After the plastic carry bag, it’s now plastic disposable cutlery that is on its way out.
The Muvattupuzha municipality has gone a step ahead in its fight against plastic waste and has decided to prohibit the use of all kinds of disposable plastic products including plates, cups, glasses and even bottles within its limits.
The ban, a first by any civic body in the State, will be effective from January 1 next year and will be applicable to all wedding halls and education institutions falling within its jurisdiction.
The decision, taken after holding consultations with the educational institutions and other stakeholders, stipulates the local body not to collect plastic waste from these locations and the imposition of heavy penalty in case of a violation.
“We have entrusted the health standing committee to keep a close watch and take action against the offenders. Teams will be going on field from New Year onwards for forceful execution of orders,” said U.R. Babu, chairman of the municipality.
According to municipal officials, disposable plastic products have over the years become an indispensable part of wedding celebrations, adding to the garbage heaps in and around Muvattupuzha town. The municipality, which has about ten wedding halls in its limits, gets an average of 15 to 20 truckloads of plastic waste on every Sunday during wedding seasons.
To discourage the use of plastic bottles among students, provision for drinking water will be made in each of the classrooms of all the 22 schools and two colleges in the municipality.
The municipality has already commenced preliminary works on setting up a solid waste treatment plan on a 6.5-acre property and hopes to cut down by 50 per cent the generation of plastic waste by the time of its commissioning.
