Want a carry bag? Pay the shop-owner…..Pankaj Sharma
Be ready to spend more from now as you will have to pay for each plastic carry bag you use. New rules notified by ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) on Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2011 mention that “no carry bags shall be made available free of cost to consumers”.
Consumer experts welcomed the move as it would help in preserving environment. Consumer expert Srirram Khanna told DNA “We welcome the ban on plastic bags, this will discourage the use of plastic shopping bags and will encourage usage of paper bags made from waste.”
The MOEF noted that minimum price for plastic carry bags will be determined by the municipal authority. It further noted, “The municipal authority shall be responsible for setting up, operationalisation and coordination of the waste management system and for performing the associated functions.”
They will ensure safer collection, storage, segregation, transportation, procession and disposal of plastic waste. It will also be the municipality’s duty to check if the environment is being affected.
Under the new rules, recycled carry bags shall conform to specific Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). “Plastic carry bags shall either be white or only with those pigments and colourants which are in conformity with the bar prescribed by the BIS. This shall apply for pigments and colourants to be used in plastic products which come in contact with foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and drinking water.”
The new rules say that plastic bags cannot be less than 40 microns in thickness. Under the earlier rules, the minimum thickness was 20 microns.
Municipal authorities will create awareness about the harmful effects of burning plastic waste.