Food delivery apps to face plastic heat

Upping the ante in the battle against plastic use, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is set to ban the plastic cutlery used by app-based food delivery companies in Bengaluru.

The civic body will soon issue a notification directing app-based food aggregators to stop using plastic items for packaging.

Speaking to DH, BBMP special commissioner Randeep D said the companies will be given “time till March 31” to shift from “plastic packaging to reusables or encourage the public to use their own cutlery”.

“If the food delivery apps fail to adhere to rules, the BBMP will take action along with reporting to regulatory authorities like the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB),” he said.

The plastic bags, boxes, spoons and cutlery that come with home delivery of food are a big source of plastic waste in the city. The civic body has banned using of plastic above 40 microns in the city. Last year, the BBMP had banned all single-use plastic in its offices and civic initiatives, in a step towards reining in the plastic menace.

In July 2018, the BBMP Council had passed a resolution to cancel the trade licences of shops and commercial establishments continuing to use plastic bags.

In September 2018, the civic body had issued special guidelines to wedding and banquet halls, banning plastic and had recommended the use of steelware.

For the last few months, BBMP health department officials have been raiding shops, malls, and hotels using plastic materials in violation of rules, cancelling the trade licences in some cases.

Wilma Rodrigues, CEO and founder, Saahas Zero Waste, said, “App-based food aggregators have to study the regulation and follow it. They have to get clarification from the BBMP and KSPCB to implement the eco-friendly packing rule successfully to curb pollution by plastic.”