Secretary, Ministry plastic bottles
of Environment, Ecology and Forests T.M. Vijaya Bhaskar
and plastic manufacturers. KASSIA members said the Physics would suggest that covering yourself in
plastic bottles may not seem like the ideal way
to keep warm in an airplane cabin, but Emirates
wants you to do exactly that. Today, it’s introducing
plastic ban order had been misinterpreted and misused new sustainable blankets made from 100 percent
by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials recycled bottles. The airline has partnered with Buzz,
to target their manufacturing units. “These units do not a creative agency, to offer ecothread blankets on
manufacture plastic carry bags, but integral packaging all long-haul Emirates flights in economy class. Each
products which are exempt from the ban. They entered blanket is spun from 28 plastic bottles that have been
factories and seized the products. broken into tiny little chips, melted into liquid, then
turned into yarn. Emirates estimates that by the end
The decision to close down the units must be revoked,” of 2019, the blankets will have rescued 88 million
said Jayaramu, pollution control panel, KASSIA. The plastic bottles from landfills. That’s equal to the
association believed that around 100 people had been weight of 44 Airbus A380s. So perhaps the blankets
rendered jobless due to this move. While BBMP does not you get in economy class aren’t super comfortable,
have the authority to close down industrial units in the but at least you can feel a little better about their
city, even the KSPCB - which can suspend permissions for environmental impact considering how much of a
industries violating the ban - was reprimanded by the carbon footprint an airplane leaves behind each
National Green Tribunal for cracking down on industries time it flies.
that use extrusion machines for other legal purposes. Mr.
Lakshman said that the Board will investigate into the
matter. “The material will be checked and if found to
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