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EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, Dec 8: Insisting that plastics are eco-friendly, captains of plastic industry have blamed littering and poor waste management for the environmental problems created by increased use of plastics in packaging.
The industry has nonetheless agreed to increase the gauge of plastic carry bags from five microns at present to 20-25 microns and to abide by colour code for `direct food contact packing'. It has also set up Indian Centre for Plastics in Environment (ICPE), as the nodal agency to address environmental issues relating of environment and plastics with an initial corpus of Rs 2 crore.
``Bags are not what plastics are all about,'' IPCL chairman K.G. Ramanathan told a seminar on plastic and environment adding, ``bags are just five per cent of the total range of plastic products which are high performance material''.
He said the problem arising of plastic packaging needed to be analysed and due thought should be given to proper management of solid waste and littering which was the basic issue.
He advised the people to avoid littering and underlined the need for working out a rational method of efficient waste collection and its management by local self government bodies with the help of industry. In this context, he lamented that in Vadodara alone, 400 tonnes of solid waste was generated daily of which 150 to 180 tonnes remained on the roads.
Defending plastic as a wonder material in packaging, he said it had the best product to weight ratio and could be moulded to any use. He expressed the confidence that the industry would gradually but surely adopt new gauge and colour code norms despite a large portion operating in the unorganised sector.
Vijay Merchant, chairman of the Plastindia Foundation's environment committee made a detailed presentation on proposed plan of action by the newly formed Indian Centre for Plastics in Environment (ICPE) which is being set up jointly by the Chemical & Petrochemical Manufacturers Association and the Plastindia Foundation. ICPE will work in seven core areas:
Developing new technologies for recycling and reprocessing of plastic waste.
Setting up an applications centre for creating wealth out of waste scientifically and intelligently.
Improving waste management systems and techniques to help local bodies and the processors and at the same ensure consumer safety.
Building up a data bank and national information system for providing guidance, information and reference on plastic waste availability in India.
Conducting educational and awareness programmes on greater and better use of resources and saving the environment.
Developing and introducing testing standards for plastic waste to ensure safety and security to all users and consumers. And lastly,
Initiating life cycle analysis of plastic products to accurately determine cost of the item to the society considering energy use, derived use of recylates etc.
Besides setting these objectives for itself through the IPCE, Merchant said, the industry had agreed to increase minimum guage of jabla bags (carry bags) to 20 microns and above if made of virgin material and of 25 microns and above if made of recycled material.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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