The recycled plastic bag manufacturers, under the umbrella of the Recycled Plastic Manufacturers and Traders Association (RPMAT), have countered the charges and presented a report from the Indian Institute of Packaging to support their claims.

``False propaganda is being spread against plastics. Plastic is one of the most wonderful inventions this century has seen. It has saved the dwindling forest cover by providing a cheaper alternative for wood. As regards its environmental value, it is very easy to recycle,'' says Sunil Jain, president RPMAT. ``There are more than 5,000 plastic bag units in the Capital. They provide employment to over 12 lakh people on their rolls, apart from ragpickers. Banning an industry of this size would multiply unemployment and lead to an increase in the crime rate,'' avers Jain. The government callspolybags hazardous owing to colour migration, when used to pack food. ``This myth has been exploded by a report of the Indian Institute of Packaging. The report observed very little migration of colour in liquids like oil, that too after 72 hours of packing,'' claims Rajesh Mittal, spokesman of the association.

To counter the charge that recycled plastics choke sewers and drains, Mittal points out that the density of plastic (.9) is less than that of water (1). Therefore, the bags are likely to float above water, rather than block it.

The manufacturers have found an unlikely ally in environmentalist Iqbal Malik. Malik, one of the first to launch an anti-polybags movement in the country, feels targeting just one segment of the packaging industry is unfair. ``There are over 3 lakh bread wrappers made of virgin plastic, which make their way to garbage bins every morning, in the Capital. Then there are metal laminated packages like pan masala wrappers and chips packets. All these don't get recycled, sincethey are not picked up by ragpickers. But the government wants to ban just recycled colour plastics, which is discriminatory behaviour,'' she says.

Malik alleges that a lobby of big virgin plastic manufacturers is influencing government policy. ``Since the recycled polybag manufacturers are mostly small and medium level industrialists, they don't have proximity to government and don't wield the same influence over the decision makers. What is needed are incentives to the plastic manufacturers to switch to alternative materials for packaging, which the government is ignoring,'' she says.

Banning recycled polybags is not the solution, says Shailendra Babbar, the legal adviser to the nodal organisation. ``Our approach should not be confrontationist but solution-oriented. We believe in talking the matter out with the right authorities. Therefore, we met the prime minister and on his directions, interacted with the Ministry of Environment and Forests, and the Central Pollution Control Board,'' hesays.

Anyway, the ban is a violation of the freedom to trade or business, he argues. ``Article 19 of the constitution guarantees the citizens the right to trade or business unless restricted specifically under Article 19 (1) G which places restriction on business which are against public policy or not in the interests of the public at large,'' says Babbar.

The solution is cleanliness and not banning. If the Delhi government passes an order against littering the road like Haryana, the problem can be resolved, says Babbar.

Another possible solution is finding better ways of waste disposal. From amongst the choices available of recycling, burning or burying the waste in deep land fills, the first is obviously the best. According to Mittal, the recycling is already in place. ``The ragpickers are picking up and recycling 3,000 metric tons of waste every day from the roads. The recycled plastic bags industry has been carrying out a function meant for the civic authorities. Just imagine what will happen afterthe ban,'' he says.

The recycled polybags industry has a smooth cycle in motion where the waste is collected and sorted by ragpickers, in the first stage. Then, it is sold to the kabariwallah where the colour sorting is done. After that the containers made of high density polyethelene go in for grinding. They are washed in a big washing machine and cleaned. After drying they are put into an extruder and heated. The raw material melts at a temperature of 110 degrees celsius. The hot liquid then passes through fine meshes and is filtered. This is mixed in an extruder and finally given shape. ``Favouring virgin plastics over recycled ones is not fair till the number of polybags coming into the market is monitored. Even virgin plastics use hazardous colours, choke sewers and are consumed by cattle,'' says Malik.

Till we make our villages aware about the environmental effects of the material, the ban will be a failure, like it has been in three other states before the Capital. ``We should begin buyback schemeswith the corporates who make plastics. They will feel the responsibility from the birth to disposal, this way,'' concludes Malik.