High Court quashes GO banning plastics used to pack food products
Appearing for the association, advocate Narmadha Sampath submitted that it was impossible to ban the plastic packets used to wrap food products
Madras High Court (File Photo)
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court quashed the Government Order (GO) banning usage of plastic products, including the ones used for packing milk and milk products, biscuits, oil, shampoo, medicines, medical equipment, etc.
A division bench comprising Justice S Vaidhyanathan and Justice PT Asha heard a review petition filed by the Tamil Nadu Plastic Manufacturers Association against the order issued by the State government on June, 2020, imposing a blanket ban on various plastic products.
Appearing for the association, advocate Narmadha Sampath submitted that it was impossible to ban the plastic packets used to wrap food products. The government imposed the ban on all such plastic products without any research, said the advocate.
In response, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Department secretary said in the affidavit that the banning of plastic products used to wrap food products was not possible and sought to revoke the ban.
After the submission, the bench quashed the ban and allowed the usage and manufacturing of plastic products, including packets used for selling food products and medical equipment. In 2018, the State government had imposed a blanket ban on single-use plastics such as carry bags, flags, food wrapping sheets, dining table spreads, plates, tea cups, tumblers, water pouches and straws.
The State exempted the plastic products, including packets used to selling the food products and other products. Later, on June, 2020, the State issued an GO banning even the plastic packets used to wrap the food products and medical equipment.
Challenging this order, the Tamil Nadu Plastic Manufacturers association moved the High Court.
