Plastic-makers call ban discriminatory, to protest Dec 13

: Plastic manufacturers in Tamil Nadu have termed the move of the state government to ban single-use of plastics from January 1 as discriminatory and called for a protest on December 13 seeking withrawal of the move.

The plastic manufacturers' association said the ban would render over two lakh workers employed in over 8,000 factories jobless.

"The ban is not the right decision of the government and it will affect the industry and the livelihood of the employees," said chairman of environment committee of the Tamil Nadu Plastics Manufacturers Association B Swaminathan in a press release here.

The government order on the restriction was discriminatory in nature since it allowed the use of plastic in many government departments while it did not permit use by the general public and private sectors, he said.

The curb was on all forms of plastic-packaging, including by small retail outlets, grocery shops, while it was permitted for use by multi-national companies and fast-moving consumer goods segment, he said in the release.

Alleging that the government did not consult the stakeholders before coming out with such a proposal, he said in the release that the members of plastics' industry would participate in the demonstration on December 13.

According to the proposed plan, the state would usher in the New Year with the ban on single-use plastic items.

The ban was brought under an environment protection Act 1986. From plastic bags, plates, cups, to plastic plastic covers, water sackets, and straws, all single-use plastic items industry would reel under the curbs.

However, plastic sachets used to pack milk, curd and oil, besides those used to wrap medical products with would be exempted from the restriction, the Chief Minister K Palaniswami had said.