SGPC to introduce cornstarch bags to carry 'parsad' at Golden Temple, Amritsar
Eco-friendly cornstarch bags to be used at Golden Temple Amritsar: SGPC. Going Eco-friendly, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee is planning to replace polythene bags at the Golden Temple. The SGPC has roped in NGO Dalbir Foundation, which has offered to provide cornstarch bags. The innovative bags made of resin drawn from cornstarch are 100 per cent biodegradable. These bags claim to be 30 per cent stronger than the regular polythene bags along with being eco-friendly. Unlike other materials that decompose by getting divided into fragments and later being consumed by bacteria, these eco-friendly bags decompose when thrown in soil or garbage, enriching the quality of soil. On the other hand, the cornstarch resin is three times costlier than plastic which is around Rs 90 per kg. SGPC chief secretary Dr Roop Singh said tonnes of polythene bags were used and discarded in Golden Temple daily. Polybags are used not only for carrying the ‘parshad’ but also for disposing of the refuse. “Apart from it devotees donate ghee, dals, sugar or tea in polythene bags which end up generating extra poly refuse. We were looking for an alternative for long till we came across the proposal of the NGO,” he said. -PTC News
