Shopkeepers asked to switch to cloth bags in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur

The civic officials are also conducting inspections and imposing fines on those who are utilising plastic bags with thickness of 50 microns.
Women stitch cloth bags. Representational image. (Photo | Express)
Women stitch cloth bags. Representational image. (Photo | Express)

GUNTUR: Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) officials are conducting special campaigns and ordered the shopping complexes and shopkeepers to make sure that only cloth carry bags be used and encourage the customers to carry their own bags to the market. 

The civic officials are also conducting inspections and imposing fines on those who are utilising plastic bags with thickness of 50 microns. They are also suggesting to the people that through self-discipline and awareness they should use only cloth bags and avoid using plastic bags.        

About 2,820 metric tonnes of waste is produced daily in 10 municipalities and two municipal corporations in the district. Out of which 10 to 12 per cent is plastic waste, and of this two per cent are recycled. 

To reduce plastic consumption and pollution caused by it, Union Ministry of Environment issued Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2021 increasing the thickness of carry bags made of virgin plastic to 120 microns from 50 microns. 

It also proposed a ban on the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of specific single-use plastic from January 1, 2022. The municipal officials are conducting special awareness campaigns to reduce plastic consumption. 

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The New Indian Express
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