TNPCB plans to have vendors outside temples replace plastic packaging with eco-friendly alternatives

TNPCB launches eco-friendly packaging pilot project at Chennai temples to reduce plastic waste and promote sustainability.

In a bid to reduce plastic waste and promote sustainable practices, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) will soon launch a pilot project introducing eco-friendly alternative packaging materials for flower vendors outside three prominent temples in Chennai. This initiative aims to eliminate the use of plastic covers for archanai articles, which are bought by visitors daily and discarded inside the temple.

The pilot will be rolled out at the Sri Parthasarathy Swamy temple in Triplicane, the Kapaleeshwarar temple in Mylapore, and the Marundeeswarar Temple in Thiruvanmiyur, three of the city’s major and most frequented temples. Vendors selling flowers, fruits, and other religious offerings will be encouraged to switch from plastic to biodegradable and reusable materials such as cloth bags, palm leaf containers, and recycled paper covers.

The initiative is part of the Meendum Manjappai campaign, which promotes non-plastic alternatives. Depending on the success of the pilot, TNPCB plans to expand the project to other temples and public spaces across Tamil Nadu. 

A TNPCB official said: “This project is a continuation of Tamil Nadu’s larger mission to combat plastic pollution. Temples were chosen because they are high-footfall areas, and this effort can create significant awareness among devotees.” The pilot project will be carried out in collaboration with the State’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department. The issue of avoiding single-use plastic for flower packaging has been a challenge, according to an official.

R. Sumitra, a regular visitor to the temples in Mylapore and Triplicane, said while most temples had already eliminated plastic, items such as flowers and small camphor balls come in plastic packaging, which often end up on temple grounds. She hoped the new initiative would help eradicate plastic use altogether in these areas.

Flower vendors have expressed optimism about the new initiative. “If these alternatives are affordable and easily available, we’re happy to make the switch,” said a vendor near the Kapaleeshwarar temple.