No production of plastic bags below 40 micron width: govt

Plastic bags measuring below 40 micron in width will neither be produced nor imported for supply to consumers to avoid pollution hazards, officials said here today.
All India Plastic Manufacturers' Association (AIPM) which met recently decided that plastic carry bags, of width below 40 micron would not be produced, nor imported for supply to consumers to avoid pollution hazards, Avinash Joshi, Joint Secretary (Petrochemicals), Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers said.
Over 50,000 plastic processors linked with the AIPM across the country will not promote the business of plastic carry bag imported from China in the range of 8, 10 and 15 microns, Joshi here said during a seminar on creating awareness on positive attributes of plastics or recyclable properties of plastics.

Though every state government had a law to take action over use of plastic carry bags below 40 microns, he said, since the manufacturers would not produce or arrange its supply, the action should be ensured against sellers and users now, if found in near future, he said.
India was producing 8 kg of plastic per person per year as against 32 kg of global production per person per year, he said, adding, plastic carry bags comprised three per cent of the total production of plastic products.
Public awareness over segregation of wastes, wealth from wastes, and low-tax structure on plastic production were the need of the hour, he said.

"Every technology is there to make use of plastic waste, the need is to create economic viability of plastic waste", he emphasised.
Plastic carry bag could be recycled for other purposes including roads, cement, furnaces, he said.
A concerted efforts among the manufacturers, the state government, municipal bodies, and NGOs were required to over come the problem of solid waste management particularly of plastics, he opined.