Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<keyword id="111875" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Delhi-Pollution-Control-Committee">Delhi Pollution Control Committee</keyword> (DPCC) has issued closure notices to 112 industrial units, mainly stainless steel pickling units, located in <keyword id="495229" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Wazirpur-Industrial-Area">Wazirpur Industrial Area</keyword>. According to the authorities, these units were releasing untreated liquid industrial waste in the open drains that flow into the river Yamuna. 
 Wazirpur Industrial Area houses about 2,000 units. DPCC had been writing to the industrial units and the <keyword id="6364683" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Delhi-Jal-Board">Delhi Jal Board</keyword> (DJB) since March this year, asking them to take effective measures, but nothing had been done till date. 
 A team of officials from DPCC, DJB and Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), as well as representatives of the Wazirpur Industrial Area CETP Society and <keyword id="1461068" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="All-India-Plastic-Industries-Association">All India Plastic Industries Association</keyword>, had undertaken a survey of the area on February 24. Samples of waste water being discharged in open drains were collected at three locations and pH levels were found to be far below the specified norms. "This means steel pickling industries are not carrying out any treatment and the waste water is being discharged into open drains," the closure notice said. 
 The <keyword id="6356156" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="public-works-department">Public Works Department</keyword> also held a discussion on the drainage issue in the area on March 13 this year. 
 
"It was observed that all drains are choked due to silt from the industries and a large quantity of metallic silt was being discharged directly into the storm water drains without mandatory pre-treatment by industrial units," the notice states. 
 
DPCC has ordered power and water disconnections, and directed the local SDM to ensure that the units are shut down. "We have given them enough warnings. They never responded or did anything about it," said Sandeep Mishra, member secretary of DPCC. 
 
Commenting on the development, Jai Kumar Bansal, president of Delhi Stainless Steel Trade Federation, said, "We haven't received any closure order and we have always treated our waste water. I don't know why DPCC is taking action against us."

112 Industrial Units In Wazirpur To Shut
Down For Flouting Pollution Norms

New Delhi, <keyword id="10502779" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-all-india-rubber-industries-association">The All India Rubber Industries Association</keyword> (AIRIA) has called for rationalisation of <keyword id="4776373" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tax-Structure">tax structure</keyword> and said that the inverted duty structure impacts the local industry. It also said that the government should consider providing adequate support and handholding to the producers and should device '<keyword id="1465575" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Phased-Manufacturing-Programme">Phased Manufacturing Programme</keyword>' for enhancing the localisation in the <keyword id="159613" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="rubber-sector">rubber sector</keyword> of India. The industry body noted that import of raw materials such as <keyword id="388853" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Natural-Rubber">natural rubber</keyword> and latex attract import duties of as high as 70 per cent, while that on finished goods is much lower, which impacts the local rubber goods producing industry, and stands as an obstacle towards the vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. "Some of the products which used to come from China are being routed through Thailand and Vietnam at either zero per cent duty or 5 per cent duty. India should correct the customs duty for the sector. The Indian rubber industry uses more than 70 raw materials and some of them also attract anti-dumping duty as well," AIRIA said. As per the rubber industry body, the ideal duty structure for growth in the country should be the highest for finished goods, medium for intermediate goods and the lowest for raw materials. At present, the structure stands inverted, it said. AIRIA further said that the sector has to resort to import of natural rubber as the quality produced in the country is not "up to the mark" and the tyre manufacturers buy the bulk of domestically-produced high-quality supplies, leaving no choice for the MSMEs and the other rubber goods producers than to go for imports for good quality raw materials from foreign players. V.T. Chandhrasekharan, President of AIRIA said that in line with the Centre's vision to make a self-reliant India, the nation has tremendous potential to grow and could become a hub for sourcing <keyword id="7885733" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="rubber-components">rubber components</keyword> and products if the inverted duty structure in the rubber sector is corrected. AIRIA noted that there are many goods which use rubber as a component and the producers of these components are bound to import the products due to irrational duty structure. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-mrs-bectors-ril-bharti-airtel-vodafone-idea-ilfs-interglobe-aviation-future-group-deepak-nitrite-jubilant-foodworks-and-others/articleshow/79933826.cms">Top stocks to watch – Mrs Bectors, RIL, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, IL&amp;FS, InterGlobe Aviation, Future Group, Deepak Nitrite, Jubilant FoodWorks, and others</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/there-are-one-of-only-17-indian-companies-out-of-500-that-aced-the-du-pont-test/articleshow/79911627.cms">There are one of only 17 Indian companies out of 500 that aced the Du Pont test</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/wipro-buyback-offer-details-and-700-million-metro-ag-deal-drives-share-price/articleshow/79911875.cms">Wipro offers 10% more to buy back shares and signs a $700 million deal with Metro AG – everything that’s driving the IT services stock higher today</a>

All India Rubber Industries Association seeks tax reforms for rubber industry

This World Environment Day the United Nations had only one directive - reject single-use plastic. Hosted by <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>, the internet was in an uproar to #BeatPlasticPollution and to reduce humanity’s over-reliance on disposable plastic. It may be the need of the hour, but there’s a sizable economic cost attached to it as well that seems to be getting sidelined in the name of environment preservation. Banning plastic is definitely a boon for the environment. For starters, it reduces the amount of non-biodegradable litter that clogs up storm drains and piles up in landfills. Even the ocean has islands that are made of solid waste that consist mostly of plastic garbage. Indirectly, since disposable plastics are derived from crude oil refining, when their manufacturing reduces, it also reduces the contribution of polypropylene to climate change. But then, there’s flip-side to a ban. Businesses that manufacture disposable plastic, firms using plastics for packaging and even the consumer - all have to bear the cost. The burden of a ban isn’t just limited to the plastics industry. Horizontal and vertical dependants like the petroleum industry, food delivery outlets and even the road-side juice vendor will feel the impact. In India, Sikkim was the first state to implement a ban on plastic bags in 1996. It was also one of the first states to apply a ban on single-use plastics. The state’s been fairly successful in its implementation considering that there’s a very limited space for garbage dumps within their territory. But then again, that’s not always the case. States like Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh that have significant plastic waste generation have only been marginally successful in implementing partial bans. Taking the most recent case of the <keyword id="6360810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Plastic-ban">plastic ban</keyword> in <keyword id="13126" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maharashtra">Maharashtra</keyword>, the All India Plastics Manufacturers’ Association (AIPLMA) claims that while this initiative may help the environment, it will also result in a <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/plastic-ban-india-stares-at-loss-of-rs-15000-crore-3-lakh-jobs/articleshow/64721810.cms">loss of up to ₹15 billion</a> ($220 million) and nearly 300,000 jobs. The snowball effect One assumes that the direct effect of banning plastic use is that plastic wastage decreases, but the reality is broader than that. Plastics is an industry of its own that makes a significant contribution to key sectors in India like textiles and healthcare. That being said, one sector that will be hit the hardest by the plastic ban is the packaging sector. 
	<div type="image" title="SNOWBALL" msid="64749162" hostid="261"></div>


