The dairies said they would soon chalk out a plan to implement the collection and recycling mechanism for milk pouches.Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam on Saturday asked dairies to start implementing the recollection and recycling mechanism of plastic milk packets immediately.
On May 28, Kadam had set a 15-day deadline for dairies to start a buyback mechanism for the plastic pouches. He had also asked the dairies to set up recycling plants. It was the third such deadline since March 2018.
Officials from the state’s Environment Department said that a review meeting was chaired by Kadam on Saturday. Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) officials and representative of the dairies were present in the meeting. “The dairies suggested some alternative mechanism for collection and recycling of milk pouches. One of the suggestions was to set up various centres at strategic locations for collection of milk pouches,” said Kadam.
Bottle manufacturers would have to submit an undertaking stating that they would undertake 100 per cent recycling immediately.He said he was able to convince the dairies on how to make the buyback scheme work. “If milk pouches do not have any value, then people may not return the pouches. So, we have asked the dairies to start a depository scheme of 50 paise per pouch for recollection and recycling immediately. The dairies agreed to do so,” said Kadam.
Kadam also held a meeting with plastic water bottle manufacturers to review their recollection and recycling mechanism. “It has been more than a year but the manufacturers are recycling approximately only up to 40 per cent bottles. It should be 100 per cent. So, show-cause notices will be issued to the bottle manufacturers asking them to explain it,” said the minister.
An official said bottle manufacturers would have to submit an undertaking stating that they would undertake 100 per cent recycling immediately.
Meanwhile, the dairies said they would soon chalk out a plan to implement the collection and recycling mechanism for milk pouches. “The dairies are in favour of starting the collection and recycling mechanism and will figure out a way for its implementation,” said Vivek Kshirsgar, Managing Director of Katraj Dairy, who attended the meeting chaired by Kadam.
“In our case, we plan to collect the milk pouches on Sunday but it will be discussed before the meeting of board of directors and then the decision will be taken,” he added.
