Pollution board asks industries to strive for plastic-free TN

: With the deadline for the ban on plastic items inching closer, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board Tuesday appealed to nearly 3,000 large and medium-scale industries to take up various initiatives on shunning plastic and submit a report to the board by mid-December.

Among the initiatives, the board has asked the firms to form committees of top, middle and lower-level officials to create awareness among employees and public around a 10-km radius on the ban.

Coinciding with International Environment Day, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami had, on June 5, said the state would ban the use of plastic items, including non-biodegradable carrybags, from January 2019 to 'gift a plastic-free' environment to future generations.

The restriction on manufacture, sale, storage and usage of plastic paper, cups, water sachets, straws and carrybags would come into effect from January 1, 2019, Palaniswami had said.