The Tirupur Exporters’ Association has appealed to the Tamil Nadu government against the ban imposed on polybags, as they are used to pack garments for exports.
The government had, vide a notification in June, sought to impose a ban on “use-and- throw plastics” from January 2019 to make the State plastic free.
The Association has noted that the ban included polybags used in packing garments. “This would cause a huge impact on garment manufacturing units, bringing the work to a standstill as the industry does not have an alternative for packing garments.
Further, the polybags used by the garment sector (for packing of each and every garment) can be recycled, and even environment-conscious countries insist on use of polybags in packing. In fact, in many cases it is to the buyer’s specification.
“We are operating in a buyer’s market, where the conditions imposed would have to be adhered to strictly. Considering the specific requirement of the garment sector, we appeal to the powers that be to exempt the manufacture and supply of polybags used in garment units from the plastic ban and help in hassle-free exports as also supply in the domestic market,” said TEA President Raja M Shanmugham.