Vol. 7 • Issue 1 • Jan. – Mar. 2006For private circulation only

ICPE inPLASTINDIA 2006

Office Bearers• • •

President,Governing Council

Mr. K. G. Ramanathan

• • •

Chairman, Executive CommitteeMr. M. P. Taparia

• • •

Executive Secretary /Member, Executive Committee

Mr. Sujit Banerji

• • •

Treasurer /Member, Executive Committee

Mr. Rajiv Tolat

• • •

NGO - ProjectsMember, Governing Council

Mr. Vijay Merchant

• • •

Convenor – CommunicationsMr. P. P. Kharas

In this Issue

Readers are welcome to send their suggestions, contributions, articles, case studies,and new developments for publication in the Newsletter to the ICPE address.

Reproduction of material from this Newsletter is welcome, with prior permission.

MumbaiKushesh Mansion, 2nd Floor, 22, Cawasji Patel Street and

48/54, Janmabhoomi Marg (Ghoga Street), Fort, Mumbai - 400 001.Tel.: +91-22-2282 0491 / 0496 • Fax: +91-22-2282 0451 • E-mail: icpe@vsnl.net

Website: www.icpenviro.org • www.envis-icpe.com • www.icpeenvis.nic.in

New Delhi1009, Vijaya Building, 10th Floor, 17 Barakhamba Road, New Delhi - 110 001.

Tel.: 011-2332 6377 • Fax: 011-2332 6376 • E-mail: icpedelhi@sify.com

For more information on Eco-Echoes and about the contents, please contactMr. T. K. Bandopadhyay, Technical Manager, ICPE, Mumbai.

Cover Story

ICPE in PLASTINDIA 2006 3

ICPE Film –

Living in the Age of Plastics 10

News Item 11

Feature

Dioxin 12

Questions and Answers

in the Loksabha 13

Update

Road Project – Flashback 18

World Packaging Organisation

(WPO) Programme 19

Domestic News

Use of Plastic Carry Bags 21

Initiative

Plastics Waste Management

at Mahabaleshwar 22

International News 23

4th National Plastics &Packaging Exhibition

25th-28th January, 2007

Ahmedabad

Plexpo India 2007, 4th NationalPlastics & Packaging Exhibitionto be held from 25th-28th Janu-ary, 2007 follows the stupendoussuccess of previously organizedthree Plexpo exhibitions.

The exhibition will showcaseplastics raw materials, master-batches, machineries, moulds,dyes, ancillary equipments,packaging materials and variousplastic end products, etc.

Organized by:Gujarat State PlasticsManufacturers AssociationE-mail: plexpoindia@gspma.orgWebsite: www.gspma.org

National Seminar onPackaging Industry26th July, 2006Hotel Le Meridien, New Delhi

Organised byConfederation ofIndian IndustryE-mail: ciicocal@ciionline.orgwebsite: www.ciionline.org

International Exhibition onPlastics

24th-27th November, 2006Science City, Kolkata

Organised byPlastindia FoundationandIndian Plastics FederationWebsite: www.indplas06.com

27th-30th April, 2007Hitex Exhibition Centre,Hyderabad

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Recycling PavilionRecycling Pavilion high-lighting the recycling prac-tices in India with livedemos had been a centre ofattraction for most of the visitorsof Plastindia 2006. Truly, a visi-tor commented “Recycling Pa-vilion is the Heart of Plastindia2006”. An estimated 2 to 2.5 lakhpersons visited the stall whichincluded people from industry,common citizens, Govt. officials,NGOs, school children, etc. Dis-play of recycling products wasspecially focussed to createawareness and educate people ofbenefits and trends in recyclingplastics into finished goods.

The dignitaries who visited thestall included:

Shri Kapil Sibal – Minister ofScience & Technology andMinister of Ocean Development,Govt. of India, appreciated theefforts put in by the plastic in-dustry to put “Plastics in the rightperspective”. He spent almostone hour at the stall.

ICPE inPLASTINDIA 2006

Shri H Handique, MOS, Chemi-cals and Fertilizers, Govt. of In-dia.

Mrs. Satwant Reddy, Secretary,DCPC, Mrs. Radha Singh, Sec-retary, Ministry of Agriculture,Shri K. Raghunathan, Chief Sec-retary, Delhi Government, ShriJagdish Mukhi, Leader of Oppo-sition, Delhi Govt., Shri MukeshKakkar, Jt. Secretary, DCPC andmany others.

• Handloom Charkha and Bitu-men Road Modification weredeclared as the Stars ofAttraction at Recycling Pavil-ion. These two generatedmaximum interest in a num-ber of visitors.

• Outdoor products like fencing,pallets supplied by Plasto-plene, Kolkata, were alsoappreciated by the people.

• Wood-free plastic pencilswere distributed especially toschool children.

• A quiz programme was orga-nized at regular intervals cov-ering multiple choice ques-tions on plastics recycling andother issues. Answers for allthe questions were availableon display panels. Lucky drawwinners amongst all the

The world’s 2nd largest plastics trade fair recently organized byPlastindia Foundation during 9th-14th February, 2006 at PragatiMaidan, New Delhi, was an insight on latest developments in thefield of Plastic Raw Materials, Machinery, Accessories, Moulds &Dies, and new products, besides international conference and sitebeautification.

Sample of Tar Road withPlastics Waste

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Handloom products from Plastics Waste

Glimpses of Recycling Pavilion

correct entries were awarded each a briefcase.Response was tremendous and ensured that allthe panels were well read by common populace.

