AIPMA reacts to HP ban on plastic packing of non-essential food items
Updated: Jan 07, 2014 06:01:30pm
New Delhi, Jan 7 (KNN) The recent ruling passed by the Himachal Pradesh High Court directing the state government to ban the sale, storage, entry and manufacture of non-essential food items packaged in non-biodegradable material in the state by January-26 will cause havoc for the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) segment.
The list of food items includes chips, chocolates, biscuits, ‘namkeen’, noodles and soft drinks. The ban however has not been applied to drinking water.
Major stakeholders affected by this ban are preparing to move the Supreme Court but in the meantime, it will be an uphill task for the state government to implement the orders.
Commenting on the issue, Vice President (North Zone) of The All India Plastics Manufacturers’ Association (AIPMA), RK Aggarwal said that the ban is not a solution.
Asked if going the bio-degradable way was the future, he said, “For a common man, the term bio-degradability has a lot of ambiguity around it. Authorities need to first define the specifications of bio-degradability. Moreover, at present commercial availability of bio-degradable resins is not available in the country.”
The ban might also imply then that brands need to have separate packaging for products that are retailed in the state of Himachal Pradesh, which is not a viable case.
The state government is waiting to receive court orders and directives after which the ban will be implemented.
“I believe regulating this ban will be an uphill task. Moreover, it might affect tourism in the state to a certain extent. Instead of banning items, the government should really be working at fine-tuning the collection and sorting of post-consumer waste,” said Aggarwal. (KNN)
The list of food items includes chips, chocolates, biscuits, ‘namkeen’, noodles and soft drinks. The ban however has not been applied to drinking water.
Major stakeholders affected by this ban are preparing to move the Supreme Court but in the meantime, it will be an uphill task for the state government to implement the orders.
Commenting on the issue, Vice President (North Zone) of The All India Plastics Manufacturers’ Association (AIPMA), RK Aggarwal said that the ban is not a solution.
Asked if going the bio-degradable way was the future, he said, “For a common man, the term bio-degradability has a lot of ambiguity around it. Authorities need to first define the specifications of bio-degradability. Moreover, at present commercial availability of bio-degradable resins is not available in the country.”
The ban might also imply then that brands need to have separate packaging for products that are retailed in the state of Himachal Pradesh, which is not a viable case.
The state government is waiting to receive court orders and directives after which the ban will be implemented.
“I believe regulating this ban will be an uphill task. Moreover, it might affect tourism in the state to a certain extent. Instead of banning items, the government should really be working at fine-tuning the collection and sorting of post-consumer waste,” said Aggarwal. (KNN)
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