State-wide ban on single-use plastics came into effect in Tamil Nadu on January 1, 2019, although pre-packaged goods were exempted from this. Now, the Tamil Nadu government is mulling over lifting the exemption and bring the pre-packed goods under the ban.
This consideration has come following a recommendation proposed by Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) on January 28. Additional Advocate General PH Arvindh Pandian told the High Court on Tuesday that the government would make an appropriate decision in this regard at the earliest.
According to a report in the Times of India, Arvindh Pandian noted that despite the plastic ban, the generation of plastic waste has not reduced. So far, the Tamil Nadu government had exempted pre-packed goods like oil, milk, grocery and snack items such as biscuits and chips, from the plastic ban.
Interestingly, Justices S Vaidyanathan and PT Asha had also observed that the state government should consider supplying milk, as it did a few decades ago, in glass bottles. Aavin, the state milk cooperative, had announced a cash-back scheme for every packet of milk that is returned to them in a way to help reduce plastic waste generated due to discarded milk packets.
It was reported earlier that in 2019 alone, the city civic body, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) had seized around 312 tonnes of banned plastic items and collected Rs 1.05 crore as fine from across the city.
Some of the types of single-use plastic items that are banned in the state include plastic sheets used to wrap food, plastic-coated paper cups and plates, plastic bags and non-woven cloth bags, plastic thermocol plates and cups, and plastic straws, among others. The state government also suggested switching to reusable and degradable options such as cloth bags, banana leaf packing for solid food items, etc.
Watch our ground report from 2019