Industry awaiting definition of single-use plastic; govt proposal to impact around 50 lakh jobs, says traders body

Mumbai: With the government proposing to ban single-use plastic from today (2 October), the plastic industry says they are still waiting for the proper definition on the same before planning their course of action. “We all are eagerly waiting for the definition of single-use plastic. A proper definition needs to outline the thickness of the polythene carry bags, whether it is less than 50 microns. We are hopeful that a proper definition of single-use plastic will be soon out clearing all confusion,” Plastindia Foundation president Jigish Doshi told PTI on the biannual industry event here.

The foundation is the apex body of major associations, organisations and institutions connected with plastics in the country. He said, in the meantime if the ban is implemented without the government defining what single-use plastic means, the industry will definitely be impacted and about 5 lakh directly jobs and 50 lakh will be lost.

Currently, the industry provides employment to around 10 million directly and 100 million indirectly, he said, leading to Rs 30,000-40,000 crore revenue loss. He said, it should be a gradual process and six months to one-year should be given to both the industry and consumers so that alternatives could be found. The plastic industry is around Rs 4 lakh crore and total consumption is about 17,770 billion tonne, he said. Meanwhile, Kashi Nath Jha, the joint secretary at the department of chemicals and petrochemicals, said the government has constituted a committee to bring clarity on the issue of single-use plastic, which directly impacts multiple industries including consumers goods and pharmaceuticals. “My department has already constituted a committee and they have submitted the draft report. We are awaiting comments from other stakeholders,” he said without giving a timeline as to when the definitions will be out.