Environmental experts flag holes in law over plastic in paper cups in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Environmentalists are of the opinion that cutlery made from paper is not sustainable as they have a wax coating or a fused plastic lining inside. Sandeep Anirudhan, an environmentalist from Bengaluru, said it is both an ecological and health hazard, and called it a significant loophole in this law which allows the production of multi-layered and fused plastic.

Explaining the lack of awareness about health risks while drinking from paper cups, he said the plastic and wax are fused in the food while pointing out that since it is combined, it cannot be recycled.

An environment officer from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) said that any item with a fused plastic lining would also be considered banned. However, paper cutlery is not on the list of banned items. Milk cartons are also for single-use as it has different layers fused together. 

Darshan Vithalani, an owner of a plastic-producing company, said he had to shut his company after the announcement of the ban, and added that although single-use plastic must be banned, there must a system in place offering alternatives. 

Plastic is medically tested, and the taste is not transferred in the product unlike paper cutlery, Vithalani explained, and added it is fully recyclable unlike other packaging material which are not banned yet. Those are more harmful as they add to the landfill waste, he said. 

An officer from Solid Waste Management (SWM), BBMP said, on condition of anonymity, since the ban has been enforced their officers were facing difficulty in ensuring that single-use plastics were not being manufactured or sold. However, many were getting away saying that their products are bio-degradable and excluded form the list of banned items.