Indian Express 08.01.2010
‘Complete ban on plastic not a solution’
Opposing the complete ban on use of plastic bags, the Association for Promotion of Plastics has urged the civic body to take into consideration the union and state government regulations on plastic ban.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), on December 23 last year, had passed a resolution in the general body banning plastic bags in its jurisdiction. The civic administration had started its strict implementation across the city and fined those selling plastic bags.
In a memorandum submitted to Mayor Mohansingh Rajpal, former chairman of Polymer Committee of Mharatta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) J K Saraf said, “The union and state government have already come up with a law banning plastic. Therefore, the civic body should check whether they can come out with a different rule and implement it only after verification.”
The decision should not be implemented without the approval of the state government and all concerned people should be taken into confidence, he said. “Plastic bag is everybody's need and banning it is not a solution.”
Saraf said, “There should be strict action against use of plastic bags below 50 micron size but the bags above 50 microns should not be banned as they are recycled.”
Citing that the state-appointed Ranganathan Committee in 2005 had given a report on feasibility of total ban on plastic bags as negative and the decision to ban only bags with less than 50 microns was taken by state government, Saraf said thickness regulation is accepted but not a complete ban.
