Udhagamandalam: In a first in the state , the Coonoor municipality has done away with the use of ballpoint in the office to reduce use of single-use plastic.Instead, officials and workers in the office started to use fountain pens since Monday.During his speech after unveiling the tricolor on Republic Day, Coonoor municipal commissioner K Balu stressed the need for reducing plastic trash, especially one-time use, at source.Taking a cue from the speech, the Coonoor municipal workers’ association took a decision to avoid usage of ballpoint pens in the office and instead use fountain pens.Speaking to TOI, Balu said, “It is a good initiative taken by the workers to avoid using ballpoint pens in the office. Since Monday, the initiative is being implemented in the office.”He said, “Gradually, the initiative would be introduced in municipal schools in Coonoor. It is nothing but going back to the old method of environment-friendly.”The Coonoor municipality collects 10-11 metric tonnes of garbage daily, of which around 1 tonne is recyclable plastic.“During tourist season time, the amount of garbage collection would increase. A bio-mining plant is coming up in the dump yard to compost wet wastes,” the official said.‘Clean Coonoor’ initiative has been rendering a helping hand to the Coonoor municipality in segregation of garbage and creating anti-plastic awareness among the public.Dr Vasanthan, a representative of ‘Clean Coonoor’ initiative said, “Everything starts from home. Thus, the Coonoor municipality has set an example in minimizing plastic trash, though in a small way.”