Though a ban on plastic is far away, as the first step to curb plastic waste, a High Court Bench directed the Delhi government today to ban plastic bags in markets and local shopping centres.

“Government shall issue a appropriate notification for forbidding the use of plastic bags in markets, local shopping centers part from hotels, hospitals and restaurants and malls where the ban is already in process,” the court ordered.

The Bench, led by Justice T S Thakur, was hearing a PIL filed by environment activist V K Jain of NGO ‘Tapas’ for a total ban on the use of plastic bags as the major source of pollution and civic nuisance in the Capital.

The order came after a court-appointed panel recommended the setting up of recycling units by plastic manufacturers on basis of the “polluter pays principle”.

“Environmentally-sound and economically-viable modern recycling units must be established by licensed plastic bags manufacturers or Plastic Manufacturers Associations on the basis of polluter pays principle,” the panel — comprising officials of Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee and Justice R C Chopra — had stated in their report.

Any breach in standards of recycling units or the environmental safeguards by the manufacturers should be dealt with stringently, the panel said, explaining its reason behind the “polluter pays principle”.