According to a senior official of Bihar State Pollution Control Board
(BSPCB), recycling of plastic is a myth. It can only be down-cycled.
“Since plastic is made of non-biodegradable material, its degradation is
not possible. Burning it produces harmful toxic gases that can cause
even cancer. It also chokes the drainage and fills the porosity of soil
which adversely affects agriculture,” he said.

According to the
BSPCB data, there are 87 plastic manufacturing units in the state
capital but only 25 use waste plastic for recycling.

Executive officer of new capital division, Patna Municipal Corporation
(PMC), Shashank Shekhar Sinha said, “Over ten percent of the daily city
garbage is plastic. Since PMC has no resource either to segregate it or
the knowhow to reusing or recycling it, plastic waste is dumped for the
landfill daily.”

Explaining the reason behind the plastic
waste on such a large scale, a BSPCB official said, “Hotels, eateries
and shopkeepers use thin plastic sheets and bags for packing while gutka
packets are also wrapped in thin plastic.”

The state
government and the civic body have failed to check its use despite the
fact that using plastic is illegal. According to the data available at
BSPCB, the use of plastic in the city retail stores has increased by 30%
in the last one year.

The Union environment and forest
ministry has issued guidelines on banning plastic. Under the Plastic
Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011, it has banned the use of
plastic materials of less than 40 microns thickness. The ban was
enforced since plastic polluted the air when burnt with other garbage
and also interfered with waste management processes. It entrusted the
state pollution boards with the task of implementing the provisions
related to manufacture and recycling of waste. Municipal authorities are
responsible for plastic usage, collection, segregation and marketing in
the city.

Recycled Plastics (Manufacture and Usage) Rule, 1999, under Environment Protection Act,
regulated the manufacture and usage of recycled plastic bags and
containers. After its amendment in 2003, it was renamed as the Plastic
Manufacture, Sale and Usage Rules and banned manufacture, stock,
distribution or sell of carry bags made of virgin or recycled plastic of
less than 20 microns thickness. Later, Plastic Waste (Management and
Handling) Amendment Rules, 2011, banned manufacture, stock, distribution
or sell of any carry bag made of virgin or recycled or compostable
plastic, which is less than 40 microns in thickness.