Hyderabad: Single-use-plastics are here to stay as the state government has not banned them, instead opting for self-regulation. The Telangana Pollution Control Board has been told to motivate people to self-regulate by creating awareness of the impact of single-use plastic on the environment.
Thus, plastics are back in action. Weekly vegetable markets, retail stores, mutton, chicken and fish shops and also kirana shops are freely distributing plastic bags. The five-rupee charge in supermarkets has not deterred customers from using them.
“We have tonnes of carry bags as the stock is procured for six months,” retail store manager Ramesh Reddy said. “The ban worried us but now we are relieved. Till a proper alternative is in place we can’t deny it to our customers.”
Plastic bags of less than 50 microns are not recyclable but are found in weekly bazaars and used for non-vegetarian food.
The supposed ban had led to speculation and both vendors and customers were worried, hunting for jute and cloth bags.
Without a government ban, the usage of plastic bags remains high. Market estimates say only one per cent use alternate bags for their groceries, vegetables and non-vegetarian foods.
The GHMC has put signs outside mutton and chicken shops urging customers to use steel boxes but there are few takers.
The awareness campaign is three years old but had little impact, say shopkeepers. Vendors say they can’t refuse plastic bags and risk losing customers.
“We were expecting an order on plastic water bottles and plastic bags less than 50 microns,” said a senior TPCB officer. “But that has not happened. The central government has asked for creating awareness. Maharashtra has banned bags less than 50 microns of plastic bags, but TS has not.” Plastic bags less than 50 microns cannot be recycled and find their way into drains and dumps, which is an environmental hazard.