 1. <keyword id="6369865" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="job-loss">Job loss</keyword> So, it’s a fairly straightforward correlation that when there’s unemployment in one sector then the supply of labour will increase. In this case, it will affect polymer manufacturers, plastic processors and recycling players. Especially those that work in extrusion, which would include the manufacture of plastic bags and blow moulding which is how bottles and containers are made. It should be noted that the plastics industry is highly labour intensive and largely unorganised. In Maharashtra, specifically, AIPMA <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/policy/plastic-ban-may-shave-800-cr-off-maharashtras-gst-revenues-says-lobby/article23375711.ece">claims</a> that the ban will result in the shut down of 2,150 industrial units. In India, there’s already a surplus of low wage labourers, which will be further impacted by such a move. The extent of the impact will be determined by the skill set and specialisation that distills into the market. 2. Gross Domestic Product (<keyword id="35050" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="gdp">GDP</keyword>) will be affected As of 2017, the Indian plastic industry <a href="http://www.plastindia.org/pdf/indian-plastics-industry-report2014.pdf">contributes</a> around 7.1% to the country’s GDP. It’s also complementary to the petrochemical industry that works in tandem. But, the ban itself hits the ‘end user market’ where plastic products are primarily used for domestic purposes. Additionally, the packaging industry is one of the key drivers of demand for plastics. It’s one the fastest growing industries with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15% over the last five years. It has received major impetus from retail growth, changes in lifestyle, and growth of smaller packaging. The implementation of a strict ban would be a fairly large obstacle for the plastics industry to compensate. In Maharashtra itself, the plastics industry is fairly big. In fact, plastics <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/policy/plastic-ban-may-shave-800-cr-off-maharashtras-gst-revenues-says-lobby/article23375711.ece">contribute</a> to around 35% of the state’s GDP with a turnover of ₹50,000 crore. It’s also one of the reasons why the state contributes to nearly <a href="http://cpcb.nic.in/displaypdf.php?id=cGxhc3RpY3dhc3RlL0FubnVhbF9SZXBvcnRfMjAxNS0xNl9QV00ucGRm">one-third</a> of India’s plastic waste. Placing a ban on plastic use will retract the demand for plastics overall, thus leading to decreased sales and decreased revenue. As a result, whatever stocks of single-use plastics are left with manufacturers of plastic products, and companies that use them, will basically be a sunk cost after 23 June, as per the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/articles/maharashtra-extends-deadline-for-disposal-of-existing-plastic-stock-to-3-months/19313179">government directive</a>. AIPMA estimates that the banned products would results in a loss of up to ₹15 billion. 3. <keyword id="142154" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="bad-loans">Bad loans</keyword> in the banking sector will increase As the demand for plastics falls, assuming the ban is implemented effectively, a lot of micro, small and medium units (<a href="http://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/plastic-ban-chokes-maharashtras-msme-industriy/1246368">MSMEs</a>) in the plastics industry, could default on loans and the proportion of bad loans could increase. This is especially true as one analyses the <a href="http://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/plastic-ban-chokes-maharashtras-msme-industriy/1246368">downstream supply chain</a> of plastics. While polymer manufacturing is dominated by large industrial groups, plastic processors and recycling players are largely MSMEs. 4. Fines on small and micro retailers will affect their P&amp;L statements As with any new law or directive, there’s an implementation curve. There will always be a few defaulters who won’t comply immediately, and the heavy fines could send their <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/retailers-to-move-hc-to-exempt-pp-bags-from-ban/article24213766.ece">profit and loss</a> (P&amp;L) statements for a spin. Large corporations won’t feel the pinch of a ₹5,000, ₹10,000 or ₹25,000 fine, but <a href="https://localpress.co.in/2018/03/plastic-ban-maharashtra-developments-ban-till-date/">roadside vendors, food vendors and delivery kitchens</a> have to be wary. Some vendors have reported that they’ve had to temporarily stall their services as they come up alternative methods of packaging. 5. Cost of going green to consumers More than the plastics sector, industries that depend on plastic for packaging will have to find alternative green methods of presenting their commodities in the market. Nonetheless, there’s <a href="http://ladpw.org/epd/aboutthebag/PDF/SocioEconomicImpactStudy_final.pdf">evidence</a> to support the fact that firms generally pass on this cost onto their consumers where they can purchase a paper/reusable bag at nominal rates. There’s the crux of the issue. More than the repercussions of the plastic ban, what matters is how the ban is embraced by the public. The use of paper bags is only effective if they are reused, otherwise the problem shifts from <keyword id="1820144" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="plastic-pollution">plastic pollution</keyword> to deforestation. And, if climate change is the primary concern, banning plastics might not even necessarily be the right solution.