• Fuel from Plastics Waste was a breakthroughinvention. In the process of conversion of waste

plastics into fuels, random de-polymerizationwas carried out in a specially designed reactorin the absence of oxygen and in the presence ofcoal and certain catalytic additives.

Waste Plastic Bags being cut into long strips

ICPE President Mr. K. G. Ramanathan keenly watchingwaste plastic strips being fed into the Handloom

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School students on a visit to Recycling Pavilion

Representative from Kenya indiscussion with ICPE and PIF Members

Representatives from Canada in discussionwith ICPE official

Ambassador of DPR Korea (2nd from left) in the Recycling Pavilion with ICPE and PIF officials

Winners of Quiz Competition

Samples of products made with Multilayer Plastics Waste

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Some of the Display Panels at theRecycling Pavilion at Plastindia 2006

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8

9

Globalization has become the key word in today’svirtually borderless world. Free flow of informa-tion, skills and materials are the attributes ofglobalization that are crucial to strategic initiativesof the organizations.

India has been performing exceptionally well andover the years has emerged the 2nd fastest grow-ing economy. India accounted for ~20% of Asianand ~10% of Global growth in last two years.

Galloping per capita income, demographics withbulging working age group, superior intellectualcapital and competitive labour force has trans-formed India into an ‘Outsourcing Heaven’. Globalcompetitiveness in terms of effective productivityand intellectual capabilities has transformed Indiainto a strong manufacturing base and a Globalservice and knowledge hub. Strong leaps in Busi-ness / Knowledge / Engineering ProcessOutsourcing has transformed India into bestoffshoring location in the world.

Today, we are expecting Indian economy to growat around 8% and at the same time Indian plasticsindustry would be growing at around 14-15%.

Plastics are used for high touch to hi-techapplications and have moulded the modern worldand transformed the quality of life. Plastics playan important role in all walks of life and areestablished as a creative, cost-effective, perfor-mance-oriented alternative to many conventionalmaterials.

All these inherent advantages of India led to thetheme of ‘Access Opportunities’ for this 6th Inter-national Plastics Exhibition and Conference.

I am pleased to say that over a period of two dayswe have tried to cover all the major issues con-cerned with the sustainable development of thePlastics industry. Right from strategic perspectiveby leading global consultants and industry stalwartsto trade related issues like globalization and com-modity futures, best practices like six sigma to tech-

nological developments in various fields. Thus theConference will focus on 3 “I”s : Information,Ideation and Innovation, which are key growth pil-lars in the knowledge millennium.

I hope that the Conference will facilitate tostrengthen dynamic partnership between the cre-ators of wealth and people engaged in generationof ideas through power of networking , which willenable all of us to transform India from “IdeasIncubator” to “Ideas – Superpower”.

This abstracts volume will cover salient points fromall the contributors and I am sure this will certainlyserve as a reference handbook for everyone.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank allthe contributors for their valuable papers and alsomy colleagues on the Conference Committee forbringing out such an outstanding reference volume.

I wish everyone a successful and informative Con-ference.

Welcome Addressat the International Conference

Sujit BanerjiChairman, ASCENT Committee,Plastindia 2006 andExecutive Secretary / Member,Executive Committee of ICPE

Plastindia 2006 – International Conference

The aim of this Conference is to bring togethereminent scholars, consultants, professionalsand industry experts for a fruitful engagementon various issues concerning the plastics indus-try. As Plastics constitute a burgeoning sector,this Conference will go a long way in charting apath for its growth. The Conference is expectedto go a long way in providing directional solu-tions for many of the important issues facingthe industry today.

Prof. Anup K. GhoshCo-Chairman – Technical Committee, and

Invitee Member of ICPE Executive Committee

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ICPE Film –Living in theAge of Plastics

ICPE has produced an audio-visual educationalfilm on the various benefits of plastics for themankind. The film also highlights and analy-ses various issues relating to plastics andenvironment.

Brief abstract of the film:

Historians have named different periods inhistory as the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, theCopper, Iron, and Steel Ages, according to thematerial most used in those particular periodsof human history, to manufacture various itemsof utility. Today, we come across plastics atevery phase of life, be it packaging or agricul-ture, healthcare or high technology. The rich andthe poor, the young and the old, the urban and therural … all depend upon plastics for a variety oftheir necessities. Considering this evolution, andlooking to the popularity and usefulness ofplastics today, our Age could rightly be called theAge of Plastics.

Plastics are: • Lightweight • Flexible • Nontoxic• Convenient • Adaptable • Economical • Safe• Reusable • Hygienic • Recyclable.

Packaging is one of the most visible use of plastics.In India, about 50% of the consumption of plasticsgoes for packaging. Apart from conserving naturalresources, use of plastics in packaging saves trans-portation fuel as plastics are substantially lighter

than conventional packaging materials like tin,glass or steel. PET bottles and PE pouches for drink-ing water reduce the risk of waterborne diseasesand provide improvement in the health sector.

The versatility of plastics has allowed creating anefficient, pilfer-proof hygienic and cost-effectivepackaging of commodities, required by commonman in day-to-day life.

We all are fortunate to be living in this Plastics Age.It is our responsibility to ensure its proper use anddisposal.

Every single individual across the globe will onlystand to gain from this wonder material.

