Plastic manufacturers caught on wrong-foot

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) on Friday conducted surprise raids on about 50 industrial units involved in production of plastics, pouch and carry bags in the city to check for conformity with applicable standards for packaging.Confirming the raids, M Siva Reddy, senior environmental engineer, Task Force, APPCB, said 10 special task force teams had been deployed to conduct the checks, and that the board had the full support of the GHMC authorities and revenue departments for the same.A total of 180 industries are expected to be raided over the next few days, and after today’s raids, 10 units were found to be flouting various rules. “Sri Ram Polymers, Sri Ram Industries, Shalimar Plastics and Sangeeta Plastics have been sealed and their materials have been seized. The remaining six will be served notices within the next week. Communication misunderstanding and lack of awareness were cited by the industries due to which notices couldn’t be served on all,” said Reddy.The companies were found to be flouting labelling standards which affected the proper recycling processes for the used plastics.“Not just plastics industries, but also stockists and distributors will be raided in the coming days. The aim is not to create fear but to help raise awareness on the need for proper packaging and labelling which are crucial for precise recycling processes”, added Reddy.The raids are expected to be continue for the next fortnight to ensure that the ban on plastic carry bags of less than 40 microns is implemented.