India News | Sikkim Govt Asked to Ban Plastic Bags

Gangtok, Apr 14 (PTI) The Sikkim Pollution Control Board (SPCB) recommended the state government to ban plastic bags of less than 75 micron thickness by the end of this year.

It also urged the government to phase out of plastic bags with a thickness of less than 120 micron in the next phase as a part of the efforts to make Sikkim a plastic-free state.

Also Read | Google Launches Switch to Android App for iPhone Users in Some Countries: Report.

The recommendations were made after a meeting convened by the SPCB with elected representatives and officials of the seven civic bodies in the state.

The meeting discussed measures for phasing out single-use plastic items and developing enforcement strategies for effective implementation of the Plastic Waste Management Rules (PWM), 2016 and subsequent legislation.

Also Read | Toyota To Launch bZ4X SUV Battery-Electric Vehicle on May 12, 2022.

The SPCB suggested that the state government should allow only those plastic bags which have labels, mentioning their specifications.

It recommended setting up a task force for checking plastic use in the state.

Single-use plastic items such as earbuds, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, thermocol cutlery, wrappers, packing films, invitation cards, PVC banners and stirrers, among others, should also be completely stopped with effect from July 1, it said in a statement.

Market inspections should be carried out on regular basis to check the compliance, it added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)