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ICPE Combined EC-GC Meeting

The last ICPE combined EC-GC Meeting of the Year2005-06 was held on 25th March, 2006 at ICPE’snew office premises at Kushesh Mansion, 2nd Floor,22, Cawasji Patel Street and 48/54, Janmabhoomi

Marg, Fort, Mumbai. The members were happywith the spacious Conference Room in the newoffice and opined to hold future meetings of ICPEin the new Conference Room.

New Office Premises of ICPE

From February 2006, ICPE Head Office at Mumbaihas shifted to a new premises having a larger spacein the Fort area of Mumbai. The change of address

was communicated to all concerned and the samewas indicated in the last issue of Eco-Echoes.

Lecture Meeting on “Recycling of Plastics”

Mr. T. K. Bandopadhyay, Technical Manager, ICPE,had presented technical paper on Recycling ofPlastics at the Lecture Meeting organized by IndianPlastics Institute at AIPMA Auditorium, Andheri,Mumbai, on 17th March, 2006.

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DIOXIN

Dioxin refers to a group ofchemical compounds which havesimilar chemical structures andbiological characteristics. Sev-eral hundred of these compoundshave been identified. Some ofthese are highly toxic in nature.These groups of chemical com-pounds mainly belong to threeclosely related families:

1. The Chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (CDD’s)

2. Chlorinated dibenzo furans(CDF’s) and certain

3. Polychlorinated biphenyls(PCB’s)

CDD’s and CDF’s are producedinadvertently by some humanactivities and are also producedby natural processes. PCB’s areman made. Many countries havealready stopped production ofPCB’s. Most toxic and commonforms of Dioxins are:

• 2,3,7,8- tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)

• 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran(TCDF)

• 3,3’,4,4’, 5,5’Hexachlorobiphenyl

Scientists use a method for com-paring the toxicity of differenttypes of Dioxins to the toxicity of2,3,7,8- tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and 1,2,3,7,8-PeCCD. This method of indicat-ing the toxicity level is known asToxicity Equivalent Quotient(TEQ).

Major sources of Dioxins are:

• Commercial or municipalwaste incineration

• Burning of fuels like wood,coal or oil

• Burning of household trash

• Accidental fires at landfills

• Forest fire

• Chlorine bleaching of pulpand paper

• Manufacturing of certaintypes of herbicides

• Some other industrial pro-cesses

Studies have shown that expo-sure to Dioxins may cause a num-ber of adverse health effects. Thehealth effects associated withDioxins depend on many factorsincluding the level and durationand frequency of exposure.Because natural processes alsoform Dioxins and these areextremely persistent compounds,levels of Dioxins remain in theenvironment for a very long time.The most known health effect inhuman for exposure to largeamount of Dioxin is Chloracne –

a severe type of skin disease.Other effects of long-term expo-sure to Dioxin include cancer inadults. Though scientists hadknowledge of the presence ofDioxins in the environment since1920’s, it was only in the 1970’sthat these groups of chemicalcompounds were recognized astoxic. Thereafter efforts wereintensified to reduce the genera-tion of Dioxins by human activi-ties and different industrialactivities. As a result, the levelof Dioxins in the USA environ-ment drastically reduced over aperiod of about 20 years.

An analysis by the US EPAshowed that the level of Dioxinin the USA environment in 2000had come down to about 1/3rdof the level that prevailed in1970’s.

(Summerised from article byFood Safety and Inspection Ser-vice, US Department of Agricul-ture).

ICPE observation:

During the period from 1970 to2000 production and use of plas-tics in the USA had almosttrippled.

From this observation it may beconcluded that Plastics andDioxins are not directly corre-lated.

More information on Dioxins willbe carried in the future issues ofEnvis.

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Questions & Answers in the Lok Sabha ofIndian Parliament onPlastics and the Environment

Plastic Innovation Parks

Unstarred Question No. 2602Shri Subodh Mohite :

(a) Whether the Governmentproposes to set up a PlasticInnovation Park in the coun-try; and

(b) If so, the details thereof alongwith its locations, State-wise?

Answer: Shri Kapil Sibal,Minister of Science and Tech-nology and Minister of OceanDevelopment:

(a) No Sir.

(b) Question does not arise.

Environment Commission

Unstarred Question No. 2361Shri Tukaram Ganpatrao RengePatil :

(a) Whether the government hasput up any proposal forsetting up EnvironmentCommission for early dis-posal of cases related to theenvironment;

(b) If so, the details thereof; and

(c) The time by which the finaldecision is likely to be takenin this regard?

Answer: Shri Namo NarainMeena, Minister of State inthe Ministry of Environment &Forests

(a) to (c):There is no proposal forsetting up of EnvironmentCommission for early dis-posal of the cases related to

the Environment. However,The Law Commission, in its186th Report, has inter aliarecommended establishmentof separate ‘EnvironmentCourts’ in each State, con-sisting of judicial and scien-tific experts in the field ofenvironment, for dealingwith environmental disputesbesides having appellatejurisdiction in respect ofappeals under the variousPollution Control Laws.These recommendations areunder consideration in con-sultation with the M/o Law &Justice.

Bio-Medical Waste

Unstarred Question No. 2407Shri Eknath M. Gaikwad:Shrimati Nivedita Mane:Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh:Shri Ravi Prakash Verma:

(a) Whether injection needlesand syringes as also usedcotton of hospitals are beingrecycled/reused causinghealth hazards:

(b) If so, whether the Govern-ment has taken any action tocheck such recycling/reuse ofhospital wastes;

(c) If so the details thereof; and

(d) If not, the reasons therefor?

