New Delhi: PET bottles of water, beverages and plastic wraps may escape the ban as the government is focussing on developing a return and recycle plan for these materials instead of implementing an outright ban.
Given that no replacement technologies are available or even look possible in the near future, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest is preparing a “national framework for implementing extended producer responsibility” where brand owners and manufacturers would take back these materials and recycle them.
The Ministry feels that PET bottles for packaging beverages may not require a prohibitive ban and a return and recycle plan should be effective.
The plan would first envisage creating a collection and recycle chain, and then creating awareness in the people.
Regarding multilayered packaging, alternative technologies would have to be developed before usage can be discontinued.
Once that is done the return of such packing materials would begin.
