Plastics reprocessing traders here today shut down their units and staged a demonstration demanding reconsideration of 18 per cent GST imposed on the reprocessed plastic.

Around 200 protesters under the banner of Coimbatore Plastics Re-Processing and Trader Association (COPRA) raised slogans in support of their demand. They said the increase of tax for reprocessed plastic from 5 to 18 per cent would cause problems in competing with the Virgin plastic manufacturers, as moulding manufacturers will prefer new plastic rather than the reprocesses plastic to maintain higher profit.

About 5,000 units remained shut as part of the protest, they said.