Answer: Shri Namo NarainMeena, Minister of State inthe Ministry of Environment &Forests

(a) The Ministry of Environment& Forests had notified theBio-Medical Waste (Manage-ment & Handling) Rules,1998, according to which

Bio-Medical Waste has beenclassified into 10 (ten) cat-egories. The treatment anddisposal methods for eachcategory have been indicatedin Schedules I & II of theRules.

The used injection needles,syringes, etc., are classifiedas Category No.4 in the Rulesand the same are required tobe disinfected by chemicaltreatment /autoc lav ing /microwaving and mutilation/shredding. The purpose ofchemical treatment is todisinfect the used needles,syringes, etc., and the pur-pose of mutilation/shreddingis to prevent any unautho-rized re-use of the same. Theitems contaminated withblood and body fluids includ-ing cotton, dressings, etc.,are classified as CategoryNo.6 in the Rules and thesame are required to beincinerated or disinfected byautoclaving/microwaving.The used injection syringes,needles, used cotton, dress-ings, etc., are not allowed forre-use and the same arerequired to be treated anddisposed of strictly in accor-dance with the above men-tioned Rules.

These Rules make it manda-tory for every occupier of aninstitution generating bio-medical waste to take allsteps to ensure that suchwaste is handled without anyadverse effect to humanhealth and environment. The

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Rules also require suchwaste to be segregated,packaged, labelled, treatedand disposed of in accor-dance with the provisions ofthese Rules.

(b) to (d):To State Pollution ControlBoards (SPCBs)/PollutionControl Committees (PCCs) ofUnion Territories are thePrescribed Authorities in therespective States UnionTerritories responsible forstrict implementation of theRules by the concernedagencies, such as hospitals,nursing homes, etc.

Any violation of the Rules at-tracts action by the con-cerned SPCB/PCC under theEnvironment (Protection)Act, 1986. Action to be takenby the SPCBs/PCCs in thisconnection includes closureof the unit, stoppage or regu-lation of the supply of elec-tricity or water or any otherservice. The Act also pro-vides for punishment withimprisonment for a termwhich may extend to 5 (five)years with fine, which mayextend to Rupees onelakh.

The Ministry has addressedall the SPCBs/PCCs of UTs forstrict implementation of theBio-Medical Waste (Manage-ment & Handling) Rules,1998.

Committee onSolid Waste Management

Unstarred Question No. 189Shri Chaudhary Lal Singh :Shri K. C. Pallani Shamy :

(a) Whether a Committee hasbeen constituted to look intovarious aspects of solidwaste management inClass-I Cities;

(b) If so, the details thereof;

(c) Whether the Committee haspresented its report;

(d) If so, the salient features ofthe report;

(e) Whether the Committee hasrecommended setting up ofa National TechnologyMission for improving solidwaste management prac-tices in the country; and

(f) If so, the follow-up actiontaken/proposed to be takenin this regard?

Answer: Shri Ajay Maken, theMinister of State in the Minis-try of Urban Development

(a) to (f): A Statement is laid onthe Table of the Sabha.

Statement

Statement Referred to in reply toLok Sabha Starred Questionregarding Committee on SolidWaste Management

(a) Yes, Sir. A Committee wasconstituted by the Hon’bleSupreme Court of India inJanuary, 1998 to look into allthe aspects of Solid WasteManagement in Class-I Citiesof the country.

(b) & (c)A copy of the order of theHon’ble Supreme Courtdated 16.1.1998 containingthe directions on the Consti-tution of Committee is givenin Annexure-A. The Commit-tee submitted its report inMarch, 1999.

(d) The Committee studied thefollowing aspects of SolidWaste Management (SWM)in the country :

(i) Waste generation

(ii) Composition of waste

(iii) Technology adopted for stor-age, collection, transporta-tion and disposal of waste.

(iv) Primary collection, wastestorage depots, street sweep-ing, transportation of waste,processing & disposal ofwaste, institutional arrange-ment and communityinvolvement.

Recommendations of theCommittee for Moderniza-tion of Solid Waste Manage-ment Practices in Class-Icities are at Annexure-B.

(e) Yes, Sir.

(f) Pursuant to the directionsissued by the Hon’bleSupreme Court, in place of aMission, the Governmentconstituted a TechnologyAdvisory Group (TAG) inAugust, 1999.

Annexure – A

In the Supreme Court of IndiaOriginal Jurisdiction

ORDER

We have heard learned Addi-tional Solicitor General and ShriVallapalli, learned Senior Coun-sel. We consider it appropriate atthis stage to constitute a Commit-tee and to specify the specificaspects, which the Committee isrequired to examine. We directaccordingly.

The terms of Reference for theCommittee shall be as under:

To look into all aspects of urbansolid waste management,particularly:

1. Examine the existing prac-tices and to suggest hygienicprocessing and waste disposalpractices and proven tech-nologies on the basis ofeconomic feasibility andsafety which the Corporation/

15

Government may directly orindirectly adopt or sponsor.

2. Examine and suggest ways toimprove conditions in the for-mal and informal sector forpromoting eco-friendly sort-ing, collection, transportation,disposal, recycling and re-use.

3. To review Municipal bye-lawsand the powers of local bod-ies and regional planningauthorities and suggest nec-essary modifications to ensureeffective budgeting, financing,administration, monitoringand compliance.

