"We need to keep an open mind on alternative models of plastic waste management such as energy recovery," Mr Baalu said while inaugurating a two-day international conference on `Plastic Waste Management and Environment". He said this was being done in a number of countries, but did not receive sufficient attention in India. While plastic products find extensive use in day-to-day life, their improper management in collection, segregation and disposal, notably of carry-bags, was a growing problem, he said adding this needed to be tackled immediately. In this context, he said an expert committee was being constituted by the environment ministry to comprehensively address the issue of a total ban on plastic carry-bags as well as recycling as per specifications laid down by bureau of Indian standards.

He said statutory regulatory measures could be purposeful only if matching efforts were made to raise the level of public awareness and cooperation. The country's per capita consumption of plastics, which stood at around 0.6 kg till 1985 was now 3.5 kg, he said, adding this figure was expected to touch six kg by 2005-06. Speaking on the occasion, chairman of Central Pollution Control Board Dilip Biswas said "much of the environmental problems today was due to lack of proper science or abuse of science."

He said a pro-active initiative was needed on the part of the industry to contain plastic pollution, coupled with a good collection and buy-back system. A task force set up by the environment ministry to draw up an action plan for better management of plastic was responsible for various rules, including the one on increasing the thickness of carry-bags to a minimum of 20 microns, Biswas said. However, he said the industry should draw upon the various technologies now available like biodegradable and photodegradable plastics. The head of the Mumbai-based Indian Centre for Plastics and Environment (ICPE) K G Ramanathan said instead of viewing plastics as the villain of the story, one should take advantage of its plus points and find solutions that were technologically feasible without compromising the environment.