<p>Order of the National Green Tribunal (Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata) in the matter of Devavrat Kumar Sahani Vs State of Bihar dated 07/04/2025.</p> <p>The application was being registered on the basis
over plastic ban: A group of plastic bag manufacturers and recyclers in the US state of California has filed a lawsuit against the Oakland city authorities over a ban on plastic shopping bags.
The battle to clean up China's environment has led to the closure of the country's largest producer of plastic bags. The announcement comes after a state-led campaign discouraging the consumption of plastics was launched last month. The new regulations banned the use of ultra-thin bags (under 0.025 mm thick) and ordered supermarkets and shops to stop giving away free carriers from June 1. Following the move, Suiping Huaqiang Plastic Co., a company that annually produced some 250,000 tonnes of bags, has closed. State media revealed that the firm ceased production in mid-January. "Over 90 per cent of our products are on the limit list, so the only way forward for the factory is closure,' a management official was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. According to official statistics, Chinese people use up to 3 billion plastic bags a day and the country has to refine 5 million tonnes (37 million barrels) of crude oil every year to make plastics used for packaging. Suiping Huaqiang, a 2.2-billion yuan ($305 million) company, employed 20,000 persons who now face an uncertain future. China's decree on plastics was a surprise move that went further than similar action taken by the United States and many other developed nations. It is being seen as a sign of growing environmental awareness in a country where breakneck economic growth has led to a serious toll on the air and water. The closure of Suiping Huaqiang may well be followed by others. Chinese leaders are increasingly anxious about the environment and draft laws to punish polluters will be high on the agenda of the annual meeting of the National People's Congress, China's Parliament, next week.
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co said Tuesday it has developed a recycling technology to recover metals from plastic-coated wires and plastics used in electric and electronic equipment without causing hazardous side effects. Developed in cooperation with Kusatsu Electric Co, the new technology uses the catalytic properties of titanium oxide to facilitate the recovery of inorganic substances such as metals by transforming plastics and other organic substances into harmless gases, Matsushita said. With the technology, mixed plastic waste, which is regarded as non-recyclable and destined for incineration or landfill, is treated and changed into nontoxic gases, said the company, known for its Panasonic brand.
Plastic garbage is playing havoc with mother earth. From villages to cities plastics are being used in such a way that the whole country seems to be a heap of plastic garbage. A Nagpur based company has taken initiative to use plastic garbage in producing petro products. Dr Jhadgaonkar related to this company, gave information to municipal corporation and MP Pollution Control Board officials about the scheme of converting plastic garbage into petro products. Earlier, this scheme went to bite dust due to the negligence of officials. Now, the work of implementing this scheme has started.
A section of the government is impressed by a waste-to-fuel conversion project under taken by a teacher-entrepreneur duo in Maharashtra. The technology developed by a chemistry teacher and now commercialised by a company
The magnitude of the national jute policy introduced three years ago is beyond debate as it has recommended steps to strengthen the farm sector, modernise mills and give a new direction to domestic and global marketing. But unfortunately, as have been the case with earlier government-sponsored packages for the jute industry, the new policy has so far remained only a declaration of good intent.
It is understandable that consumers are switching over to supermarket chains for household shopping. These outlets offer competitively priced groceries and other essentials under one roof. An unfortunate offshoot of this phenomenon, though, is the alarmingly high use of plastic in both product wrappings and carrybags .
Chandigarh, February 12 The Chandigarh Administration has issued a draft notification to declare the city "polythene bag free' by not allowing vendors, shopkeepers, retailers and traders to use, transport and manufacture polythene bags in the city. The administration has invited objections to the scheme within the next 60 days. However, the proposal to impose a complete ban on the use of polythene bags in the city has been opposed by industrialists and traders.
It may take months before the much-publicised Margao Municipal Council's ban on sale of plastic carry bags in the city finally comes into effect. For, the Civic body on Saturday began an arduous job of stamping the plastic carry bags in possession with individual shop owners. The objective behind the stamping the plastic bags with the Civic seal is to ensure the owners do not bring in fresh stocks of bags after the current stock is over.