Banning plastics is necessary, but here’s what that might cost India

New Delhi, Dec 8 () Amid a growing debate over impact of single use plastics on environment, paper offers a sustainable option and can capture a fourth of the Rs 80,000 crore single use plastics market by 2025, if its use is totally banned by the government, a new study said.
India generated 26,000 tonnes per day of plastic waste in 2017-18, of that only 60 per cent was recycled and the rest ended up as litter on roads, in landfills or streams. Single use plastic industry is close to Rs 80,000 crore right now and growing. Packaging accounts for a third of India's plastic consumption, and 70 per cent of plastic packaging is turned into waste in a short span.
While uncollected plastic waste poses a huge threat to species on land and in water, single-use plastic bags and styrofoam containers can take up to 1,000 years to decompose, said the study released at the world's largest paper fair, PAPEREX organized by Hyve India, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Hyve Group Plc, London, last week.
Paper, on the other hand, is eco-friendly green product and bio-degradable, it said, adding it was a myth that the paper industries cut trees for production, and consumption of water and energy is high. Paper industry plants more trees than harvested and primary raw material are 100 per cent renewable like wood and agro-residues.
The study said about a third of new paper comes from recycled paper and an equivalent amount from waste such as sawdust and scrap from lumber mills.
"In India, companies use 46 per cent raw material from recovered paper, 29 per cent from agro residue like bagasse, straw etc and 29 per cent from plantation wood," it said, adding paper promotes literacy, hygiene and reduce pollution by using bagasse.
For production of one tonne paper, 2.1 tonne of wood is required but "no forest wood is being utilised for paper manufacturing," it said. "All (paper) mills are fulfilling their requirement through social forestry plantation on its own or through farmers."
More importantly, average cost of recycling of paper is Rs 32 per kg -- Rs 20 for cost of collecting paper trash and Rs 12 conversion cost. In comparison, the cost to collection of plastic waste is Rs 30 to 36 per kg and recycling is Rs 22 to Rs 35 per kg, it said, adding transporting one tonne of paper costs Rs 4.5 per kilometer as compared to Rs 6.2 in case of plastic.
Energy consumption for paper production is 0.59 to 1.19 tonne of oil equivalent per tonne as opposed to 1.48 to 2.58 a tonne in plastic, the study said, adding 55-60 per cent energy can be saved if paper is used in place of plastic.
According to Sanjeev Batra, Director, Hyve India, due to the fundamental and technological revolution, 100 per cent paper produced is recyclable and biodegradable.
"Paperex 2019 impressed upon the common man to save the environment and how this essential commodity use in our everyday life can reduce pollution and promote recycling," he said.
"Paper industry is going through the transformation phase and now the paper industry uses less power and water due to technological changes. Cost of production of recycled paper is at least 30 to 40 per cent cheaper depending upon the location than the recycled plastic," J P Narain, VP, Indian Paper &amp; Manufacturers Association and CEO of Century Paper said.
The requirement of better quality packaging products and the demand for other products, such as tissue paper, filter paper, tea bags and cardboard are expected to drive the paper and paper products market in India in the coming years, he said.
"There is a big opportunity for paper industry as single-use plastic market in India is close to Rs 80,000 crore. Paper industry is ready to take 25 per cent market share of single-use plastic by 2025 if totally banned by the government," he said.
Of the 9.1 billion tonnes of plastic that the world has produced since 1950, 6.9 billion tons has become waste, and only 9 per cent of that has been recycled, the rest ends up in landfills and in the world's oceans, the study said.
India's plastic consumption at 11 kg per capita is less than half of global average of 28 per kg. The US has per capita consumption of 109 kg, while it is 65 kg in Europe and 38 kg in China.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants India to eliminate single-use plastics by 2022, following on the footsteps of major nations around the world that are waging a war on them.
The study said chips and confectionery packets account for the largest share of plastic waste in India - 12 per cent of total plastic waste is bottle caps and lids, 19 per cent are chips and confectionery packets, 10 per cent are pet bottles, 8 per cent garbage bags and 8 per cent is packaging. ANZ DP
BAL

Paper industry to capture 25 pc market share of Rs 80,000 cr single use plastics by 2025

<ul><li>Marico has partnered with Big Bazaar to launch a recycling program. </li><li>‘<keyword id="8300820" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Plastic-Lao-Paise-Kamao">Plastic Lao Paise Kamao</keyword>’ initiative encourages people to submit plastic bottles across 21 key Big Bazaar outlets in and around Mumbai and get back ₹10, irrespective of the size of the bottle. </li><li>The program will be supported by in-store announcements through radio jingles, shelf wobblers, collection units, posters, as well as promotional messages that will be shared with customers. </li></ul>Marico has partnered with Future Retail’s format Big Bazaar to launch a plastic recycling program ‘Plastic Lao Paise Kamao’. Aligned with the national agenda on plastic waste management, this initiative is aimed at building awareness amongst consumers around plastic recycling and encourages them to take an active role. The program enables consumers to submit plastic bottles across 21 key Big Bazaar outlets in and around Mumbai. For each bottle that is submitted, Marico, in association with Future Retail, offers 10 to consumers, which is instantly credited to their Future Pay wallet and can be redeemed against their purchase. The incentive provided is for all products of Marico and also for products of Future Consumer, irrespective of the size of the bottle. The program will be supported by in-store announcements through radio jingles, shelf wobblers, collection units, posters, as well as promotional messages that will be shared with customers. The Government of India has embarked upon several projects to increase awareness around plastic recycling and to curb the negative environmental impact of plastic waste. This initiative is in line with the Government’s efforts and echoes the sentiments of its ‘Swachhatha Hi Seva’ mission. Jitendra Mahajan, Chief Operating Officer- Supply Chain &amp; IT, Marico, said, “This initiative is part of Marico’s broader vision and commitment to address plastic waste management. While 94 percent of Marico’s packaging material used is recyclable, we need to do more. Managing plastic waste is a complex challenge and needs collective action engaging consumers and other stakeholders. We are very happy to join hands with Future Retail to drive the plastic circular economy agenda aligned to the “Swachhatha Hi Seva” mission of the Government. Through this initiative, we wish to create awareness about plastic waste pollution and drive change in the consumers’ behaviour”. Sadashiv Nayak, Business Head, Big Bazaar, said, “Every material has a value through-out its life cycle, it is this circular economy approach that encourages customers, businesses and the industry to participate as champions of change. The Plastic Lao Paise Kamao – a closed loop plastic recycling campaign, initiated in September 2018 is part of our wider sustainability agenda to reduce our ecological footprint. The program launched in Big Bazaar stores in Mumbai and parts of Maharashtra has seen an increasing number of customers bring back bottles to stores and gain a financial reward in their Future Pay wallets. As a retailer, Big Bazaar is aligned with the Government’s Swachh Bharat Mission and is taking necessary actions in keeping with the Prime Minister’s call for a plastic free India.”

