Page 80 - Plastics News September 2018

IN THE NEWS

Govt to seek views of ICT on Bihar to ban Plastics

Non-woven polypropylene bags
he Patna high court directed the Bihar government
ollowing a demand by manufacturers of non-woven Tto impose a ban on the usage of plastic bags. A
Fpolypropylene bags to permit such bags that weigh bench comprising Patna high court chief justice MR Shah
above 80 grams per square metre (GSM), the state asked the state government to make a law on the ban
Environment Department has decided to seek an opinion and to use the media to create awareness. The court
on the matter from the Institute of Chemical Technology, passed the order after taking suo motu cognizance of
Mumbai, on whether such bags can be considered as a media report on the pollution of a pond located on
recyclable. Currently, these bags have been banned the premises of the sacred Mahabodhi temple in Gaya.
in Maharashtra along with all kinds of plastic bags.
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manufacturers of the non-woven polypropylene bags,
to know about the implementation. "The BSPCB wants
to implement plastic ban successfully and the visit was
to study the methodology," said Kumar. He added that
plastic ban in Bihar is currently being implemented
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also sought their objections and suggestions," said
Kumar. Accordingly, all kinds of plastic bags, all plastic
or thermocol cutlery such as spoons and plates, and
food containers among others would not be allowed
to be used. There is also a list of exempted items like
medicine packaging, food grade plastic, plastic used
which resemble thin cloth bags, made the demand during
a meeting of an expert committee formed to advise the for handling solid waste and that for manufacturing
department on challenges in implementing the plastic ban
in Mumbai. The non-woven polypropylene bags, measured
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demand, the expert committee has decided to seek an
opinion from the Institute of Chemical Technology on how
these non-woven polypropylene bags can be destroyed,
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said Anil Diggikar, principal secretary of the Environment
Department.He further said the institute’s report would
be placed before the Empowered Committee headed
E\ (QYLURQPHQW 0LQLVWHU 5DPGDV .DGDP EHIRUH D ÀQDO and exporting purposes, along with compostable bags
GHFLVLRQ LV WDNHQ ,Q D QRWLÀFDWLRQ LVVXHG RQ 0DUFK for agriculture. Earlier hearing a case instituted after
the Environment department had banned the non-woven
polypropylene bags along with plastic carry bags. The the high court took suo motu cognisance of media
official further said that the number of non-woven reports in a vernacular daily to reveal plastic pollution
polypropylene bags has increased in the market after the in Muchalinda Jheel, a historical lake in Bodhgaya, the
ban on the plastic carry bags. Non-woven polypropylene. bench of Justice Ravi Ranjan and Justice S. Kumar also
are strong, cheap, and easy to process, and during highlighted the need to make people aware about the
their production they emit less greenhouse gases than issue to effectively curb it.
woven fabric.

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Plastics News
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