4. Examine and formulate stan-dards and regulations formanagement of urban solidwaste, and set time frameswithin which the authoritiesshall be bound to implementthe same.

The Committee is requested togive its report as early as possiblepreferably not later than 30thJune, 1998. The Committee isalso requested to give suchinterim reports as it may findconvenient to do so.

The Secretarial assistance atDelhi will be provided for theMinistry of Urban Development,which will also make all otherarrangements required by theCommittee for its proper func-tioning while arrangementswithin the States/Union Territo-ries would be made by the con-cerned State/UT. The expensesincurred for the purpose to thesame extent would be borne atthis stage by the Ministry ofUrban Development and the con-cerned State Governments/UST.The final responsibility for meet-ing these expenses would bedecided later on.

The Local authorities and con-cerned State Government/UnionTerritories shall extend allcooperation and assistance to

the Committee for its properfunctioning.

Annexure-B

Recommendations for Moderni-zation of Solid Waste Manage-ment Practices in Class-I Cities

Ban on Throwing of Wastes onthe Streets

No waste shall be thrown on thestreets, footpaths, open spaces,open drains or water bodies.

Storage of Waste at Source

Waste shall be stored at sourceof generation in 2 bins/bags, onefor food/bio-degradable wastesand another for recyclable waste.Domestic hazardous waste, asand when produced, shall bekept separately from the abovetwo streams.

Multi-storeyed buildings, com-mercial complexes and grouphousing shall additionallyprovide community bins for stor-age of waste generated by theirmembers. Community bins shallalso be provided in slums bythe local body for the communitystorage of waste by slumdwellers.

Doorstep Collection of Waste

Both the streams of waste,organic/bio-degradable waste aswell as recyclable waste, shall becollected from the doorstep. Con-tainerized handcarts or contain-erized tricycles or small motor-ized vehicles shall be used fordaily collection of food/bio-degradable waste from the door-step through public participationusing a bell, whistle or horn as ameans of announcing the arrivalof the collection staff.

For collection of recyclable wastefrom the doorstep, NGOs may beencouraged to organize the ragpickers. They may allot them thework of collection of recyclablematerial from the doorsteps

instead of picking it up from thestreets, bins or dump-yard,thereby upgrading their status.This waste can be collected onceor twice a week according to theconvenience of the households,shops or establishments.

Hazardous toxic waste materialwhich is occasionally generatedshall, however, be disposed of bythe citizens in special bins to beprovided in the city at suitablelocations by the urban localbodies.

Sweeping of Streets on All Daysof the Year

Sweeping of streets and publicplaces having habitation or com-mercial activities on one or bothsides shall be done on all days ofthe year irrespective of Sundaysand Public Holidays. Arrange-ments for rotating weekly rest-days are to be made by the localbodies.

Work Norms for Sweeping ofStreets

Work norms ranging from 250 to750 running meters of roadlength have been recommended,depending on the density of thearea and local conditions. Givinga demarcated “pin point” areafor street sweeping and wastecollection is also recommendedfor optimum utilization of man-power.

Provision of Litter Bins atPublic Places

Provision of litter bins at railwaystations, bus stations, marketplaces, parks, gardens and im-portant commercial streets maybe made to prevent littering ofstreets.

Abolition of Open Waste StorageSites and Other Un-hygienicStreet Bins

The pathetic condition of streetbins must be corrected by the

provision of neat mobile closedbody containers into which wastecan be directly transferred fromthe containerized handcarts ortricycles and all open waste-stor-age sites as well as cement con-crete or masonry bins must beabolished in a phased manner.

Transportation of Waste toSynchronize with WasteStorage Facility – Dispensewith Manual Loading of Waste

For the transportation of waste,a system which synchronizeswith both primary collection andbulk waste storage facilities maybe introduced. Manual loadingand multiple handling of wastemay be dispensed and theinstead, hydraulic vehicles forlifting the containers may beused in larger cities and tractortrolleys or a tractor containercombination may be used insmaller cities.

Transportation of waste shall bedone on a regular basis beforethe temporary waste-storagecontainers start over-flowing.For economy in expenditure, thevehicle fleet should be used in atleast two shifts. Workshop facili-ties may be optimized to keep atleast 80% of the vehicle fleet onroad. Transfer stations may beset up in cities where the distanceto waste-disposal sites is morethan 10 kms.

Processing and Disposal ofWaste

Conversion of Organic Waste/Bio-degradable Waste into Bio-organic Fertilizer (Compost).

With the availability of land forprocessing and disposal of wastebecoming scarce and the foodand bio-degradable componentuseful to agriculture going waste,measures for conservation ofland and organic waste resourceshall be taken and organics shallbe returned to the soil. To meet

these objectives, all food wasteand bio-degradable waste shallbe composted, recyclable wasteshall be passed on to the recy-cling industry and only rejectsshall be land-filled in a scientificmanner. Decentralized compo-sting with public and NGOs/CBOparticipation, may be encour-aged wherever possible, and cen-tralized composting of the rest ofthe waste may be done. Micro-bial or vermin composting pro-cesses may be adopted. A vari-ety of composting options hasbeen given in the report and theirprocesses are explained.

Caution Against UsingUnproven Technologies

Local bodies are cautioned not toadopt expensive technologiesof power generation, fuelpalletization, incineration, etc.,until they are proven underIndian conditions and theGovernment of India or expertagencies nominated by the Gov-ernment of India advises citiesthat such technology can beadopted.

