PET bottle recycling units have sought permission from the Centre to import washed PET bottle flakes.
B.P. Sultania, former president of the All India Recycled Fibre and Yarn Manufacturer Association, said PET bottle scrap is processed and converted into valuable products such as polyester staple fibre and yarn.
The 40 PET recycling companies in the country have a production capacity of close to 12 lakh tonnes of recycled polyester staple fibre a year, including capacities that are in the pipeline.
Industry in trouble
With the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and the nationwide lockdown following this, the industry is in trouble as almost all the plants are closed due to shortage of raw materials.
PET bottles are used to pack and store water, cold drinks, and the like. With the closure of airlines, railways and hotels, the use of PET bottles has declined. Generation of PET bottle scrap has also reduced drastically.
Reviving industry
“The Centre must take steps to revive this industry. Import of washed PET bottle flakes, banned in October 2019, must be allowed again; the Environment Ministry may allow a certain percentage of requirements by providing licences to existing industries for a year at least,” he said.
This will enable the industries to operate. Import of PET recycled fibre and yarns should be either banned or attract higher customs duty to protect the Indian recycling industries, he said.
