The government of Tamilnadu, taking a brave pill, announced that sale and manufacture of plastic will be banned in the State come 2019.

As with many such government orders, mystery prevails among the public and those who are in the business. With just a few days left before the implementation of the law, News Today spoke with residents, manufacturers and environmentalists to get a grip on the pulse of the neighbourhood on the issue.

Being primarily an industrial town, Ambattur has many factories, small scale and large, making plastic products of various degrees. One such firm is Uma Plastics which is located at the Industrial Estate (IE), an Agmark approved manufacturer of aluminium tin foils and certain other plastic products.

Proprietor of the business, Jayanathan, is also a member of The Tamilnadu Plastic Manufacturers’ Association. Speaking to News Today, he said, “We are suppliers to Aavin and being a supplier to the government run unit, we expected some clarification from the government on the matter. However, there has not been any notice provided to us until now.”

Jayanathan, who was the former committee member in the association, stated that there is no clarification on the order. “They (the government) said plastic that can be used once will be banned. So, what about milk packets then? They are not banned. But they are use-and-throw items right?,” he asked.

“Plastic is used in sanitary pads, in surgery masks and in many essential items. There has not been any directive as to what will be the alternative to plastic,” said the Aavin supplier.

When asked about the ban, environmentalists said users somehow are not hit by the ban. “In Maharashtra, if one carries a plastic bag, s/he will be fined on the spot for Rs 5,000. But here, only production and sale is banned. But people can use it here. How will the ban be implemented then?,” they wondered.

The solution, when asked to residents garnered different opinions. Some said it is one other government order that will not be implemented poorly, while others welcomed it.

Sathyavel of Ambattur, a student, was asked what he thinks is the solution for the matter and he said, “I think people need to change. People say they will not use plastic and carry polypropylene bags, thinking that they are paper bags. It is sad that they are misled like this. Use of plastics must be banned as well. That is what will make the difference.”

But according to Ranganath, a resident of Korattur, the ban will lead to more confusions than ever. “People will buy stuff that is cheap. At present, plastic is cheaper than paper bags. If price of the latter comes down, we can stop using plastic carry bags. However, can we afford to use more paper nowadays? Do we have the recycling capacity to reduce cutting down trees? There are a lot of questions and no definitive answer on the matter,” he opined.

One other solution people came up with is for rural industries that earlier majored on palm products. “What is the loss for plastic makers is the gain of another industry. I am sure people will buy palm crates and use them every day. That would be a huge boost for the industry that has been neglected for so long,” said Murali, a shopkeeper.