From Assembly to markets, plastics find their way around ban

Introduction:

• The article discusses the recent finding of single-use plastic (SUP) products such as cups and spoons in the Delhi Assembly and vends in the city, despite the ban on these items.

The Ban on Single-Use Plastic:

• The Delhi government has banned plastic products twice in the last year.
• 19 SUP items, including spoons and cups, were prohibited on July 1, 2022.
• A ban on plastic bags thinner than 120 microns came into force in January this year.
• However, many prohibited items are still used openly across Delhi.

Current Usage of SUP Products:

• Many shopkeepers in Kotla Mubarakpur, a marketplace near Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, Sadar Bazar and ITO said there is little incentive in avoiding SUP products.
• They claim that the alternatives are twice as expensive and the authorities hardly ever carry out inspections against the banned items.
• A juice vendor about 50 metres from the Delhi Secretariat was also seen using SUP cups.
• Anwar, a roadside juice seller, said he had switched to paper cups and straws when the ban came into force but eventually went back to plastic as these are expensive.

Usage of SUP Products in Delhi Assembly:

• During the budget session, plastic cups and spoons were used in a room for journalists in the Delhi Assembly.
• Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel said that if such items were being used inside the House premises, he would look into it.
• When reached out, a Delhi government spokesperson did not respond to a comment on the use of banned plastic items across the city.

Reasons for Resurgence of SUP Products:

• Suneel Pandey, director of environment and waste management division at TERI, said unchecked manufacturing of plastic items and lax implementation of the ban are responsible for the resurgence in SUP products.
• Deepak Ballani, director-general of All India Plastic Manufacturers Association, said organised units are not manufacturing the banned items, and there is a possibility that unorganised units may be manufacturing them.

Conclusion:

The article highlights the inadequate implementation of the ban on SUP products in Delhi, with several vendors and even the Delhi Assembly continuing to use these items. It also points to the high cost of alternatives and unchecked manufacturing as reasons for the resurgence of SUP products.