Sarkari Naukri

Highlights:

• M.K. Stalin, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, has launched the ‘Meendum Manjappai’ scheme to encourage people to use cloth bags instead of plastic bags. 
• This public awareness campaign on the use of the ‘yellow’ cloth bag, or ‘manjapai’ in Tamil, aims to encourage people to return to using this eco-friendly bag instead of plastic bags. With effect from January 1, 2019, the state government imposed a ban on the production, use, storage, distribution, transportation, or sale of 14 different types of plastics.
• Based on an index of their utility and environmental impact, a government committee has identified the single-use plastic (SUP) items that will be banned. 
• Plastic sticks used in balloons, flags, candy, ice cream, and earbuds, as well as thermocol used in decorations, are the first SUP items proposed to be phased out.
• Plates, cups, glasses, and cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straws, and trays; wrapping and packing films used in sweet boxes; invitation cards; cigarette packets; stirrers, and plastic banners with a thickness of fewer than 100 microns are among the items proposed to be banned beginning July 1, 2022.
• Nonwoven bags with a thickness of fewer than 240 microns are prohibited in the third category. This is planned to begin in September of next year.