Countdown to March 2018...


The Government of Maharashtra has promised to ban plastic bags by Gudi Padwa which  falls on 18 March 2018. The last time they made us this promise was in 2010 and not much changed after this.

However it seems like this time around they may be serious about implementing such a ban.

See below news reports on efforts they are making and a notice that was recently sent out by them.

(Rough translation)

Carry bags from plastic,  plastic and thermocol articles (eg. plastic, cups, glass, forks, bowls, spoons, PP bags, flex, banners, toran, plastic sheets, flags and all kinds of plastic coated articles, their manufacturing, use, storage, marketing and sale is to be banned according to the notice being published below.

According to Indian law section 48 A, Maharashtra state will try to protect and conserve the environment.

Using the authority of  Maharashtra’s degradable and non degradable waste (control) regulations 2006, rules for manufacturing and usage of plastic carry bags have been made on 3 March 2006. According to these rules, carry bags below 50 micron or smaller than 8 x 12 inch in size are banned from sale, manufacturing and distribution.

These bans and rules have not proven to be fruitful. As a result of plastic bags and other plastic items that are not degradable, cause imbalance in the environment.  Also, biodiversity has been harmed by this. Especially plastic bags cause water stagnation resulting in health hazards. Many incidents of animals dying because of eating plastic bags have been seen. Due to use of plastic and plastic articles marine line is also endangered.

For this we are planning to ban plastic carry bags, plastic and thermocol articles (eg. plastic, cups, glass, forks, bowls, spoons, Non Woven PP bags, flex, banners, toran, plastic sheets, flags, all kinds of plastic coated etc)  and their manufacturing, use, storage, marketing, sale in whole of Maharashtra. This also includes selling of plastic bags on a small scale, plastic packaging and plastic sheets.

For this all stakeholders who possess plastic carry bags, plastic and thermocol articles (eg. plastic, cups, glass, forks, bowls, spoons, PP bags, flex, banners, toran, plastic sheets, flags, all kinds of plastic coated etc) should take responsibility for disposing these articles.

Concerned municipal corporation, municipality, district heads, and chief administrative officer have to create awareness regarding this in their areas. Also, they should take maximum help and cooperation from citizens and NGOs for implementation of this.

Malls, shopkeepers, big traders, vegetable vendors, hotels etc. are asked to cooperate for implementation.

Malls, shops and concerned authorities should take measures for this.  
The notice sent out by the Environment Department is a welcome step however there are a few concerns about it.

1. It is vast in its scope including products that are used in a variety of ways and for which alternatives dont necessarily exist in the present scenario. This will make the ban very difficult to implement and may bring up too much resistance. It would be wiser for the government to take up one or similar products at a time so that they can create strategies for their replacement.

2. While this kind of a precautionary note is good to start preparing the manufacturers and disributors of plastic articles for an impending ban, the government also needs to provide guidelines on how this can be done - with steps for them to move in this direction.

3. The entire process of phasing out plastic bags should be done with timelines in mind and notices such as these should also build in timelines. This makes the whole process real and trackable. An open ended timeline will not build any pressure on the system to change.

4. The articles mentioned should also be studied for their usage patterns and beyond just banning the articles themselves, the government will need to look at how they are being used in greater detail for the ban on them to be effective.

5. It would be good for the draft notification of the ban to be circulated for study and feedback from experts in the field.

On the bright side, it is a positive thing that non woven poly propylene bags have been included in the scope of this notice as in some states such as Sikkim the problem has shifted from plastic carry bags to non woven bags which are also made of plastic itself.

See below reactions from some of the stakeholders in the press...
 

Maharashtra to publicise plastic ban from March

The state environment department’s public notice asks district collectors and all the local bodies in the state to create awareness about it and to ensure wider participation of people and non-governmental organisations in its implementation.

| Mumbai | Published: January 17, 2018 6:10 am

The state environment department proposes to ban production, use, storage, distribution and sale of plastic and thermocol items citing their adverse impact on the environment, from March onwards. To spread awareness, the department will publish a notice. “It has been proposed to ban plastic items such as cups, plates, glass, fork, bowl, spoons, flex, non-woven polypropylene bags, banners, flags, plastic sheets and all items with plastic covers,” said an official.

The official said though there is a ban on plastic bags below 50 microns since March 2006, it has not been implemented effectively. “The use of plastic items impacts the environment adversely. Plastic clogs the nullahs and leads to water-logging and health issues. Besides, some animals who ate plastic bags have died,” the official added.