Land to be Made Available onPriority for Processing andDisposal of Waste

Availability of land for setting upprocessing plants and for dis-posal of waste is a major prob-lem faced by urban local bodies.Government wasteland musttherefore be given on top prior-ity for this purpose free or atnominal cost, and if such land isnot available or not found suit-able, private land should beacquired or purchased throughnegotiated settlement. A Com-mittee at the district level shouldidentify suitable land and StateGovernments should formEmpowered Committees to givespeedy final clearance andprompt possession of suitableland to the ULB.

Criteria for Site Selection, SiteDevelopment and LandfillOperations

Criteria for site selection, devel-opment of landfill sites andscientific landfill operations maybe adopted. Remediation of oldabandoned landfill sites shouldalso be done as suggested in thereport. Bio-medical waste, indus-trial waste and slaughterhousewaste may be managed as perthe relevant Rules and Guidelinesof the Government of India and/or Central Pollution ControlBoard.

Institutional Strengtheningand Capacity Building

Institutional strengthening is thekey to success of the SWM sys-tem. Professionalism in admin-istration, decentralization of ad-ministration, delegation of finan-cial and administrative powers,induction of environmental/pub-lic health engineers in the solidwaste management services andfixation of work norms andproper supervisory levels arerecommended. Human resourcedevelopment through training atvarious levels needs to be takenup. Municipal Commissionersand Chief Executives should notbe transferred frequently andshould have a tenure of at least3 years to perform effectively.Inter-city meets for sharing ofexperience are recommended.

Adequate safeguards for thesupervisory staff against abuse ofthe Scheduled Caste/ScheduledTribe (Prevention of Atrocities)Act 1984 may be providedthrough suitable amendmentsin the law to enable the Supervi-sory staff to perform their dutiesfearlessly.

NGO/Private SectorParticipation in SWM Services

There is a need to improveaccountability and the level of

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services through NGO/PrivateSector participation in SWMservices to improve overall per-formance without harming theinterests of the existing staff.Suitable amendment in the Con-tract Labour (Regulation andAbolition) Act, 1970 may be doneby the Govt. of India to permitPrivate Sector participation inthis service.

Enforcement

A system of levy of administra-tive charges or special cleaningcharges from those who litter thestreets or cause nuisance on thestreets may be introduced andpowers to punish offenders maybe given to the local bodiesthrough suitable additions to theMunicipal Acts & Rules.

Management InformationSystem

MIS is the key to monitoring theperformance of manpower andmachinery and to help in plan-ning for the future. Detailed man-agement information systemssuggested in the report may beintroduced.

Financial Aspects

The poor financial health of ULBsis major constraint in improvingSWM systems. The financialcondition of local bodies may firstbe improved by setting the housein order and series of measurestowards financial discipline,avoidance of wasteful expendi-ture, prioritizing the expenditureon essential services, as recom-mended in the report may betaken. Taxes, user charges andfees should be raised and linkedto the cost-of-living index. Area-based property-tax reforms maybe taken up to improve thefinances of the ULBs.

Financial Support to ULBs byStates and CentralGovernment

Financial support to ULBs fromthe State Government and theCentral Government in terms ofthe 74th Amendment to the Con-stitution may be given expedi-tiously and funds may also beallocated to ULBs for a period ofthree years as per the formulagiven in the report. In the mean-time, transfer of unspent grantsby the 10th Finance Commissionto the ULBs may be consideredfor modernizing their SWM prac-tices. Fiscal autonomy to localbodies, tax-free status formunicipal bonds, incentives torecycling and composting Indus-tries may be considered by theCentral and State Governmentand Union Territories.

Health Aspects

Improper SWM practices giverise to problems of health andsanitation. Twenty-two types ofdiseases are associated withimproper SWM practices. Propermanagement of processing thedisposal sites, special attention tocleaning of slums, provision oflow cost sanitation facilities toprevent open defecation, preven-tion of cattle nuisance, propertraining to the workforce and useof protective clothing are someof the measures the local bodyshould take immediately to pro-tect the health of the citizens andthe workforce.

Legal Aspects

Citizens’ active participation maybe ensured through massive pub-lic awareness campaigns. Simul-taneously, adequate provisionmay be made in local State lawsgoverning the local bodies toensure public participation andaction against defaulters. Legis-

lative provisions to be made byeach State have been suggestedin the report.

Public Awareness Strategy

Public awareness campaignusing Information, Educationand Communication (I-E-C) tech-niques may be used. WasteReduction, Reuse, Recycling(R-R-R) may be advocated toreduce the burden on the localbody and citizens may be moti-vated to store waste at source ina two-bin system, co-operatewith the doorstep primary collec-tion system and keep the citylitter-free. Hygienic Solid WasteManagement needs to find aplace in the National Agenda.

Technology Mission for SolidWaste Management

Given the vastness of the coun-try and the present condition ofurban local bodies, implementa-tion of these recommendationsrequires very effective follow-up,monitoring and technical sup-port. A Technology Mission forSWM may therefore be urgentlyconstituted by the Government ofIndia under the Ministry ofUrban Development for a periodof 5 years, having a mandate tomonitor the performance of vari-ous local bodies, to guide thelocal bodies about various tech-nologies for processing and dis-posal of waste, to give technicalassistance as well as financialassistance by channelizing fundsfrom various Governmentsources as well as financialinstitutions to develop materialfor awareness programmes,identify training needs, bench-mark performance indicatorsand give continue and focusedattention to the reform of SWMpractice nationwide.

