TIRUCHY: Repeated raids and seizures have done little to curb the use of banned plastics in Tiruchy, exposing a critical gap in enforcement. While shopkeepers continue to be levied fines for using prohibited single use plastic products, the supply chain that keeps them readily available remains largely beyond the reach of authorities.
Lack of affordable food-grade alternatives has been preventing small vendors from making a 100% switchover due to fears of losing customers.
The Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department inspected 105 food establishments in June this year, found violations at 41 outlets, seized 159 kg of banned plastic items and imposed a total fine of Rs 38,100. Separately, Tiruchy Corporation seized 146 kg of banned plastic products and collected a fine of around Rs 40,000 during last week alone.
Yet, a visit by TNIE found takeaway tea being packed in thin plastic pouches at several roadside tea stalls. Hot food continues to be wrapped in silver-coloured laminated sheets and plastic butter sheets, while groceries and small purchases are routinely handed over in banned plastic carry bags in several parts of the city. Officials concede that the challenge lies beyond the retail counter.
Corporation officials said banned plastic products no longer move through conventional wholesale godowns but are supplied to vendors in small quantities through informal networks, making the source difficult to identify. While suspected manufacturing units are referred to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, officials said no plastic manufacturing unit has so far been detected within Tiruchy limits.
“Most banned single-use plastic products reaching Tiruchy are sourced from outside the district. There are reports of clandestine manufacturing units operating in different parts of the state, but no such unit has been detected in Tiruchy so far, nor have we received any specific complaint about such units,” a TNPCB official said.
Food safety officials, who recently held an awareness meeting with tea shop owners, advised vendors to shift to food-grade paper cups, stainless steel tumblers and other certified food-grade packaging. They also discussed practical measures to reduce plastic use, including encouraging customers to bring their own containers for takeaway beverages and offering small discounts to those who do.
Tiruchy tea shop owners association secretary Ravthar Shah said the transition is easier on paper than in practice. Food-grade alternatives are costlier, he said, and many customers particularly daily wage labourers, drivers and construction workers still prefer takeaway tea in plastic pouches for convenience. Refusing to pack tea in pouches often means losing customers to neighbouring shops.
S Murugan, a construction worker waiting for tea near a worksite, said carrying reusable containers is impractical during work. “Years ago, many of us carried steel containers. Now we move from one site to another and disposable packing has become the easier option,” he said.
Traders argued that enforcement of ban has become disproportionately focused on small vendors. “The same banned plastic products that officials seize from our shops are openly available in the market. Unless manufacturing and wholesale supply chain are stopped, penalising retailers alone will not solve the problem,” a tea shop representative said.
KC Neelamegam of Tiruchy-based Thanneer organisation said the solution lies in tackling the entire chain rather than its final link. “Authorities have to stop production and supply, traders must shift to safer alternatives and consumers must change their habits. Unless all three happen together, banned plastics will continue to find their way back into the market,” he said.
