The FSSAI is developing a concrete action plan in partnership with all stake holders so as to be in alignment with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s call for action to eliminate single-use plastic and to develop environmentally friendly substitutes. Along with stakeholders, they will also work to develop an efficient plastic collection and disposal system in the food and beverages sector.
In keeping with this goal, the FSSAI has already initiated some regulatory measures to enable the Food and Beverage industry to reduce its plastic footprint which are as follows
- Hotels can use paper-sealed glass bottles for captive use without BIS certification inplace of plastic bottles. An order has been recently issued on this
- Use of bamboo as an alternative to plastics such as straws, plates, bowls, cutlery etc.
- Removing the restriction on use of returnable bottles for packaging of artificially sweetened beverages.
Permitting the use of liquid nitrogen dosing in PET bottles during the packaging of drinking water.
The FSSAI has also started a consumer awareness campaign called “Eat Right India for SustainableLiving” as a call to action for plastic waste management and reduction of plastic footprint in theFood and Beverage industry. To kick-start this movement, the FSSAI has roped in the Indian Cricket Captain,Virat Kohli, who has reached out to millions of fans through his social media accounts (Twitter, Instagram andFacebook) and invited them to a collection drive organised by FSSAI.
According to Virat Kohli’s message consumers were asked to bring empty food and beverage plastic packaging, plastic bottles, aluminium cans and Tetra Pak cartons for recycling in amove towards sustainable living. Thousands of people joined hands during the activation atMGF mall, Gurgaon where the India Cricket Captain himself segregatedplastic packaging waste andmotivated people to follow his foot-steps.
This campaign came a day after the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi launched ‘Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) 2019’campaign, which has a special focus on ‘plastic waste awareness andmanagement’. The two campaigns are in complete alignment with each other and will helpaccelerate the vision of the Prime Minister to free our houses, offices and workplacesfrom single use plastic.
At the event, Virat Kohli urged his fans to not just talk aboutthe problem but to also start acting on it. He further asked fans not to get inspired by (my)hairstyle or clothes but to get inspired to do good for the society. He asked them to “join hands to achieve a plastic wastefree India by participating in this campaign”
Speaking on the occasion, CEO FSSAI, Pawan Agarwal praised Virat Kohli by remarking that ‘he is not onlyIndia’s ace cricketer but a wonderful human being with a sensitive heart, who cares for the society”.He thanked the Indian Cricket Captain for his support to the cause of ‘Healthy India’ through safe food, healthy andsustainable diets. He hoped that endorsement of celebrities like Virat Kohli will help to make Indiacompletely free of plastic soon and FSSAI is committed to work with various stakeholders from thefood and beverages sector to bring about this change.
FSSAI is further asking State/UT Food Safety departments to conduct similar awareness and collection drives at public places and malls at their State capitals and major cities in accordance with the timelines of SHS 2019. It has also urged the State Level Advisory Committees to organise State level discussions around the same and devise activities for sustaining the agenda.
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