Petition in NGT seeking ban on selling PET-bottled beverages

A 16-year-old has moved the National Green Tribunal seeking ban on selling PET-bottled beverages by IRCTC, Coca Cola, Pepsico, Bisleri and others till they start collecting back the plastic waste generated due to their products.

The petition, which is likely to come up for hearing in the coming week, sought directions to the companies, also including Patanjali Peya Pvt Ltd, to stop selling drinking water and other beverages in PET bottles till they formulate and implement a scheme under rule 9 of Plastic Waste Management Rules for 100 per cent collection of plastic waste produced by them in course of their business.

PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is a general-purpose thermoplastic polymer which belongs to the polyester family of polymers. The PET bottles form 10 per cent of total plastic waste created in India.

The petition, filed by Aditya Dubey, said, "The respondent companies are producing 9,49,000 tonnes of Pet Bottles every year but have not made any proper, effective and complete arrangement for management of plastic waste created due to their activities as required under Rule 9 of the Plastic Waste Management Rules which leads to plastic pollution of our environment".

It added that the PET bottles produced by these companies are used and thrown in garbage by consumers and the same ends up at land fill sites, leading to burden on earth and damaging environment due to non-biodegradability.

"Direct the respondents to stop using PET bottles to pack water and other beverages produced by them, till they formulate and implement a scheme as required under rule 9 of Act to collect and dispose the plastic waste created by them," the petition, filed through advocate Meenesh Dubey, said.

The rule 9 of the Act says that the primary responsibility for collection of used multi-layered plastic sachet or pouches or packaging is of producers, importers and brand owners, who introduce the products in the market.

"They need to establish a system for collecting back the plastic waste generated due to their products," the rule says.

It also says that the manufacture and use of non-recyclable multi-layered plastic, if any, should be phased out in two years time.