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Time Frame

A time frame is necessary toimplement the recommendationswhich have been prescribedranging from 3 months to 3 yearsas per the details given in thereport.

Ban on Plastic Utensils

Unstarred Question No. 132Shri Chandrakant Khaire:

(a) Whether various scientists ofthe country have demandedan immediate ban on uten-sils made of plastics particu-larly, in view of its ill-effectson infants;

(b) If so, whether the Govern-ment proposes to take adecision on the same;

(c) If so, the details thereof; and

(d) If not, the reasons therefor?

Answer: Shri Namo NarainMeena, Minister of State in theMinistry of Environment andForests

(a) to (d) :A statement is laid on theTable of the House.

Statement referred to in theAnswer to the Lok Sabha StarredQuestion regarding “Ban OnPlastic Utensils” raised by ShriChandrakant Khaire, MP.

(a) to (d):No such demand from scien-tists has been received in theMinistry of Environment andForests. However, the Minis-try of Environment and For-ests has notified the RecycledPlastics Manufacture andUsage Rules 1999, whichwas amended in 2003, underthe Environment (Protection)

Act, 1986 for regulating andmanaging plastic carry bagsand containers. As per theserules, carry bags and con-tainers used for packaging offoodstuff shall be made ofvirgin plastics and of natu-ral shade or white and thatno vendor shall use carrybags and containers ofrecycled plastics for storing,carrying, dispensing or pack-aging of foodstuffs. In addi-tion, the Prevention of FoodAdulteration Rules. 1955requires that containersmade of plastic materialsused as appliances or recep-tacles for the packaging ofstoring food articles mustconform to the Indian Stan-dards specifications as noti-fied for this purpose andspecified in the aforesaidRules.

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Road Project – FlashbackReusing plastic waste to pave roads is an experi-ment that’s been successfully conducted in manyother places such as Kalamasseri in Kerala, TamilNadu and Bangalore. Not only does the roadbecome a receptacle for plastic waste but also givesa better grip. The plastic also brings down thequantity of bitumen used by 10% – resulting insaving of cost.

Mumbai caught on to the idea two years ago, whenthe BMC’s road department experimented on a few

View of the road – 6 months after completion

View of the road – 7 days after completion

View of the road – 15 months after completion

roads at Prabhadevi. The road laid by BMC, withthe help of ICPE in December 2004, is still in a verygood condition 15 months after the laying.

World Packaging Organisation (WPO)Programme atIndian Institute of Packaging (IIP), Mumbai

A 3-week Residential Programme on PackagingTechnology as Viewed in Developing Countries wasorganized for World Packaging Organisation, byIndian Institute of Packaging, Mumbai, during7th-28th March, 2006.

Mr. T. K. Bandopadhyay, Technical Manager, ICPE,was invited to make a presentation on PackagingWaste and Environmental / Eco Issues.

Reproduced below are highlights of hispresentation.

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20

The Solution …

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Salient Points of the Maharashtra Government’s Statementand Rules for the Manufacture and Use of Plastics Carry Bags– Notification dated 3rd March, 2006

STATEMENTIt was observed that during thetorrential rain on 26th July,2005 non-biodegradable gar-bage, especially plastic bags,HIPS cups, plastic strips andthermocol used for packagingwere grossly responsible forblockage of gutters, sewers anddrains, resulting in serious en-vironmental problem inMumbai and other parts ofthe State. With a view to pre-vent the occurrence of suchproblems, the Government ofMaharashtra has declared theentire State as the “Plastic BagFree Area” and has publisheddraft Order, dated the 13th Sep-tember, 2005, inviting sugges-tions and objections from thegeneral public.

RULES:7. Marking or Codification:

1. Manufacturers of PlasticCarry Bags shall mark or codecarry bags and containers asper Bureau of Indian Stan-dard Specification: IS 14534 :1998 entitled “The Guidelinesfor Recycling of Plastics” andend product made out ofrecycled plastics shall bemarked as “recycled” alongwith the identification of thepercentage of use of recycledmaterial.

2. The manufacturers of plasticcarry bags, who do not haveprinting facilities,shall put stamp withpermanent ink oneach carry bag as towhether these aremade of “recycledmaterial” or of

“virgin plastic”.

8. Thickness of Carry Bags:

(1) The minimum thickness ofcarry bags made of virginplastics or recycled plasticsshall not be less than 50micron and of the size of8 x 12 inches.

(2) No person shall manufac-ture, stock, distribute or sellcarry bags made of virgin orrecycled plastic bags whichare less than 8 x 12 inches(20 x 30 cms.) in size andwhich do not conform to theminimum thickness specifiedin sub-rule (1)

ICPE is not convinced that Plas-tics Carry Bags were grosslyresponsible for the floods inMumbai on 26th July, 2005 asalleged. In fact, several techni-cal committees have submittedtheir reports on the above sub-ject and none of them has blamedplastics carry bags as mainlyresponsible for the flooding ofMumbai suburbs. ICPE continuesto hold the same view thoughICPE agrees with the Govern-ment that there is a pressingneed for collection and disposal

ICPE Stand on Maharashtra Government’s Rules

of plastic waste in a more effec-tive and scientific manner.

