The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike is now mulling policies to curb the use of plastic for online delivery items. The BBMP’s plastics committee is thinking about making reusable materials for online delivery services mandatory.
BBMP Assistant Commissioner for Solid Waste Management and the chairperson of the plastics committee Randeep Dev told TNM that the BBMP is looking at two options – either enforcing a policy on reusables, or making it mandatory for delivery services to take responsibility for recycling the plastic items used for deliveries.
“When the topic of using reusable items for food delivery was discussed with stakeholders, they said that liquid items like curries cannot be transported using reusable items. If plastics are being introduced, then those who are introducing these plastic items into the environment, must take up responsibility to recycle it,” Randeep said.
However, the BBMP is looking to hold talks with stakeholders of online delivery services like Myntra and Flipkart to see if reusables materials can be used for packaging items. “Clothes and other items can be packaged with items other than plastic. Everyone must become responsible in plastic usage and must try to avoid using plastic as much as possible. We are discussing what is to be done in this regard and will have a comprehensive policy in a couple of months,” Randeep added.
According to BBMP officials, Bengaluru currently produces 5,757 tonnes of garbage per day – double what it produced just two years ago. Of this, 28% is dry waste and over 15% of the dry waste is plastic.
“The amount of plastic the city is generating in the last ten years had quadrupled. This is because of the online delivery services and the plastics used in packaging. Be it Amazon, Swiggy, Flipkart or other brands. Online delivery boom has also had a major fallout. Although Swiggy and Zomato have introduced certain measures to cut down plastic use, it is simply not enough. Those running these businesses must become conscious of the repercussions,” a senior BBMP official said.
The BBMP has appointed 233 marshals for enforcing the plastic ban that has been effective since Sunday. In addition, health inspectors including Assistant Executive Engineers and Medical Officers of Health in each ward will also be monitoring the sale and use of plastic.
“Even normal people who are seen carrying banned plastic items will be fined. The plastic marshals and health inspectors will be given machines, where they will have to enter the details of the person and impose a fine on them immediately,” Randeep added.