New Delhi, June 23 (KNN) There is no other alternative to plastics; the more economical option is still not available which can replace all types of plastic available in the market at the moment, said Nikhilesh Rathi, Secretary of Maharashtra Plastic Manufacturers Association (MPMA) told KNN India

Talking to KNN, Secretary of MPMA said that there is no other alternative that is as sturdy as plastic.

Comparing paper with plastic, he said that paper has its own limitations; they are not durable and also not sturdy for transportation.

Cost of replacing plastic with paper is largely high, Rathi added, adding to this he said that introducing paper bags in market in place of plastic will increase the carbon footprints in the environment as paper will be produced by cutting down of tress which in turn affect the environment.

Underlining the fact that protection of environment is crucial and plastics are creating big problem, he said that government can’t simply put a blanket, at-least industries should be given appropriate time to find some other good alternative to plastic before implementing this.

Giving 3 months time to come up with some other alternative was not good enough for the industries or manufacturers, he added.

He pointed out that the plastic has been in this market for last 20-25 years and in just 3 months government can’t expect from industries that they come up with other easy-green products as a replacement to plastic.

Plastic is being rampantly used everywhere be it a general store, grocery store or any other local vendors, it is used by every sector of economy and finding an alternative to this is a tough job for any industrialist or manufacturer, Rathi added.

Disappointed with this move, Rathi said that in the whole process government has targeted small industries, vendors and small shopkeppers whereas isolated big players like big soft drink companies and other giant players from this.

The plastic products that these companies use for packing biscuits and chips are more harmful and not recyclable, he added.

Everyone should be treated on same grounds, leaving large firms from the brackets and targeting smaller firms who are more dependable on plastics is not the right thing done by government. A wise strategized plan needed to be framed to protect the environment and small industries both, he added.

Plastic in Maharashtra officially banned from today i.e. June 23, 2018.The Devendra Fadnavis-led state government enforced the ban after issuing the Maharashtra Plastic and Thermocol Products (manufacture, usage, sale, transport, handling, and storage) notification in March this year.

From today onwards, anyone caught using plastic products including single-use disposable items will be penalized by the government.

The government had given the manufacturers, distributors, and consumers a period of three months to dispose their existing stock and come up with alternatives to plastic usage. (KNN/YV)