Page 59 - Plastics News October 2016

iTnetchhenNoElWoSgy
Thiruvanthapuram bans thin
plastic, fee on shopkeepers
In a major decision aimed at curbing plastic use in
the state, the government has banned plastic carry
bags below 50 microns and has imposed a plastic waste
management fee on vendors who sell plastic bags. As per
the five-point circular issued by the local self government
department, all local bodies have been directed to collect
Rs 4,000 per month as plastic waste management fee
from shopkeepers and street vendors who sell plastic
carry bags. The circular has been issued pursuant
to plastic waste ( Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb and Qutab Minar in Delhi
management and
handling) rules,
2016 issued by
the ministry of
environment and
forests. The rules we have decided to ban polythene at all national
stipulate that
shopkeepers and
street vendors willing to provide plastic carry bags for
dispensing any commodity shall register with the local
body.
The local body shall make provisions for such registration
on payment of plastic waste management fee of minimum
Rs 48,000 per year. The local body may prescribe higher
plastic waste management fee, depending upon the
sale capacity. This is the second crucial decision by the
state government towards bringing down plastic use.
The government had earlier issued an order that the
local bodies should use 10% funds for road construction
allotted to them for using plastic while building roads.
Accordingly, Clean Kerala, a waste-managment company,
has started collecting shredded plastic from various units
at Perinthalmanna, Koyilandi,Attingal, North Paravur
and Eraviperoor to be supplied to other local bodies.
lean Kerala has till now collected 260 tonnes of plastic
from various local bodies during the last two years.
"Introduction of plastic waste management fee is a big
step in checking the use of plastic. This would curb the
use of plastic carry bags," said Kabeer Haroon, Managing
director, Clean Kerala. The local bodies can use the
amount collected as plastic waste management fee for
sustainable projects in waste management.
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Ban on polythene at all national
monuments
In an initiative to boost the government’s ‘Swachh
Bharat, Swachh Smarak’ campaign. Union tourism
minister Mahesh Sharma has announced a ban
on polythene
at all national
monuments,
Sharma, along with
officials of the
tourism ministry and
the Archaeological
Survey of India
(ASI), visited the
He directed the officials to implement a complete
ban on polythene at all monuments within a month
and asked them to ensure cleanliness and availability
of basic facilities such as toilets and cafeteria at the
sites. “Taking forward the Swachh Bharat Mission,
monuments and tourist destinations from Gandhi
Jayanti this year,” Sharma said.
He said plastic bottles will not be banned, but tourists
will be asked to place those in recycle bins. With the
trial phase of the initiative launched last month,
the ban will be applicable in a 100-metre radius of
the monuments. It will be easier to implement this
initiative as the monuments have security personnel
who can check tourists at the entrance, Sharma
said. The initiative will be reviewed after a month
to decide if there is any need to impose fines on
the offenders, an official said. The Centre had in
March banned the manufacture of plastic bags of
below 50 microns as these are difficult to dispose
of thus posing a major threat to the environment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the
Swachh Bharat Mission on October 2, 2014. It aims
to eliminate open defecation, manual scavenging
and encourage modern and scientific municipal solid
waste management, among others.