HIGH COURT ORDER CAN WIPE OUT FLEX BANNERS
The Banglore High Court issued a ban on flex banners and other plastics, which includes manufacturing, supplying and selling of such banners, hoardings, and other flex merchandise. Looking back, In 2016, the high court had hinted ban on manufacturing & selling of plastic bags and other products.
Subsequently, the BBMP had issued an official notice specifying penalties for the same. The implementation of the ban was largely restricted to plastic carry bags in retail shops. BBMP Commissioner confirmed that all flex printing units in the city will have to shut shop, and it was already working on doing this.
In December 2017, the BBMP had ordered a flex manufacturer in Nagasandra, to shut down its flex printing service “as it causes animal and public health concerns and damages the beauty of Bengaluru city”
In 2018, BBMP Chief N Manjunatha Prasad annunciated “We have issued notices to flex manufacturers in the city. We have also shut down many units. The flex material used display advertisements is hazardous to the environment and, so, we have decided to shut all flex and hoardings manufacturing units in the city”
Meanwhile, Mayor R Sampath Raj said,
“We have been conducting drives every day. Today [Tuesday], too conducted drives at MG Road, Brigade Road, Fraser Town and other areas. This menace will come down in the city,”
What Does It Mean for Flex Businesses?
While on the one hand, there are pompous birthday wishes and festival greetings from leaders and aspiring leaders. On the other, there are regular people who make a livelihood out of flex printing. It is the latter that the ban will mostly hit. BBMP says that the main reason to ask for the closure of flex manufacturing is the problem that plastic creates.
In 2018, High court issued a notice “No person including shopkeeper, vendor, wholesaler, retailer, trader, hawker or salesmen shall use plastic carry bags, plastic banners, plastic buntings, flex, plastic flags, plastic plates, plastic cups, plastic spoons, cling films and plastic sheets used for spreading on dining table, irrespective of thickness including the above items made of thermocol and plastic which use plastic microbeads.”
Furthermore, “No industry or person shall manufacture, supply, store, transport, sale and/or distribute plastic carry bags, plastic banners, plastic buntings, flex, plastic flags, plastic plates, plastic cups, plastic spoons, cling films and plastic sheets used for spreading on dining table irrespective of thickness including the above items made of thermocol and plastic which use plastic microbeads in the state.”
To limit damage & loss many flex printing and manufacturing businesses are now opting for an alternative Fabric material to replace pollution-causing PVC flex. This digital printing compatible fabric consists of Polyester which is compatible with all type of digital printing mechanisms like Solvent, Eco-solvent, UV, and Latex.
Polyester fabric for Digital printing is eco-friendly, recyclable, durable, anti-tear and does not add up to hazardous pollution. Another viable eco-friendly option for flex is Poly-cotton fabric.
This fabric is being recommended by the government and also by digital printing businesses who have already started using it as a substitute to Flex. Therefore, It is due time for the flex businesses to switch to reasonable eco-friendly materials to curb the menace of plastic pollution.
Source: Bangalore Mirror
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