The Bombay High Court on Wednesday questioned the Central government’s decision to exclude plastic flowers from the list of banned single-use plastic items. During the proceedings, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Bharati Dangre raised concerns about whether plastic flowers are capable of being recycled or if they are biodegradable.
The query arose during a hearing of a petition filed by the Growers’ Flower Council of India (GFCI), which is advocating for a ban on plastic flowers due to environmental concerns. The court scrutinized the government’s rationale behind not listing plastic flowers as banned items, referring to the Centre’s affidavit and subsequent government notifications that prohibit single-use plastics which are neither recyclable nor biodegradable.
“Is the Union government sure that plastic flowers can be recycled, or that they are biodegradable? They are so flimsy. Can they really be recycled?” asked the bench. This pointed inquiry reflects the court’s effort to understand the basis of the government’s decision amid growing environmental concerns.
The court also highlighted that existing regulations ban the production, stocking, distribution, and sale of single-use plastic items that are less than 100 microns thick, yet plastic flowers, often used for decoration and typically around 30 microns thick, have not been included in this ban.
In response to the central government’s position, the bench directed the petitioner organization to file an affidavit within two weeks, outlining their counterarguments concerning the environmental impact of plastic flowers.
