Vidarbha plastic body seeks breather

Asks for six-month month gap between the notification and implementation

Plastic bag and accessories manufacturers have asked the Maharashtra government for a time lag of at least six months between the notification on the acceptable thickness of plastic bags and the date from when it has to be implemented.

The request comes close on the heels of an ordinance issued on February 27 aimed at preventing "throwing or depositing non-biodegradable garbage in public drains, roads, wetlands, wasteland, water bodies, and places open to public view".

The objective of the ordinance "� promulgated after floods devastated Mumbai last monsoon and plastic bags were found to be one of the causes of clogged drains "� is to regulate the use of non-biodegradable material.

The Vidarbha Plastic Industries Association (VPIA) has welcomed the ordinance describing it as "long overdue and a landmark order towards providing cleaner and eco-friendly environment" and said that the industry would require the time to adjust to the new rules.

The state government has prohibited manufacturers, distributors, industrial users or any other person to dispose non-biodegradable material in a careless manner.

The non-biodegradable material has been listed as products of acetal, acrylic, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, construction waste such as stones and mud, electronic waste, high-impact polystyrene (HIP), nylon, plastic tape used in packaging, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polyethylene phthalate (PET), polypropylene, polystyrene, poly vinyl chloride (PVC) and expanded polystyrene (or thermocol).

The ordinance, dated February 28, also empowers the state government to issue notifications for regulating the use of non-biodegradable material or even banning their use or littering.

It also allows the government to issue orders by way of notifications detailing terms and conditions related to standards and specifications for use of packaging material. This means that the government can now specify shape, size, thickness, identification marks, constituents, recyclability etc for manufacturers/distributors or users of such products.

Specific rules and notifications under the ordinance are yet to be framed. The VPIA said that the discussions on the use of plastic bags of under 50 microns in thickness are still on and that the government is yet to formulate any standards as such. It has further asked the government six months from the time the new set of rules are announced and are to be implemented.

Dilip Gandhi, president of VPIA has said that the industry will require the time to adjust to the new regulations as it will have to dispose existing stock and arrange for additional floor space, power and finance for compliance.

The association has said that these are practical problems that the manufacturers and also users will face and has clarified that the association is in no way opposing the thought behind the move.

The ordinance also makes it mandatory for all citizens to have separate garbage bins at their residence or office for degradable waste and non-biodegradable waste. Offenders face stiff penalties, the VPIA has noted.