Page 7 - Plastics News September 2019

T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T THE PRESIDENT
THE PRESIDENT SAYSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SAYS

OVERVIEW OF PLASTICS INDUSTRY IN INDIA

he Indian plastics processing industry consists of more than 50000 units. 90% of these
Tunits are MSME’s. Plastic industry employs more than 4.5 million people and the exports
of this sector is approximately US $ 7 Billion. The major exports are to China, USA, UAE
and Bangladesh besides the other SAARC countries. Indian per capita consumption is over
12 Kgs while the world average is close to 30 Kgs.
In last few months, there has been outcry to ban Single Use Plastics. This has come as
a big threat to the packaging unit in particular and Plastics units in general There are
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Tumblers, Tea cups, Straws, and many other products. If this ban comes in to place, more
than 10,000 units will close down overnight. This would also result in loss of more than
3 Million jobs directly. It is too premature to take such a hasty decision in such a short
time frame when there are no viable alternatives. An exit policy should be announced by MEELA JAYADEV
the government for the rehabilitation of the MSME units who have invested millions of
rupees in plant and machinery. This would also be a huge setback on dependent industries
such as food processing, cosmetics etc. Organizations manufacturing daily use items using
plastics for their packing have to refurbish their units to suit alternate ways and means.
Plastics is recyclable and in India 85% of Plastics is recycled and reused. This has to be
encouraged. The collection of used plastics should be reoriented and recycled. The material
is one of the greatest inventions of the twentieth century and because of man’s reckless
disregard of the post use disposal we are trying to ban the products. The government should
rethink and come out with a reasonable solution acceptable to the industry and useful to
the public and save the usage of this wonderful material for the posterity.

Meela Jayadev
president@aipma.net

7 September 2019 Plastics News