Marico is giving ₹10 for every plastic bottle that is returned at Big Bazaar outlets in Mumbai

New Delhi, Dec 3 () India needs to discourage large-scale paper imports to boost the domestic paper industry, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday.
The MSME minister also pitched for use of bamboo as a raw material by the industry as different types of papers can be made using bamboo. The government has allocated Rs 1,300 crore towards 'Bamboo Mission', he said.
"India is witnessing large-scale paper imports despite the presence of diversified paper sector in the country. I am especially concerned about the growth prospects of small scale paper and pulp industries, an important part of MSME sector. 
"The imports in paper sector need to be discouraged while exports should be enhanced to support the domestic industry," Gadkari said in a video message at the inauguration of Paperex 2019.He pitched for increasing the use of bamboo as it can be a win-win situation for the paper industry and the farmers.
JK Paper Managing Director Harshpati Singhania said,"Growth in paper industry is moving from developed world to the developing world. Consumption growth is declining in Europe and Americas while the same is going up in Asia and some of the Latin American countries. Currently, India is the fastest growing paper market in the world".
Singhania, who is also the founder President of Indian Paper Manufactures Association (IPMA), said servicing the growing requirement of paper is both an opportunity and a challenge for the industry. Large-scale import of cheap paper is meeting the demand which should have been met by the domestic industry. 
Paperex, the largest conference for pulp and paper technology organised in Asia is sharply focussing on technologies to replace single use plastic with paper and paperboard in an accelerated manner. 
 The conference is being organised by Inpaper International, the journal of Indian Agro &amp; Recycled Paper Mills Association (IARPMA).
Paperex is designed to meet all the aspirations of technology seekers as the world's latest and cost effective technologies will be presented during the 3-day conference, said P G Mukundan, Secretary General IARPMA.
According to IARPMA, paper industry is expecting a big leap in growth from present consumption of 18.5 million tonne to 25 million tonne by 2025 due to emerging consumer trends which favour paper over non-biodegradable options. NAM NAM ANU
ANU

Gadkari pitches for reducing paper imports

Single use plastic items and or disposable plastic materials have become the most common packaging solutions over the last few decades. Since these are among the major pollutants threatening the health of the environment, the world is realizing the importance of bringing down this generation’s dependency on disposable plastic materials. Ban on plastic is one of the most important topics during conferences and conventions on environment. India is one of the leaders in the international scene in implementing a ban on plastic. Here are a few states in India that have implemented ban on plastic in full force. <keyword id="20154" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword> The government of Tamil Nadu banned single-use plastic with effect from January 1, 2019. This move left the hotel industry face bewilderment as they are seriously scrambling for suitable alternatives to pack foods. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) introduced some measures to comply with the ban including displaying the details about the ban on plastic, announcing plastic-free zones, stopping the usage of plastic items in offices, meetings, parties and canteens and utilizing the Corporate Social Responsibility funds to support initiatives on the ban on plastic and also to spread the awareness about the ban on plastic. <keyword id="13126" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maharashtra">Maharashtra</keyword> By announcing the ban on plastic very early on March 23, 2018, Maharashtra pioneered the ban on plastic among all the states in India. The state implemented a ban on all kinds of single use plastics and thermocol (polystyrene) including disposable items used for a single time and plastics used for food packaging in hotels in addition to plastics used for packing fresh foods and grains. In an amendment, the state allowed the use of PET bottles on April 11, 2018. However this permit carried a rider that demanded the implementation of buy back depository mechanism and recycling of the disposed plastics by the manufacturers. Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh is yet another state in India that has strictly banned the production and use of single use plastics. The ban on plastic notification was issued in Himachal Pradesh on July 6, 2018. The state implemented a ban on all kinds of disposable plastics and single-use non-biodegradable materials in the state. Due to the strict supervision of the implementation of the said ban, some important cities like Shimla for example were found free of disposable polybags, cups and tumblers. <keyword id="68884" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telangana">Telangana</keyword> The ban on plastic by the Telangana state was announced on June 14, 2018. The ban included plastics used in drinking bottles, tetra bottles, single-use straws, Styrofoam tea cups and containers, plastics that are below 50 micron thickness and other kinds of single use plastics. Talking on the ban, a social activist Ramanjaneyulu GV said, "The usage has definitely come down but all the plastic stuff is still there. But people themselves are now reluctant to use them because of environmental concerns." Take Home Uttar Predesh, Sikkim, Karnataka, Bihar <keyword id="37102" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Andhra-Pradesh">Andhra Pradesh</keyword>, Assam, <keyword id="6355772" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="meghalaya">Meghalaya</keyword> and some other states also followed suit announcing a ban on single use plastics. All these moves aim at phasing out the single-use plastics by the year 2022. However, the objective can succeed only when the ban is implemented in entirety.

