No single-use plastic in Odisha villages from Gandhi Jayanti next year

Bhubaneswar: After imposing restriction on use of polythene carry bags in all urban areas in Odisha, the state government decided to ban single-use plastic in rural areas from October 2, 2020.

The move came at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy here today.

As per the decision, single-use plastic will be banned in villages from Gandhi Jayanti next year. The plastic waste processing centres will be opened in all the districts. The women SHGs will be engaged in manufacture of paper and cloth-based carry bags that will replace the polythene carry bags in villages.

The Panchayatiraj department was directed for proper management of plastic wastes in rural areas. The Public Works Department (PWD) was asked to use plastic wastes in road construction projects.

Notably, the single-use plastic has been banned in all urban areas of the state from Gandhi Jayanti this year. The government has prohibited the manufacture, sell, trade, import, storing, carrying, transportation and distribution of the single-use plastics.

The ban was imposed on polythene carry bags of any shape, thickness and size (excluding compostable), Polyethylene Terephthalate (Pet/Pete) bottles of less than 200 ml capacity.

The authorities also banned single-use disposable cutleries made up of thermocol (polystyrene), polyurethane and similar products, of plastic such as dish, spoon, cup, plate, glass, fork, bowl, pouch to store liquid and container of any size and shape except for packing and selling of milk and other ancillary milk products and thermocol decorative materials.

With enforcement of the rules, the vendors are not allowed to use polythene sheets of less than 50-micron thickness for storing, transporting, dispensing or packaging the products.