Page 60 - Plastics News February 2019

in the news

Norms issued for reopening Maharashtra govt may ask

plastics units in TN manufacturers to devise plan

for EPR
he Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has
Tissued guidelines to manufacturers of single use
plastics for reopening their units after switching over he State environment department is likely to ask
to other items. At present, over 150 such units in the Tplastic manufacturers to come up with a plan
State are not functioning following the ban. Sources in for the Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) for
collection and recycling of plastic waste. Officials from
the TNPCB said that these companies had been asked to
the department said a team went to Kerala to study
implementation of the EPR. “We found solid waste
collection and recycling is going on well there but not
plastic waste,” an official said. The official added that
other states like Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh too have
not given much emphasis on implementation of the
EPR. “Overall, there is no effective implementation of
the EPR in any city or state. So, we will now ask plastic
manufacturers to come up with the EPR plan,” he said.
Maharashtra government’s insistence on plastic
manufacturers and dairies to set up a mechanism for
recycling milk pouches has created an air of uncertainty,
switch over to either eco-friendly products or products not on responsibility of recycling pouches under the
included in the ban and submit fresh consent application Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) rules.
forms to it. “All district environmental engineers of the
Board have been directed to accept applications from In June last year, the state government brought multi-
such units and process them on priority basis,” explained layered and tetra packaging under the ambit of the
an official.

The units have been asked to submit applications with
name of the product and its end use and the quantity
proposed to be manufactured. At a meeting held, the
units were asked to ensure that existing machinery would
be used for manufacturing only the proposed products.
The Board has directed the units to print the name of
the manufacturer, consent and registration details and
end use of the plastic product manufactured on the
product. If the manufacturer possessed a valid consent
and had applied for product change utilising the existing plastic ban. While multi-layered packaging is used
machinery, the Board would consider provision of direct for chips, snacks and biscuits, tetra packaging is used
consent to operate for the same validity. Environment for milk, juice etc. Under the EPR, multi-layered and
Secretary Shambu Kallolikar said that their agenda would tetra packaging firms need to set up a mechanism for
be to ensure that the ban is implemented in full. “We collecting and recycling of plastic. “As per provisions
will seal units that manufacture such items, seize the of the Plastic Waste Management and Handling Rules,
banned items from retailers, wholesalers stockists and 2016, the primary responsibility for collection of plastic
manufacturers," he said. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control used for packaging lies with the manufacturers. So, they
Board has issued notices to 1,400 units asking them not should set up collection centres at major locations and
to manufacture any of the banned items. develop a buyback mechanism,” said another official.

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