“Non-woven bags with a density of more than 60 g/m² are an ideal alternative to single-use plastic”

Even as the government bans single-use plastics from July 1, the Indian Nonwovens Association, which represents spunbond nonwovens manufacturers in Gujarat, said non-women’s bags weighing more than 60 GSM are recyclable, reusable and replaceable. For use in disposable plastic bags.
Suresh Patel, president of the association, said they are currently raising public awareness about non-woven bags as there is some misunderstanding following the ban on single-use plastic bags.
He said the government has allowed the use of non-woven bags above 60 GSM as an alternative to single-use plastic. According to him, the price of 75 micron plastic bags is more or less allowed and is equal to the price of 60 GSM non-woven bags, but by the end of the year when the government increases plastic bags to 125 microns, the price of non-woven bags will increase. – Woven bags will be cheaper.
Paresh Thakkar, joint general secretary of the association, said requests for non-woven bags have increased by about 10% since the ban on single-use plastic bags.
Hemir Patel, general secretary of the association, said that Gujarat is a hub for the production of non-woven bags. He said 3,000 of the 10,000 non-woven bag manufacturers in the country are from Gujarat. It provides employment opportunities to the country’s two Latinos, 40,000 of whom hail from Gujarat.
According to the staff, 60 GSM bags can be used up to 10 times, and depending on the size of the bag, these bags have significant load-bearing capacity. They said the nonwovens industry has increased production when needed and will do so now to ensure that neither consumers nor businesses face shortages.
During Covid-19, the demand for nonwovens has increased several times due to the production of personal protective equipment and masks. Bags are just one of the products made from this material. Sanitary pads and tea bags are also available in non-woven materials.
In nonwovens, fibers are thermally bonded to create a fabric rather than woven in a traditional manner.
25% of Gujarat’s production is exported to Europe and Africa, the Middle East and the Gulf region. Thakkar said the annual turnover of nonwoven packaging materials produced in Gujarat is Rs 36,000 crore.