KARACHI, March 5 Though a debate has been raging over the legal status of the thickness, sale and manufacture of polythene bags, with both the city government and Sindh government getting involved and manufacturers taking the matter to court, it has emerged that the manufacturers have neither the technical know-how nor the equipment to scientifically determine the thickness of the bags.

During a survey conducted by Dawn in the Shershah area, where most plastic bags manufacturing units are located, not a single micrometer could be found at any factory and all the work was being done according to estimates. The measuring instrument is essential for determining the correct thickness of plastic bags.

Increasing the thickness of polythene bags, the CDGK believes, would minimise their use and do away with the problem of blocked sewers. While Punjab has set the minimum thickness limit of 15 microns for polythene bags, there has been some confusion over the issue in Sindh.

The Sindh Prohibition on Manufacturing, Sale and Use of Polythene Bags Act 2006 banned the manufacture, sale and use of black polythene bags, including bags of less than 30 microns thickness, and set a punishment of three-month prison term, a fine of Rs50,000 or both for violation of the act. The issue of the bags' thickness remained unresolved as both the Sindh and city governments intervened in this regard, with the result that the manufacturers went to court, where the matter awaits resolution.

It is worth noting that the issue of the bags' thickness has remained restricted to Karachi only. The government has also failed to enact the relevant rules in accordance with the 2006 act.

'Machines not available'

A number of senior workers at Shershah factories claimed that “extruders” - machines for producing more or less continuous lengths of plastic sections - being locally manufactured for making plastic for polythene bags couldn't produce plastic of more than 100 microns.“At present, we are required to produce plastic of not less than 30 microns. This limit can perhaps be stretched to up to 100 microns, but not more than that,” said a senior factory worker.

He further said the increase in thickness level would consequently raise the plastic's cost of production and render the product unmarketable. “Who would buy an expensive plastic bag in Karachi? There are no checks in the interior of Sindh and Punjab is making polythene bags of 15 microns.”

The same view was held by others. When asked about the micrometer to measure the precise thickness of plastic being produced, none had one. “People with years of experience in plastic manufacturing do not need any measuring instrument. We can judge the material's thickness by touch,” said a worker.

The production of plastic, especially for the purpose of making polythene bags, has become a major industry in Karachi. Factories with 'extruders' exist in almost every town, where hundreds of people are employed. Most units are small with two to four machines. Nothing is wasted and everything is recycled.

Though concerned about the micron restrictions that had led to raids and arrests last year, the major worry of workers is related to prolonged power failures that have cut business down to almost half.

“There is simply no profit left in the business and labourers are hand-to-mouth. Only the shopkeepers are making money. They buy the product in kilograms and sell it per bag. They are the ones who force manufacturers to make polythene bags of poor quality,” said another worker.

“Poor quality material spoils machines and it's not in our interest to manufacture substandard material,” he added.

Most of the units had inadequate ventilation, exposing workers to toxic emissions as they worked without any protective clothing.

Another view

According to information gathered during the survey, almost 90 per cent of the machinery being used in the local market for plastic manufacturing is indigenous. In fact, locally manufactured “extruders” are exported, too.

A few “extruder” manufacturers-cum-exporters told Dawn that the thickness limits for plastic bags required abroad ranged between 30 to 100 microns. “All the locally manufactured machines and the ones we are exporting can only make plastic with the micron level between 30 and 100. We never received any requests to modify the machine to increase the plastic's thickness.”

There was only one “extruder” manufacturer, however, who maintained that the thickness level can be increased to the 300 micron level on ordinary machines.

“It simply requires a small modification in the machine without any extra cost. But the million dollar question is who would buy plastic of 300 microns? It seems nobody in the manufacturing industry or in the government knows even what a micron is,” said a businessman.

“With 300 micron thickness, a shopping bag would be like a pipe. It doesn't make any sense at all. Instead of making decisions without involving stakeholders and experts, the government should rather invest in making proper disposal of garbage and creating awareness among the public about the issue,” he added.

The businessman, however, called for government attention towards polythene bags being produced with contaminated material. “The recycled plastic bags collected from garbage dumps and gutters pose a serious hazard to public health.”

The manufacturing of such bags, he said, produced more waste and damaged machine parts. “They are prepared because shopkeepers force manufacturers to do so. At times, such bags are almost of the 30 micron level. So, the criterion of 30 microns is alright for pure raw material, but not for recycled plastic bags made with contaminated material.”

When asked whether any expert was consulted to decide the thickness of plastic bags, Matanat Ali Khan, additional executive district officer of the city government's revenue department, replied in the negative and said that it was a well-known fact that thinner plastic bags found their way into the sewerage system and caused blockages.

He also stated that the department had the measuring instruments to check the accurate thickness of plastic bags and used these during inspections.