Which States In India Have Banned Plastic

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A few states and some countries are passing laws to combat plastic waste.</li><li><keyword id="11892889" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="california" source="Orion">California</keyword> is the fourth US state that will make companies pay for packaging waste.</li></ul>The first half of 2022 has seen a wave of new policies cracking down on <keyword id="12318689" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="plastic-pollution" source="Orion">plastic pollution</keyword> in the US and countries like <keyword id="6356687" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="canada" source="Orion">Canada</keyword> and <keyword id="11892747" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>. In recent weeks, California became the fourth state that will force companies to pay for cleaning up packaging waste, while Canada and India have banned the production and import of certain <keyword id="14446315" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="single-use-plastic" source="Orion">single-use plastic</keyword> products. Advocates say the momentum feels like a turning point in the global fight to eliminate the eight million metric tons of plastic waste <a href="https://www.unep.org/interactives/beat-plastic-pollution/">that flows into oceans each year</a>. According to the United Nations, this is the equivalent of dumping a garbage truck every minute. The vast majority of plastic never gets recycled and ends up in landfills, in incinerators, or as litter on land and in waterways. The US <a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/26132/chapter/1">is the world's largest contributor</a> to the problem despite representing <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/us-population/">less than 5% of the global population</a>."The public is increasingly making the connection between plastic and so many other issues, which is expanding the coalition of groups and individuals who care deeply about this," Anja Brandon, a US plastics-policy analyst at the nonprofit Ocean Conservancy, said. "That, in turn, is expanding the number of policymakers who recognize plastic pollution as critically important." Brandon said those connections include how plastic is made from the fossil fuels that drive the climate crisis. Local governments in the US often build plastic-manufacturing plants, landfills, and incinerators <a href="https://blogs.newschool.edu/news/2022/05/tishman-environment-and-design-centers-work-reveals-most-incinerators-pollute-low-income-and-communities-of-color-and-worsen-climate-change/">in marginalized communities</a>, which then disproportionately expose these communities to pollution. Researchers are also discovering tiny particles of plastic — known as microplastics — <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/microplastics-detected-in-human-blood-180979826/">in human blood</a> and stool, raising questions about potential health effects.The <keyword id="11896309" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sustainability" source="Orion">sustainability</keyword> push has led some big brands and plastic makers to promise to make more recyclable or compostable packaging and to channel money toward local infrastructure so producers can get their materials back and reuse them. "We're investing in new technology to make sure the percent of recycled content in packaging increases and designing things to be lighter," Jen Ronk, the senior sustainability manager at Dow North America Packaging &amp; Specialty Plastics, said. The company <a href="http://www.businessfor2030.org/dow">also pledged to spend more than $1 billion</a> on efforts to manage plastic waste. Here's a rundown of the latest action: <h2>California</h2>On June 30, California Gov. Gavin Newsom <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB54">signed the most aggressive restrictions</a> on plastic in the country into law. By 2032, producers must use 25% less plastic in packaging for items like shampoo, food containers, and cups. Ocean Conservancy estimates that this provision alone will <a href="https://oceanconservancy.org/news/sb54-california-righting-ship-leading-u-s-ocean-plastic-pollution-crisis/">reduce plastic production by 23 million tons</a>, or 26 times the weight of the Golden Gate Bridge. By the same date, at least 65% of plastic must be recycled, a major jump from the <a href="https://sd26.senate.ca.gov/index.php/news/press-release/senator-allen-introduces-bill-phase-out-unsustainable-single-use-plastics">less than 15% that is recycled today</a>. "We know that to reduce the plastic-pollution crisis, we have to make less in the first place and reuse more through a circular economy," Brandon said, adding that the <keyword id="14446313" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="california-law" source="Orion">California law</keyword> is the first to address both sides of that equation. Plastic makers will pay $5 billion into a state fund to mitigate the environmental and health impacts of pollution from their products, as well. The industry will pay for collecting, sorting, and recycling waste through a fee on packaging, which will shift the burden away from taxpayers who now fund municipal-waste management. That policy, known as extended-producer responsibility, has picked up steam over the last year as Maine, Oregon, and most recently <keyword id="11918419" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="colorado" source="Orion">Colorado</keyword>, passed similar legislation. <h2>Colorado </h2>In June, the state passed its own extended-producer responsibility law that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colorado-to-tax-bottles-and-packaging-for-recycling-2022-6">slaps a fee on packaging such as bottles, food wrappers, and cardboard</a> to help fund recycling and keep waste out of landfills. Colorado's statewide <a href="https://cdphe.colorado.gov/colorado-recycling-totals">recycling rate for all materials is 15%</a>, less than half the national average of 32%. The law itself doesn't set mandatory recycling targets, but brands and packaging makers have to develop some for 2030 after they form a nonprofit to run the new recycling program.The law got rare public endorsements from big business, including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Walmart. They joined forces with environmental groups like Recycle Colorado, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Sierra Club. <h2>Canada</h2><a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/managing-reducing-waste/reduce-plastic-waste/single-use-plastic-guidance.html">On June 22, the government announced</a> it would ban companies from making and importing certain single-use plastics by the end of the year as part of a sweeping effort to fight pollution and the climate crisis.Most plastic grocery bags, silverware, and straws fall under the ban, with a few exceptions for medical needs. According to the government, Canadians throw away more than 3 million tons of plastic waste every year and the country only recycles about 9% of it. "Companies don't make Canada-specific packaging or US-state specific packaging," Brandon said. "They are trying to maximize efficiency in a globalized supply chain, so these policies will have far-reaching ripple effects."<h2>India </h2>On July 1, India's government announced a ban on single-use plastics covering 19 items that are most likely to wind up as litter, such as straws, cups, and some disposable bags. The ban makes it illegal to make or import these products.According to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/07/01/1109476072/india-plastics-ban-begins">the Associated Press</a>, thousands of other plastic items aren't covered, though the federal government has set recycling targets for manufacturers. According to its federal pollution watchdog, India generated more than 4.1 million metric tons of plastic waste in 2020. This decade the country is also trying to reduce the amount of greenhouse-gas emissions per unit of gross domestic product — known as carbon intensity — by 45%. Curbing plastic manufacturing can help India meet that target, said advocates of the ban.

Fighting our plastic problem: Bans and recycling mandates gain steam in the US and abroad

