‘Paper’ cups may escape plastic ban
The government seems to be making peace with the manufacturing sector ahead of its ambitious ban on single-use plastics that will kick in on January 1.
Published: 27th December 2018 02:05 AM |
Express News Service
CHENNAI : The government seems to be making peace with the manufacturing sector ahead of its ambitious ban on single-use plastics that will kick in on January 1. It is now thinking about reducing the number of items that will be banned. Plastic-coated paper cups are likely to be exempted with certain conditions.
Express had earlier reported that the State-owned TNPL, which is one of the largest manufacturers of paper cup stock, had expressed concerns over the impending ban. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami held a discussion with Environment Minister KC Karupannan and senior officials on Wednesday in this regard.
Speaking after the meeting, Karupannan said that the government was considering an exemption for plastic-coated paper cups, provided manufacturers agree to keep the quantity of plastic used to a bare minimum.“Currently, plastic constitutes for 6 percentage of every such cup. We want that to be brought down further to 4 per cent,” he said. The government also ruled out the possibility of granting additional time for manufacturers and traders to implement the ban.
An expert committee was constituted to study the “compostable properties” of plastic-coated paper cups and the committee reported that they had non-biodegradable components.“Most paper cups are designed for single use. Very little recycled paper is used to make paper cups because of contamination concerns. Since most paper cups are coated with plastic, it is difficult to separate plastic in the recycling process,” the committee concluded. However after weighing the pros and cos, the government has decided to exempt the product although an official announcement will be made after the approval of the steering committee.
The government also ruled out possibility of granting additional time to implement the ban. A coordinator for Chennai region and Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration P Amudha said the ban will be enforced strictly and border check posts will be set up to contain the influx of banned products. Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar told reporters that the government was working on an action plan to provide easy access to bank loans for entrepreneurs interested in production of eco-friendly alternatives.
The government seems to be making peace with the manufacturing sector ahead of its ambitious ban on single-use plastics that will kick in on January 1.
Published: 27th December 2018 02:05 AM |
Express News Service
CHENNAI : The government seems to be making peace with the manufacturing sector ahead of its ambitious ban on single-use plastics that will kick in on January 1. It is now thinking about reducing the number of items that will be banned. Plastic-coated paper cups are likely to be exempted with certain conditions.
Express had earlier reported that the State-owned TNPL, which is one of the largest manufacturers of paper cup stock, had expressed concerns over the impending ban. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami held a discussion with Environment Minister KC Karupannan and senior officials on Wednesday in this regard.
Speaking after the meeting, Karupannan said that the government was considering an exemption for plastic-coated paper cups, provided manufacturers agree to keep the quantity of plastic used to a bare minimum.“Currently, plastic constitutes for 6 percentage of every such cup. We want that to be brought down further to 4 per cent,” he said. The government also ruled out the possibility of granting additional time for manufacturers and traders to implement the ban.
An expert committee was constituted to study the “compostable properties” of plastic-coated paper cups and the committee reported that they had non-biodegradable components.“Most paper cups are designed for single use. Very little recycled paper is used to make paper cups because of contamination concerns. Since most paper cups are coated with plastic, it is difficult to separate plastic in the recycling process,” the committee concluded. However after weighing the pros and cos, the government has decided to exempt the product although an official announcement will be made after the approval of the steering committee.
The government also ruled out possibility of granting additional time to implement the ban. A coordinator for Chennai region and Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration P Amudha said the ban will be enforced strictly and border check posts will be set up to contain the influx of banned products. Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar told reporters that the government was working on an action plan to provide easy access to bank loans for entrepreneurs interested in production of eco-friendly alternatives.
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