MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sought the government’s help to levy a charge on consumers buying plastic carrybags.
According to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2011, no plastic carry bags will be available free of cost and the BMC will decide on the minimum price. “We want to implement the process of charging consumers for a plastic carrybag. It will not be more than Re 1,” said Mohan Adtani, additional municipal commissioner.
Other salient features of the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2011, are that carry bags cannot be less than 40 microns in thickness.
“We are already implementing this rule in Mumbai as we do not allow less than 50 micron thickness of plastic. Under the new rules, the minimum size for plastic carry bags will be 8×12 inches. Carry bags can be made from compostible plastic provided they conform to specific bureau of Indian standards,” said Adtani.
Under the new rules formulated by central government, on February 4, 2011, use of plastic material in satchets for storing , packing or selling of ghutka paan masala is banned. The plastic carry bags can either be white or only with those pigments colorants which are conformed with the bar prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards.
Mumbai generates 700 tonnes of dry waste daily, most of which is plastic. BMC has already constructed 11 static locations for sorting non-biodegradable waste and 13 wards are allowed to do sorting in vehicles.
BMC seized 12 lakh plastic carry bags which were less than 50 microns in the last three months.
