Uttarakhand: Dehradun gets its tenth plastic bank

Dehradun has got another plastic bank to tackle plastic waste at the grass root level. This is the tenth plastic bank to be set up by the Social Development for Community (SDC) Foundation in association with CSCR-IIP (Indian Institute of Petroleum). It has been set up at Mount Fort Academy in Vasant Vihar area in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. 

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Making an appeal to the students of the academy to collect single-use plastic, Foundation's community outreach associate Rishabh Trivastava said that plastic waste has become a threat to humans. He also added that a few months ago the foundation had set up a plastic bank in the city. This plastic bank helps in the segregation of plastic waste and recycling it.

"Plastic waste has become a threat to not only to the earth but also to humans. Therefore, to gradually stop the use of single-use plastic and promote its recycling, CSCR-IIP and SDC Foundation, a few months ago set up Plastic Bank in the city. Through this bank, segregation of plastic waste, collection and recycling of the single-use plastic waste in homes and local communities is facilitated," he said.

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Maharashtra to become free of single-use plastic by May 1

Maharashtra will soon take up the initiative to be free of single-use plastic items by May 1. This decision was taken by Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Friday, 28 February while speaking at the legislative assembly. In 2018, the Maharashtra government had imposed a ban on manufacturing, use, sale, distribution and storage of plastic materials such as one-time-use bags, spoons, and plates, among others.

"Single-use disposable plastic items such as carry bags, straws, cups and plates are already banned in the state. However, these items are still found in markets," Thackeray said at the legislative assembly. I have asked officials of my department to make Maharashtra free of single-use plastic items by May 1," he added.

Plastic bottles of soft drinks are exempt from the ban as of now, he said. The government has also fixed Rs 15 per kilogram rate under the buy-back policy of plastic items from conservancy workers, the minister said.

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(With inputs from ANI)