Ashwini Choubey inaugurates conference on eco-alternatives for banned single-use plastics

The conference at Chennai Trade Centre in Chennai has been organised for the startups and innovators, that have been involved in developing solutions for many pressing environmental challenges including the development of eco-alternatives for banned single-use plastics and air quality management.

Ashwini Kumar Choubey, the Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Consumer Affairs, while addressing the conference highlighted the availability of alternatives to banned single-use plastic items is extremely important.

"The Startups and innovators have taken up this challenge and developed eco-alternatives. One Startup has made packaging material from rice stubble. The innovation not only addressed plastic pollution but will also help in reducing the pollution caused by the burning of rice stubble. Another startup has developed flexible packaging material from seaweeds," the MoS said.

"The startups and innovators are not only providing solutions to environmental problems but also assisting in the economic development of the country. The Government of India is giving focus on supporting innovators and startups through various schemes of the Government such as Startup India Mission," the MoS added.

The Minister also mentioned that there are two pillars of the government's strategy.

"The strategy adopted by the Government to tackle unmanaged and littered plastic waste has two pillars. The first is to ban single-use plastic items having high littering potential and low utility, and the second is the implementation of extended producer responsibility on plastic packaging. Promotion of innovation and startups for the elimination of single-use plastics will help us address the problem of littered and unmanaged plastic waste in the country," the MoS said. (ANI)