Corporation seeks options to replace carry bags

A senior Corporation official said that the civic body will soon intensify efforts to find an alternative to the carry bag. “We have planned consultations with traders and wholesalers, to come up with options to replace the plastic carry bag.

Since the Corporation is the enforcing authority within the city limit, we must find a sustainable alternative before the ban comes into place next year,” said the official.

The Corporation is also planning to focus on its weakest link in the solid waste management chain — source segregation.

“An intense awareness campaign is being planned to encourage residents to segregate their waste at source.

This campaign will also play a role in sensitising the residents to junk the single-use plastic,” added the official.

The Greater Chennai Corporation has enforced a penalty for non-segregation of waste, with Rs 1,000 per violation for residential units and Rs 2,000 for commercial and other establishments, according to the draft solid waste management bye-laws, which had been put out for public consultation by the civic body. There will also be a monthly user-fee for the residents, based on the property tax bracket.