Page 79 - Plastics News September 2016

INTETCHHENNOELWOSGY
Thripunithura thinks out of the
plastic bag
Initiatives are under way to make Thripunithura in Kerala
plastic-free. Right after Onam, the municipality will take
the issue head-on like the neighbouring Kochi Corporation
and the Maradu municipality. Thripunithura municipality
vice chairman O.V. Salim told The Hindu that the local
body had held talks with traders on the issue and would
issue a notice on observing the plastic-free initiative
from October onwards. No date has been ?xed to declare
the town plastic-free, but the municipality is aiming for
November 1. The Council meeting would decide on the
dates, said Mr. Salim. The traders had demanded time
to re-organise their trading practices to make the town
plastic-free. “Once traders comply with the drive, the
move will be to rope residents in,” said Mr. Salim. The
traders had demanded time to re-organise their trading
practices to make the town plastic-free. “Once traders
comply with the drive, the move will be to rope residents
in,” said Mr. Salim. While there is awareness on the need
to lessen the use of plastics and overcome the dependence
on plastic shopping bags, there is little compliance. “The
habit has to be cultivated,” he said. The problem with
plastic waste is that unless it is sorted, it does not have maintained.
much value. The municipality has been paying Rs.35,000
per truck load for removing unsorted plastic waste. Even
when plastic waste can generate revenue, it is eating into
the municipality’s funds. Segregation of waste at source
is the best method. Though Kudumbashree workers, who
collect the plastic waste once a week from some areas,
have been trained to tell residents to sort the plastic at
home, very few residents comply. The workers have no
place to dump the waste and then sort plastic. If the
workers are able to collect segregated plastic, much of
the plastic waste load could even generate revenue. There
will only be a meagre quantity that needed to be paid for
disposal. “We will take awareness classes on making the
initiative a success,” said Mr. Salim
Ban on plastic bags in Karimnagar
The Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar (MCK), in
Telangana which had launched a crusade against
the putting up of vinyl posters, decided to ban the use
of plastic bags from August 10 in the town. According
to reports Municipal Commissioner Krishna Bhaskar
said that the authorities would launch special drive
against the shops selling plastic bags and seize them.
“We will allow usage of plastic bags having a thickness
of 40 microns or more and completely ban the bags
which do not meet the stipulated norms”, he said. A
team of municipal of?cials would conduct raids on all
shops, business establishments, hotels, tif?n centres,
curry points, vegetables and fruits vendors’ kiosks
in the town. Initially, they would launch a campaign
to create awareness about the ban of plastic bags
with less than 40 microns. Later, the MCK authorities
would take appropriate measures of serving notices
and impose heavy penalties if the traders continue
to use bags of less than 40 microns thickness, he
He also said that they had decided to campaign about
the segregation of garbage at the generation point by
educating the people. “If we segregate the garbage
as degradable and non-degradable it would be easy
for disposal at the garbage yard”, he said. He also
appealed to the people to use cloth bags and utensils
for carrying food items from hotels and curry points.
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