Plastic carry bags cannot be banned in one go: Govt

The State government has pleaded in the High Court that it cannot ban plastic carry bags in one go, as it would affect people's lives.

Under Secretary V. Valsa filed an affidavit in the court which said that steps have been taken to stop the burning of plastic and to make it illegal. The government's affidavit was filed in response to a petition by All Kerala River Protection Council General Secretary Prof S Seetharaman and others demanding action to control of plastic waste.

The government's affidavit stated that it needed more time to introduce cheap and degradable alternatives for plastic carry bag, and in fact an effective substitute has not yet been found. The government is encouraging Kudumbashree units to make bags out of fabric and paper.

The Central government had introduced rules in 2016 regarding the handling of plastic waste. The Central government itself had recognized that a suitable eco-friendly substitute for plastic has not been identified so far. In the absence of an alternative, total ban on plastic cannot be imposed across the country.

The affidavit also pleaded that when the Central government has made rules on matters under Schedule 7 including elimination of plastic waste, the state government cannot bring in legislation incorporating ban on plastic in direct contradiction to such rules.

The state's affidavit also clarifies that the government has banned bags of less than 50 microns, and the minimum thickness of carry bags has been reduced from 40 to 50 microns.