America has long had a plastic problem. It's an urgent question — what do we do with the 40 million tons of plastic waste we produce annually? One year of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disposable-face-mask-waste-toxic-poison-water-nanoplastics-pollution-health-2022-2">plastic waste</a> is roughly enough to smother the entirety of Manhattan a meter deep, and it has to go somewhere. For years, the answer was simple: Make a lot of it, dump most of it in the landfill, and make the rest of it someone else's problem — the US regularly exported 7 million tons a year to China alone. Some of it was melted into lesser plastic; the rest was incinerated or buried.But then, in 2018, China cut off plastic imports.Now, America is coming to terms with a hard truth: Plastic was never designed to be recycled and there's no profitable way to recycle 91% of it. The environmental impacts have been disastrous. About 430 million tons of plastic are produced globally every year, accounting for 14% of global oil demand. The refinement of plastic alone emits up to 235 million tons of greenhouse gases a year. Most of that plastic breaks down into <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microplastics-risks-heart-attack-stroke-study-2024-3">microplastics</a> that make their way into the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/expert-how-i-keep-baby-family-safe-toxic-plastic-microplastics-2023-1">air, rain, and our bodies</a>. Almost 95% of America's water supply contains plastic fibers.While the US, the UK, and other European countries responded to China's ban by sending their waste to places like Thailand and Malaysia, those countries then followed China in cutting off waste imports. The message was clear: The Global South would no longer be a dumping ground for the West.<div type="image" title="A scavenger drinks water while collecting plastic waste to sell to a recycling center at a landfill in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia in March 2024" height="3333" width="5000" msid="109561992" hostid="261"></div>America is now scrambling to find alternatives. One approach peddled by oil corporations like Chevron and Exxon has been to turn plastic into crude oil, which they say extends the life of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-americas-largest-waste-hauler-investing-in-a-plastic-recycler-2022-9">plastic that would've otherwise ended up in a landfill</a>. As these companies look to replace projected lost revenue from the phasing out of fossil fuels, they're lobbying to blanket the country with 150 plants that specialize in pyrolysis, a form of chemical recycling that melts plastic down into crude oil to be used for fuel and petrochemicals, as well as to make lesser-quality plastics. While advocates champion these facilities for breaking down hard-to-recycle plastics that other <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-recycling-startups-aluminum-plastic-valuable-materials-2024-4">recyclers toss aside</a>, critics condemn them for emitting toxic particles, relying heavily on government subsidies, and acting as a greenwashed alternative to addressing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plastic-recycled-into-bricks-ivory-coast-conceptos-plasticos-2023-2">the plastic problem</a>.As they're pitched as an innovation set to bring us a "circular economy" of plastic that allows us to stop making new plastic and just reuse what we have, marketing for pyrolysis and recycling overlooks a glaring fact: Plastic production doubles every 15 to 20 years.This isn't sustainable, Tim Miller, a vice president at the Ohio plastic-recycling center Royal Paper Stock, told me, adding: "But I don't know how to stop it." Pyrolysis is another sign of America's plastic paralysis.In the years after World War II, plastic flooded the marketplace as a cheap alternative to otherwise scarce and finite materials. It was hailed as a democratic harbinger of a new, utopian age of capitalism, fueling the subsequent decades of cheap consumerism that became synonymous with the American dream."The continuous flow of oil fueled not just cars but an entire culture based on the consumption of new products made of plastics," Susan Freinkel wrote in her book "Plastic: A Toxic Love Story."Plastic went from being practically nonexistent in 1940 to being consumed at a rate of 30 pounds a person each year by 1960. Just as quickly, it became a target of environmental movements protesting litter, garbage-filled oceans, and landfills brimming with plastic. Oil and chemical companies responded by looking into whether recycling was realistic or, more importantly, profitable. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/2020/09/11/897692090/how-big-oil-misled-the-public-into-believing-plastic-would-be-recycled">It wasn't</a>. So companies shifted the blame for the pollution onto consumers. The "Crying Indian" commercial, funded by beverage and packaging corporations, aired in 1971, showing a Native American character crying at the sight of litter.The messaging worked. As companies expanded plastic into every facet of life, recycling became the due diligence needed to sustain our hyperconsumption. We didn't worry about plastic bottles because the recycling truck carried them off to a new life. Companies like Coca-Cola and Nestlé slapped "100% recycled" and "100% recyclable" labels on their packaging to appear sustainable. Just last year, the Plastics Industry Association launched a million-dollar ad campaign, "Recycling Is Real," claiming that it's "not only real, but feasible and economical."While recycling is real, the vast majority of plastic isn't recycled, mostly due to how expensive it is to clean and sort it effectively. A 2022 report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development found only 9% of all plastic ever produced had been recycled; 72% ended up in landfills or the environment. Unlike aluminum or glass, the plastic that can be recycled rarely results in replacing one recycled water bottle with another.<div type="image" title="Recycling sorters at Recologys Recycle Central sort out pieces of flimsy and film plastic destined for landfill in 2019 in San Francisco" height="4480" width="6720" msid="109561996" hostid="261"></div>Instead, it's a process of downcycling — turning plastic into lesser plastics like plant containers or bins before they are relegated to a landfill. By downcycling a tiny portion of plastic waste, companies can genuinely reuse a relatively small share of plastic, while convincing consumers that the industry has created a circular economy of infinitely recycled plastic. Never mind that products advertised as being made from recycled plastic are made almost entirely out of new plastic or that almost all the 300 pounds of plastic every American consumes each year (10 times as much as in 1960) ends up in a landfill, in the ocean, or incinerated.Larry Thomas, a former president of what's now called the Plastics Industry Association, told NPR in 2020: "If the public thinks that recycling is working, then they are not going to be as concerned about the environment." And if they aren't worried about the impact of plastic on the environment, they won't threaten the plastics industry.Since 2018, the fossil-fuel and plastics industries have faced two harsh realities: Oil is being phased out in favor of clean, renewable energy, and plastic waste can no longer be exported to developing nations in the South. To replace their fuel losses, oil companies are going all in on plastic. The International Energy Agency predicted in 2018 that petrochemical products like plastic would outpace trucks, aviation, and shipping in oil demand by 2050. In a recent report, ExxonMobil predicted that petrochemicals used largely for plastics and fertilizer would account for nearly all of the oil industry's growth by 2050, replacing industrial fuel demand, which is projected to decrease. To keep expanding plastic production, however, it needs to look sustainable.<div type="image" title="A Good Year sign in Akron, Ohio" height="960" width="1200" msid="109562000" hostid="261"></div>Akron, Ohio, which hosts about one-quarter of the country's polymer companies, is ground zero for this push. Designated by the Biden administration as the only "tech hub" in Ohio, the city has received tens of millions of dollars from the CHIPS Act, which it hopes to use to create a circular economy around plastic.In 2012, Alterra Energy opened America's first large-scale plastic-pyrolysis facility. According to its website, Alterra converts "plastics back into their original building blocks to produce new plastics and other valuable products." The crude oil produced by the Akron facility is shipped to petrochemical companies around the globe to be purified and made into new plastics. But it's unclear how effective this process is.A study published in 2023 by researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that the economic and environmental impact of turning pyrolysis oil back into plastic was actually far worse than it was to make brand-new plastic. As a result, they said, pyrolysis oil is "typically reintegrated into the petrochemical industry where only a small fraction is used for closed-loop recycling."<div type="image" title="The Alterra Energy facility in Akron, Ohio" height="960" width="1200" msid="109562003" hostid="261"></div>"It has had, let's say, limited success," Miller, the Royal Paper Stock vice president, said about pyrolysis. "No one yet in the United States that I know of is just cranking in plastic and pumping out oil." He pointed to a pyrolysis facility in Oregon that just announced it would shut down after tens of millions of dollars in losses.Residents in Akron are split on the impacts of the Alterra facility. On the one hand, pyrolysis melts plastic to be reused instead of sending it to the landfill or incinerator. On the other, it emits cancerous pollutants such as mercury, benzene, and arsenic, and props up the very fossil-fuel companies that are driving the climate crisis.<div type="image" title="Kelley Sayre in front of her garage in Akron, Ohio" height="1500" width="1200" msid="109562007" hostid="261"></div>"Akron's going for 'the green city on the hill,'" Kelley Sayre, a fourth-generation Akron resident, told me, "but it's really 'the greenwashing city.'"Vicky Abou-Ghalioum, the lead petrochemicals organizer of Buckeye Environmental Network, has been working with Akron residents concerned about the environmental and health impacts of chemical recycling, but it's proved challenging in a city ruled by polymers. "People are afraid to talk about plastic," she told me. Her organization has been pushing the EPA to address the influx of planned pyrolysis facilities in Ohio, arguing that they're bad for the environment and people, and aren't even profitable.In a statement to Business Insider, Alterra Energy said its Akron facility is profitable and diverts over 100,000 pounds of plastic each day from landfills. "We operate in a heavily regulated industry and are in compliance with those requirements," the company said in response to concerns about toxic emissions. It also said one of its customers uses Alterra's oil product exclusively for making new plastic.Despite the problems of pyrolysis, many manufacturers hail it as a sustainable miracle. Companies such as Eastman Chemical Co. see chemical recycling as the solution to recycling or composting 50% of their plastic packaging by 2025, and the American Chemistry Council claims the growing industry is necessary for fostering what it calls "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.americanchemistry.com/chemistry-in-america/news-trends/press-release/2022/america-s-plastic-makers-encourage-congressional-focus-on-advanced-recycling-to-achieve-circularity">plastics circularity</a>." But these companies face an uphill battle. Former Mayor Mike Bloomberg of New York City launched an $85 million campaign in 2022 to stop over 120 proposed petrochemical facilities. "Petrochemical plants poison our air and water — killing Americans and harming the health of entire communities," Bloomberg said in a statement.In the plastic-recycling industry, pyrolysis is seen as a well funded but failing experiment. A 2023 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.beyondplastics.org/publications/chemical-recycling">report</a> by Beyond Plastics and the International Pollutants Elimination Network found that the 11 pyrolysis facilities in operation in the US required massive public subsidies, most couldn't operate at full capacity, and only two of the plants sold the crude oil to be used exclusively for plastic production. Most of it was sold to make fuels and chemicals. Based on their findings, they argued that pyrolysis was ultimately "a public relations distraction to prevent plastic regulation and prop up the profits of the petrochemical/plastics industry."Though the conundrum of plastic grows more dire by the day, there are signs of hope. In early <a target="_blank" href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/historic-day-campaign-beat-plastic-pollution-nations-commit-develop">2022</a>, the UN adopted a resolution that could send shock waves throughout the entire plastic-disposing world. Heads of state, environment ministers, and UN representatives agreed to end all plastic pollution with a legally binding international plastic treaty to be officially adopted later this year. "Plastic pollution has grown into an epidemic," Espen Barth Eide, Norway's then-minister for climate and the environment, said in the announcement. "With today's resolution we are officially on track for a cure."The resolution would establish an agreement addressing plastic at every level, from production to recycling, in an attempt to reduce plastic pollution worldwide. Organizations such as the international coalition Break Free From Plastic have said that cutting the production of plastic has to be on the table. "The oil and gas industry sees plastic as its primary growth market and is investing billions of dollars in new and expanded facilities," the organization wrote in a 2022 statement. The group recommended bans on single-use plastics, a plastic tax, and regulations that prioritize plastics that can be recycled."Reduction in the production of plastic is entirely possible," Abou-Ghalioum of Buckeye Environmental Network told me. She pointed to the more than 500 cities and 12 states that have banned plastic bags, reducing the number of bags used by the billions. "It's talked about how we rely on plastic for so many things, and it just feels like a marketing ploy to make us reluctant to shift away from it," she said. "We had everything we ever needed before plastic."The tough reality is that the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sustainabilitybynumbers.com/p/landfill-plastic-area">9.5 billion tons of plastic</a> with us will be here for hundreds of years. But how many millions of more tons are added will be determined by the types of solutions we arrive at today.<a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/taylor-dorrell">Taylor Dorrell</a> is a writer and photographer based in Columbus, Ohio.

