Chennai, Jun 9 (PTI): The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday banned plastic bags for packaging purposes by manufacturing and processing units, in an effort to augment its efforts to achieve plastic pollution free status,.

Tamil Nadu, which had banned single use plastic items, including water pouches from January 1, 2019, in a Government Order, omitted the exemption for "plastic bags which constitute or form an integral part of packaging in which goods are sealed priorto use at manufacturing/processing units."

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By lifting the exemption effective June 5, 2020, the government has in effect banned use of plastics for packaging at manufacturing and processing units.

Food processsing companies that use plastic for packaging eatables/snacks are seen to be falling under that exemption and now that the exclusionary provision has been removed, such firms cannot market products using plastics.

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In a batch of petitions, the Madras High Court had last year ordered the government to consider phasing out plastic of any kindin the market, including those exempted, the order said, adding the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board had requested removal of the exemption for plastic bags for packaging at manufacturing and processing units.

The exemption for plastic packing of goods, which are sealed prior to use, has not helped the state achieve the goal of "plastic pollution free Tamil Nadu," the TNPCB had said.

Among exemptions that continue to be in place include plastic used for packing milk and milk products, oil, medicine, medical equipment, plastic carry bags manufactured exclusively for export purpose against export orders in a plastic industry located in a Special Economic Zone and Export Oriented Units. PTI

(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)