Page 26 - Plastics News June 2018

FeAtures

All you need to know about the Plastic ban in Maharashtra

As per the notification, violators will be fined Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 for the first and second-time offense. A
third-time offender will have to shell out Rs 25,000 and may also face imprisonment for a period of three months.

rom June 23, India’s second-populous state Maharashtra used to wrap and store the product is also included in the
Fwill start penalising all those found using plastic ban. Apart from this plastic straw, non-woven polypropene
products, including single-use disposable items. The bags, pouches and any other plastic used to store, package
Devendra Fadnavis-led state government enforced the and transfer food items will no longer be permitted in
ban after issuing the Maharashtra Plastic and Thermocol the state. Besides, it has banned the use of plastic and
Products (manufacture, usage, sale, transport, handling, thermocol for decoration purposes.
and storage) notification in March this year. The government Plastic items excluded from the ban
had given the manufacturers, distributors, and consumers
a period of three months to dispose their existing stock * Plastic used for packaging medicines and drugs
and come up with alternatives to plastic usage. * Food grade virgin plastic used for packaging milk

* Compostable packaging bags used for horticulture
and agriculture purposes

* Plastic bags used for exporting goods
* Plastic used at the manufacturing stage
* Plastic used for handling of solid waste

Milk bags and water bottles
Plastic milk pouches will have to be more than 50 microns
thick and should be recyclable. However, on such plastic
bags used for this purpose, the price for buyback should
be clearly printed. It simply means you can take your
The plastic industry has slammed the government calling
it “retrograde step.” With its huge dependence on plastic empty milk bags back to the seller in return for which he
and lack of alternatives to the banned products, one will pay you back Rs 0.50.
wonders if the plan would be a success. Here is all you What is the fine if found using these plastic products?
need to know about the Maharashtra plastic ban What is As per the notification, violators will be fined Rs 5,000
allowed and what’s banned
and Rs 10,000 for the first and second-time offense. A
What is the plastic ban about and when was it implemented? third-time offender will have to shell out Rs 25,000 and
may also face imprisonment for a period of three months.
The Maharashtra government on March 23, 2018, banned
the manufacture, usage, sale, transport, distribution, While the ban will be implemented within Maharashtra,
wholesale and retail sale and storage, import of plastic passengers coming to the state from other parts of the
bags with or without handle, and disposable products made country are also expected to maintain caution while
out of plastic and thermocol. Citing the environmental disposing plastic at stations.
risks and harm caused to wild animals from ingestion or Who will implement and monitor the ban?
entanglement in plastic, the government enforced the
ban with immediate effect. Officials from Maharashtra Pollution Control Board
(MPCB) and district and local administration have been
What all plastic products are covered under the ban?
authorised to implement it. For regulating this law at
Under the notification products manufactured from plastic tourist locations, tourism police, or Maharashtra Tourism
and thermocol have been covered under the ban. As a Development Corporation has been made responsible. The
result usage of plastic bags with a handle and without government has also formed an association comprising of
handle, disposable cups, and plates, spoons, forks, glasses, plastic manufacturers, ministry officials and environmental
and containers is prohibited in the state. Plastic packaging experts to oversee the implementation of the ban.

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