Single-use plastic materials have made a stealthy comeback at roadside eateries & small restaurants in the city, after a brief lull in their use after crackdown by state government agencies since January this year.

While plastic covers not disclosing the mandatory name & address of the manufacturer continue to be in use, ‘compostable carrybags’ have started flooding restaurants, small & big, even though there is no system in place to check the ‘bio-degradable’ nature of such materials. Markings & manufacture details of a transparent plastic cover sourced from a bakery were illegible though the shop claimed that it was ‘100% biodegradable’. Some leading chain of standalone restaurants have shifted to these ‘biodegradable compostable bags’.

R Rajkumar, secretary of the Chennai Hotels Association, said all standalone restaurants have kept single-use plastic out of their business. "We are using biodegradable plastic bags manufactured by companies that carry necessary certification of the Central Pollution Control Board. But, I do not have an answer for whether or not they are really biodegradable," he said. He also conceded that single-use plastic materials continued to be in circulation. "Of late, I can witness throwaway carry bags returning to roadside eateries. They may be used in small restaurants that are operating without FSSAI registration," he said.

When contacted, officials of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) said regular raids were being carried out to check the use of single use plastics. Though he said TNPCB had been seizing the ban materials in large quantity in the past one month in Chennai, the senior TNPCB official could not share the details of seizures.

Raipur-based environmentalist Ramjee Nagarajan, who frequents Chennai, said he could see throwaway plastics being used in restaurants with impunity. "There appears to be little implementation on the eateries front, as throwaway plastics are still used. Ironically, some shops are offering food on styrofoam plates, which is more dangerous than plastic," he said.

A woman vendor at Saidapet said accessing single-use plastic carry bags has become a challenge, & added: "We had bought these plastic bags from T Nagar.”

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