The state environment department’s public notice asks district collectors and all the local bodies in the state to create awareness about it and to ensure wider participation of people and non-governmental organisations in its implementation. “We are also urging malls, shopkeepers, big traders and vegetable vendors, hotels and others to take a note of the proposed ban and cooperate with its implementation,” said another official.

The government notice on the ban does not mention anything about plastic water bottles. Earlier, the state government had announced that it would ban plastic water bottles in government offices and star hotels. “We do want to ban them in government offices and star hotels. Since the chief minister has asked to consult him about the plastic bottle ban, we are yet to take a call on it. The decision will be taken after discussing it with the chief minister,” said Ramdas Kadam, state Environment Minister.
Read the article on the Indian Express website

Maharashtra says no to plastic: State environment minister to meet civic bodies to discuss ban

In an order issued on January 2, the state environment department had said that the government intends to ban disposable utensils made of plastic and thermocol

Faisal Malik Hindustan Times, Updated: Jan 18, 2018 09:11 IST

The state government has started preparations to ban all kinds of plastic bags along with a few other plastic items and state environment minister Ramdas Kadam will be meeting heads of all the local bodies of the Konkan region along with public representatives, on Thursday, to discuss effective implementation of the ban.

Kadam wants to understand the problems and also take suggestions for implementing the ban that is likely to be imposed from March this year. The meeting will be held at Alibaug, said a senior official from the state environment department. Region-wise meetings of local bodies are have been planned to ensure proper implementation. The Konkan region covers four districts — Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.

The exercise is part of the government’s plan to ban plastic flags, banners, flex material, disposable containers, non-woven polypropylene bags along with all kinds of plastic bags, irrespective of its thickness, in the state. The Hindustan Times was the first to report about the proposed ban in its January 12 edition. In an order issued on January 2 to all the local bodies, the state environment department said that the government intends to ban disposable utensils made of plastic and thermocol, after which, their use, sale, production, stock and distribution will be prohibited. The proposed ban will be an extension of the ban on plastic bags thinner than 50 microns imposed in the state in 2006. The state is of the view that the ban on thin plastic is not showing desired results

“We are conducting region-wise meeting of all the local bodies to understand problems. We are also directing them to focus on creating awareness about the ban so that all stakeholders will be mentally prepared by the time it is imposed,” said the senior official. The environment department is in the process of preparing the draft notification of the ban, that is likely to be issued by the end of this month.
Read the article on the Hindustan Times website

Plastic ban notice puts manufacturers in a fix

Sakal Times | Friday, 19 January 2018

Pune: The Maharashtra Plastic Manufacturers’ Association will be holding a meeting with the government to know how they will be implementing the plastic ban if it is made compulsory in State.

On January 2, Maharashtra government issued a notification on banning plastic carry bags and things made by thermocol or plastic including plates, cups, glass, spoons, flexes, non-woven polypropylene bags banners, decorative items, flags, plastic sheets along with this the production, use, storage, distribution and sale will also be banned. Plastic is already banned in five states including Delhi, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, but due to poor implementation, the ban has failed to achieve desired results. 

Ravi Jashnani,  President of Maharashtra Plastic Manufacturers’ Association, said, “There is no alternative if the government is thinking to put a ban on plastic. If plastic is banned then carry bags made up of paper will be used which mean more trees will be chopped down. Secondly, we want to know the policies of government to implement it as in five states where this ban is effective people do not adhere to it. In fact, each and every thing like wafers, blood, water, and many such other things plastic is used. I want to know how are they going to pack these items in future.”

Medha Tadpatrikar, Director of Rudra Environmental Solutions, said, “The ban should be issued only when there is a cheaper alternative to it. Plastic is a brilliant product, as it is recyclable. Along with it, the government should promote agencies who recycle the plastic, which will ultimately make the environment safer.”

Suresh Jagtap, PMC Joint Commissioner, said, “Every day we come across nine to 12 per cent of plastic in the garbage, wherein four to five per cent goes for recycling. If the government is putting such a ban then there must be a reason for it. And if this ban is implemented then we have to work accordingly and put a strict fine on people.”

Sanjay Kulkarni, Environment Officer of PCMC, said, “If the govt has come up with such notification, then it should take some strict action against defaulters to keep the environment safe.”

 
Read the article on the Sakal Times website
A manual for shop owners to make the shift from plastic bags to cloth bags