CHENNAI: Even as Tamil government is leaving no stone unturned to implement the plastic ban from this new year, there is a strong resistance coming from unexpected quarters. State-owned Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL) has flayed government’s decision to ban plastic-coated paper cups and sought for its exemption. TNPL produces and markets about 60,000 metric tonnes (MT) per annum (5,000 MT per month) of cup stock and is one of the leading players in cup stock market in the country.
Although TNPL base stock is free of any plastic, the paper cup converter units give a plastic-coat with a tin film of food-grade low-density polyethylene (LDPE) to act as a liquid barrier for its end use. Besides, TNPL also has an in-house outsourced LDPE film coating unit where a very small portion of the base stock is processed and sold as “coasted cup stock’ ready to use for conversion as paper cups.
READ HERE: Is Tamil Nadu ready to be plastic-free?
In a letter written to Environment and Forest Department on September 14, a copy of which is available with the Express, TNPL managing director S Sivashanmugaraja said: “Out of 5,000 MT per month produced, about 2,000 MT is marketed within Tamil Nadu, which has market volume of about 12,000 MT per month. Therefore, the ban will directly impact the sale of TNPL,” he said.
Sivashanmugaraja said plastic coating in paper cups accounts for just 5 per cent of the material and 95 per cent is paper, therefore these cups are recyclable, biodegradable and totally eco-friendly. “The LDPE coating is also food grade, degradable and used globally. Compared to plastic and styrofoam cups, these are safe to use. Because of its biodegradable nature, no other state has imposed such a ban in India. Also, there are over 20 LDPE coating units and 500 paper cup converters in the State providing job opportunity to around 15,000 people.”
Besides, he said the government has not banned TetraPack, which is made from wood pulp in the form of paperboard, as well as thin layers of aluminium and polyethene. “Compared to TetraPack, paper cups consist of only 5 per cent polyethene,” Sivashanmugaraja said. He requested the government to exempt the paper cups made from “recyclable, food grade certified LDPE coated multi-layer boards of 170 gsm and above” the list of banned items.
Not so non-biodegradable?
To examine the representations received from TNPL along with other plastic and paper cup manufacturing associations, an expert committee was constituted to study the compostable properties of plastic-coated paper cups and the committee reported that the paper cup coasted with LDPE had non-biodegradable components.
The committee, comprising S Selvan, Additional Chief Environmental Engineer of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board; Shrikant Y Shirali, Principal Director and Head of Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology; SVR Krishnan, Executive Director (Operations) of TNPL and K Palanivelu, professor at Centre for Environmental Studies, Anna University, concluded that LDPE film on the paper cup is not biodegradable. Sources said the government is examining the pros and cons and a final call will be taken by the steering committee headed by Chief Secretary.
‘Exempt water sachets’
Meanwhile, other major stakeholders such as the Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water Manufacturers Association (TNPDWMA) have turned to the courts seeking exemption. Over 470 packaged drinking water manufacturers in the state are part of the association which has moved the court seeking an exception from the ban for water packets. “The government order clearly states only plastic below 50 microns is banned from January 01, 2019. However, the water sachets, which are well above 50 microns, have been added,” M Rajasekeran, president of Tamilnadu Packaged Drinking Water Manufacturers Association (TNPDWM), said.
In their petition, the association has said that since burning of water sachets is one of the major reason for it coming under the ban, it has planned to set up recycling units in several places across the state to recycle the sachets and have collection points in all districts to transport the sachets it to the recycling centres.
Sugumar, executive official from Aandavar packaged drinking water manufacturer in Tiruchy, said, “There is no viable alternative with which to make the sachets which would not inflate price. Such price hike could affect the business, given most consumers are from the lower-income group.”
(With inputs from M Thanaraj @ Tiruchy)