China stopped taking our plastic. Now America is drowning in it. 

The power of <keyword id="6376566" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Plastic-money">plastic money</keyword>, which effectively promotes the ‘buy now, pay later’ policy, has become a modern-day convenience, but the global history of the earliest credit cards dates back to the early 1900s. You must have read or seen this in books or movies depicting a society where a local general store would extend credit to regular customers while department stores in the cities would do the same. Although we have come a long way from local general stores to online shopping, one thing that has not changed is the use of credit. 
 With the e-commerce and the retail industry growing at a frenetic pace, credit cards won’t be disappearing anytime soon. According to a <keyword id="6354335" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="reserve-bank-of-india">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> (RBI) report published in February 2014, there are nearly 19 million credit cards in circulation. Also, digital payments in India are expected to touch Rs 1.2 trillion by December 2014, a 40% increase from Rs 85,800 crore the previous year, propelled by the growing Internet penetration, growth in e-commerce and the ease of online payments, according to a report by the <keyword id="128625" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Internet-and-Mobile-Association-of-India">Internet and Mobile Association of India</keyword> (IAMAI). 
 
The benefits of a credit card include the ease of carrying, better security and protection, compared to cash. Increasing your purchasing power, brining in value-added benefits like cashback and reward points, and ensuring emergency protection are some of the benefits that one can easily avail through credit cards. 
 
Here are 3 quick ways to maximise these benefits. 
 
1. Go for the long run: Become a long-term customer and make sure of reasonably frequent usage of the credit card. If the credit card usage shows good credit behaviour over a long period of time, it will impact your credit score positively. Also, your chance of getting a loan, even a larger loan, from lenders becomes brighter. 
 
2. Bridge that extra mile: It is a good practice to utilise maximum of your credit limit towards the beginning of your credit cycle. Suppose your billing cycle starts from the 10th of each month. In such a case, try to make maximum use of your card closer to that date, which means around or after the 10th of that month. The more you use your card closer to the 10th, the maximum free credit you get. 
 
3. Watch out for the speed breakers: Try to avoid minimum payments on your outstanding amount. It is advisable to pay 100% of your credit card bills if that is possible. Stay disciplined and pay on time all the outstanding dues as this reflects good credit behaviour, which in turn also impacts your credit score positively. 
 

	As one of the classic ad campaign says, “There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s MasterCard.” So use your credit card prudently, always pay the full outstanding amount on or before the due date and be cautious not to leverage the power of plastic beyond your means.
 

	Watch this space for the concluding part for the article – Fee For A Credit Report Versus Free Credit Report.
 

	About the author: Satish Mehta is the Founder and Director of Credexpert, a credit and debt counselling company in India.