Notwithstanding ICPE’s misgiv-ings on the premise on which theabove notification has beenissued, ICPE would like to sub-mit a few observations on certainclauses of the notification whichare technically impracticable anddifficult to implement. Theserelate to the following:

1. Clause No. 8 (2) of theMaharashtra Government’srule lays down that no personshall ‘manufacture’ carry

bags of virgin or recycled plas-tics which are less than 50micron in thickness. The rulesgoverning thickness of thebags vary from state to state.The Government of India vide“Recycled Plastics Manufac-ture and Usage Rules, 1999”and its subsequent amend-ment in June 2003 hasprescribed minimum thick-ness for plastic carry bagsas 20 microns. Severalbag manufacturers in

(Contd. on page 22)

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Maharashtra produce plasticcarry bags for usage all overIndia and also export theirproducts outside India. Thepresent Notification bars anymanufacturing activity if theproducts are less than 50 mi-cron thickness. Apart fromdoubts on the legal validity ofsuch a blanket ban, it is alsounfair to the manufacturerslocated in Maharashtra asthey cannot serve customerslocated outside Maharashtraor abroad. It is therefore felt

that the Clause No.8 (2) needsamendment and should ex-clude manufacturing of plas-tic carry bags less than 50micron thickness as long asthey are not sold within theState of Maharashtra.

2. ICPE has noted that all the re-strictions placed under theabove rule are with referenceto only plastic carry bags,which have been defined un-der Clause 2 of the Rules.Unfortunately, there is somemisunderstanding at the fieldlevel where the Municipal of-ficials have seized all plastic

packaging materials. Clearly,this is not contemplated in theRules.

3. Lastly, ICPE believes that theobjective behind issuing of theMaharashtra Plastic CarryBags Rules 2006 can be sub-stantially realized only withthe co-operation of the indus-try and the public at large. Itis therefore suggested that anAdvisory Committee consist-ing of Government, Industryand the implementing agen-cies may be set up to help insuccessful implementation ofthe above order.

Plastics Waste Managementat Mahabaleshwar

ICPE has been working in close co-operation withMaharashtra Plastics Manufacturers Associationand Mahabaleshwar Giristhan Parishad for theawareness of the citizens – local as well as visitorson proper way of disposal and collection of drywaste with special attention to Plastics Waste. Asper the programme, all plastics waste are beingcollected and segregated and directed towardsrecyclers through a network of plastic wastecollectors and traders. The project has gained

momentum and there has been a considerableimprovement in the plastics waste collection anddisposal system. ICPE representatives are closelyfollowing up with the local authorities and NGOsfor a larger awareness in the area.

Picture showing Mr. Rajiv Tolat, Hon. Treasurer ofICPE, with a large collection of PET Bottles whichearns livelihood for the waste collector as well askeeps the area clean.

(Contd. from page 21)

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Europe to put tariffson bags from China,Thailand

The European Commission hasreportedly changes its mind onlaying anti-dumping duties onplastics bags from China andThailand and now plans toimpose tariffs on bags from twocountries. It is likely that EC maylevy provisional tariffs of 5% to22% on the Chinese bags.

EC study deemsphthalates safe forrange of products

An extensive EuropeanCommission’s Scientific study hasfound that the phthalate plasti-cizers used most widely to softenPVC pose no human health andenvironmental risks and theiruse requires no new regulation.

This is the latest decision in anextended debate in Europe overthe safety of phthalates. EC’sofficial journal has published thestudy findings recently, foundthat the chemicals are safe to useas plasticizers in a range of ap-plications including PVC flooring,clothing, cosmetics and medicalproducts.

The EC finding were, welcomedby the European PlasticizerIndustry. Although the phthalatescannot be used in baby toys,officials hope the study meansthat the phathalates will continueto be permitted in otherapplications

Recycling PackagingFilm Scrap

Osaka Gas Chemicals Co. Ltd. hasstarted marketing its polymer-based additive Maricom in China,Singapore and Malaysia forrecycling packaging film scrap.Maricom helps compound scrapof polyethelene, polypropylene,nylon and PET films.

Old Computers to berecycled into decking

It is estimated that 60 millionpersonal computers enter themarket every year and about 12million are thrown out.

According to West Virginia Uni-versity professors, they are closecommercializing a process ofmaking wood-plastic compositedeck boards using recycled ABSfrom discarded computers. Theyare also making glass filled poly-carbonate-based products usingpredominantly recycled material.

According to National SafetyCouncil, Illinois around 680 mil-lion computers are predicted tobecome obsolete within the nextfew years and that the waste gen-erated from these will containmore than 4 billion pounds ofplastic.

The US Department of Energyand the Environmental Protec-tion Agency are funding theproject, which aims to removerecyclable plastics from thewaste stream through new prod-uct development.

China ready to startregulating recycling

According to the officials, chinais planning to pass recycling leg-islation in the first half of 2007.

This proposed law is aimed ataddressing the issues connectedwith recycling in the country.

(Source: www.plasticsnews.com)

Do Not Litter.Keep Your Environment Clean.

• Segregate and Throw Waste Only inWaste Bins.

• Use Two Bins – One for Wet Waste,One for Dry Waste.

Waste Food and otherBiodegradable Waste.Can be compostedinto manure.

Plastics, Metals, Paper …Can be recycled intouseful products.

MunicipalCorporation ofGreater Mumbai

Indian Centre forPlastics in theEnvironment

and

Issued in Public Interest by

• www.icpenviro.org • www.envis-icpe.com• www.icpeenvis.nic.in