Page 70 - Plastcs News January 2019

in the news

Airports Authority of India bans State not responsible to provide

single-use plastic items alternatives for plastic companies

The AAI has decided to make its airports plastic-free by aking exception to the demand from companies
banning the use of single-use plastic items at its airports Tmanufacturing single use plastics that they should
across the country. Earlier this month the Airports be provided suitable alternative arrangements by the
Authority of India (AAI) imposed a ban on single-use plastic State government for banning the use of such items
items at its 129 airports across the country. Single-use from January 1, 2019, Rajendra Ratnoo, Commissioner
plastic items are used only once and then thrown in the of Disaster Management, said that it was not the duty
trash. “Various steps have been undertaken to eliminate of government to do so. Speaking at a regional-level
single-use plastic items at passenger terminals and city awareness conference on the ban, he said it was not
side. These steps include banning of single-use plastic the government that asked the companies to open
plastic manufacturing units. However, he highlighted
that what the State government will instead do is to
facilitate a business environment where companies
manufacturing alternatives to plastics and recycling
of plastic waste can thrive. “The ban on single use
plastic companies may affect a few big companies. The
ban will, however, help in large number of small scale
and cottage units to thrive,” he added. He suggested
that the companies making banned plastic items can
try moving to to recycling of waste and other related
activities. Shambhu Kallolikar, Principal Secretary,
items like straws, plastic cutlery, plastic plates etc,” the Environment and Forests Department, said that though
AAI said in a statement. “The AAI has decided to make 14 single use plastic items are getting banned from
its airports plastic-free by banning the use of single-use January 1, 2019, these items contributed only five to six
% of the total plastic items in use. K.C. Karuppannan,
plastic items at its airports across the country,” the Minister for Environment, said that the proposed ban on
statement read. It said that on the basis of a third-party plastic was part of a series of measures implemented by
assessment carried out by Quality Council of India (QCI), the AIADMK government to safeguard the environment.
16 of its airports have been declared as “Single-Use Plastic
Free”. The QCI will complete its assessment of total 34
airports -- which are managed by the AAI -- by January
31. The Airports Authority of India (AAI), has also issued
direction to the airport directors to ban plastic and asked
them to implement the order as early as possible. The 16
airports are Indore, Bhopal, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar,
Tirupati, Trichy, Vijayawada, Dehradun, Chandigarh,
Vadodara, Madurai, Raipur, Vizag, Pune, Kolkata and
Varanasi have been declared as single-use plastic free.
AAI is also enhancing its waste management systems and Members of the Tamil Nadu Plastics Manufacturers’
promoting the use of eco-friendly sustainable alternatives. Association (TAPMA) held a demonstration on Thursday,
In its quest for making environmental conservation an December 13, 2018 urging the State government not
ingrained organisational mission, AAI has formulated an to implement the ban on plastics from January 1,2019.
Environment Policy which envisages its commitment for The government’s plan to ban single-use plastics is
reduction of Green House Gases(GHG) and sustainable not right and will badly hurt the plastic industries and
development by implementing carbon mitigation action. livelihood of workers.

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