3 Ways To Boost The Power Of Plastic Money

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Many of the chemicals used in cosmetics and consumer plastics have been linked to adverse health effects.</li><li>Researchers studied pregnant women to gauge their exposure to chemicals associated with cancer and kidney problems.</li></ul>People who become pregnant might not realize that they are constantly exposed to chemicals that may impact their own health, as well as the development of their unborn children.Several chemicals legally used in dishware, dyes, and plastics can leach into food and water, so it's easy to unknowingly ingest toxins that would never be approved for human consumption.That's laid bare in a new study published today by scientists with the National Institutes of Health's <a href="https://www.nih.gov/echo/about-echo-program">Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program</a>.In the latest ECHO study, published in the journal <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUcE9WXIQLVn4IkljGwkTyaCtaRRYdaGi6BHcyTwKtrNUVIjuViQ9x-2BPj9-2BjoIjy1xA-3D-3DgVa4_wihLVrOFz8i8AVGgVfjsBKDIP3uqRZOyrrUHT02d2ir2VBaLdYGEnln4sLoMbNhE9dDwWdT1Lq8AbHmLo12Rr0hEObNV1Hm-2F2lY0-2Bair9nSOselRhUC397onzWdxUIljf94Nu6yH2PDokWZ6Vef6EGniSPUse38nASaG0qFFx-2FyXAU9HG3HLsFzp36UHC-2FKpG1ChvLdQR1KvonLdDQRo2qu-2BPdh2ulvq7gSdjZLn5Nj288Nebs9Nbyr1GaSbMTsAtM1Wbm3K4myNHnf8GOaCBBLAoHYtfynk4FJPbpOSpsNswDATVUTnLtztBxPpHl49-2FKAVjNQfe-2F9PUFkmSs8X-2BM7Wx79hjlzvOewZ79TN-2BsY-3D">Chemosphere</a>, a team of researchers used new methods to check for 45 suspected cancer-causing chemicals in urine samples. The study pool included 171 women who became pregnant between 2008 and 2020.Nearly all of the women included in the study had detectable levels in their urine of industrial chemicals that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28751210/">may impact child development</a> as well as maternal health.Researchers say the findings not only demand further research on chemicals in cosmetics, but they echo a growing body of research on cancer risk in understudied populations: The highest levels of chemical exposure were found in women of color.<h2>The chemicals are widely used in plastics, paint, and dyes</h2>All but one of the women in the study had the chemical melamine and its byproduct, cyanuric acid, in their urine samples. Exposure to these chemicals is extra-toxic when they are combined, the researchers noted.Although they're known to have toxic effects, both chemicals are widely used in commercial products. Melamine can be found in dishware, plastics, kitchen counters, and flooring, as well as in industrial pesticides. Its derivatives may be added to plastics as a stabilizer, or used as cleaning solvents.Melamine is classified as a <a href="https://chemicalwatch.com/79216/melamine-possibly-carcinogenic-to-humans-says-iarc">possible carcinogen</a>, since researchers have yet to determine what level of exposure is associated with cancer in humans. Most people are exposed to relatively low levels of melamine in their environments, but illegal uses of the chemical in infant formula have had disastrous effects in the past.In 2008, melamine was linked to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2799451/">at least six deaths</a> and kidney dysfunction in about 300,000 infants in China. The chemical was later detected in infant formula and pet food, and it was officially recognized as a kidney toxicant.Chemicals from a similar group, aromatic amines, were found in more than 60% of study participants. Like the other chemicals studied, aromatic amines are mainly used in industrial settings but can also be found in <a href="https://www.ec.gc.ca/ese-ees/C58F84D0-9924-43C2-A967-E4FC58242C79/FSAR_Grouping-Azo-Pkg5-Aromatic%20Amines_EN.pdf">some consumer products</a>, including hair dye and tattoo ink.Several aromatic amines have been linked to <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470204508700895/fulltext">bladder cancer risk</a> in humans, and animal studies have <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/EHP5133?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&amp;rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&amp;rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed">suggested</a> that prenatal exposure may also affect fetal development, making this group of chemicals high-priority for future research.<h2>Women of color had higher levels of exposure</h2>Researchers with the NIH gathered a diverse pool of women for the ECHO study. About one-third (34%) were white, 40% were Latina, 20% were Black, 4% were Asians, and the remaining 3% were from other or multiple racial groups. They came from six states to represent different regions of the US.Across the board, women of color had higher levels of harmful chemicals in their urine compared to their white counterparts. Separate studies of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8834979/">parabens</a> and <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41598-022-06709-3&amp;amazonTrackingID=null&amp;site=in&amp;vikingID=62df0bab2bdf18614625469c&amp;platform=browser&amp;sc=false&amp;disabled=false&amp;sessionID=16617909698096c1u607v" rel="nofollow sponsored noindex">phthalates</a>, two common chemicals used in cosmetics and hair products, also revealed a <a href="https://www.insider.com/woman-had-breast-cancer-link-black-women-beauty-products-cancer-2022-7">disproportionate impact on Black women.</a>"It's disconcerting that we continue to find higher levels of many of these harmful chemicals in people of color," study co-author Jessie Buckley, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said in a news release. For instance, in the ECHO study, Black and Hispanic women had levels of 3,4-dichloroaniline (a chemical used in the production of dyes and pesticides) more than double the levels detected in white women.

You Searched For "All India Plastic Industries Association" and got 11 results

112 Industrial Units In Wazirpur To Shut Down For Flouting Pollution Norms

BI India Bureau

All India Rubber Industries Association seeks tax reforms for rubber industry

IANS

Banning plastics is necessary, but here’s what that might cost India

Prabhjote Gill

Paper industry to capture 25 pc market share of Rs 80,000 cr single use plastics by 2025

PTI

Marico is giving ₹10 for every plastic bottle that is returned at Big Bazaar outlets in Mumbai

BI India Partner

Gadkari pitches for reducing paper imports

PTI

Which States In India Have Banned Plastic

BI India Bureau

Fighting our plastic problem: Bans and recycling mandates gain steam in the US and abroad

Catherine Boudreau

China stopped taking our plastic. Now America is drowning in it.

Taylor Dorrell

3 Ways To Boost The Power Of Plastic Money

Satish Mehta

Chemicals in hair dye may increase the risk of cancer in pregnant people — especially women of color

Andrea Michelson

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides