‘Plastic for secondary packaging will be allowed in retail shops’

Pune/ Mumbai: The State government has decided to revoke the ban on plastic used for secondary packaging in retail shops with some conditions. The government is likely to issue a revised government resolution (GR) on Thursday to that effect. 

Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam said the decision was taken by the Empowered Committee after a meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The conditions for revoking the ban include mentioning the source on the plastic bags, use of plastic with thickness above 50 microns and setting up recollection and recycling mechanism, he said.

On Tuesday, a meeting was held at the Mantralaya, which was also attended by Yuva Sena Chief Aditya Thackeray. The minister said the plastic ban notification has allowed the industrial packaging at the manufacturing level. 

“There should not be discrimination for retail or wholesale packaging,” he said.

According to Kadam a mechanism  will be set up for recollection of PET bottles and milk bags. Retail associations have been asked to set up the same for these plastic bags to which they have agreed. 

Varun Sandhi, Chief Coordinator of CM’s Plastic Task Force told Sakal Times that the revised GR exempting secondary packaging from the plastic ban will be released on June 28. The manufacturers of secondary packaging would have to print the recycling code, manufacturing label and their registration number without which the bags will not be accepted in the market. That means unlabelled secondary packaging will not be allowed for any kind of use.

Sandhi said the government will give the companies manufacturing secondary packaging one month to print the information on it. He said, “Apparently till then the usual secondary packaging will be used until the bags with information printed on it do not hit the market.” 

Ravi Jashnani, President of Maharashtra Plastic Manufacturers Association and Committee Member of Plastic Task Force said, “Non-woven carry bags and plastic carry bags are completely banned. The revised GR will mention the thickness in microns needed in the secondary packaging. The GR will state the  information to be printed on the secondary packaging.”

He said, “Carry bags made in any compostable material are also banned. Compostable bags will be only allowed for garbage, horticulture, nursery and agriculture purposes.”