Mumbai's plastic ban: What should people with the plastic they already have?

Questions such as what should people do with the banned material, will manufacturers recycle bottles, etc remain

All polythene bags, specified types of plastic sheets, flags, banners, plastic and thermocol cutlery such as straws, plates, cups have been banned. Representation picture

With state environment minister Ramdas Kadam in his company, Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray has projected the plastic ban in the state as a tool to protect the environment, but questions remain about the effectiveness of the decision which will come into force from March 18, the Maharashtrian New Year, Gudhi Padwa.

To be implemented in two phases, the ban will first apply to plastic items that have alternatives. All polythene bags, specified types of plastic sheets, flags, banners, plastic and thermocol cutlery such as straws, plates, cups, glasses, forks, bowls and spoons, will be banned.

Also penalises consumers
What adds some teeth to the new ban, is that it provides for penalising the manufacturer, stockists and consumers. A penalty ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000 and a jail-term of three months is expected to be an effective deterrent. The decision was announced in the state legislature on Friday.

However, bottles and milk pouches have been spared as of now, with a rider that the manufacturers will have to recycle them. A difficult task indeed, because no manufacturer has made an attempt in this direction, despite the existing law demanding they do so. As a preventive measure, consumers will be asked to pay a deposit before buying a bottle of water, or soft drink, or milk pouch, and will have to give the used item to collection points and recover the deposit.

There is no clarity as to what people should do to discard the banned material in their homes, shops and other establishments. A civic official said the fear of punitive action may force people to dump such material anywhere, putting the environment at a great risk.

The question that remains unanswered is, will a small deposit – Rs 1 for a plastic bottle and 50 paise for a milk pouch – deter consumers from throwing plastic items around? And by when will manufacturers be able to recycle the bottles that they produce, if they have not been doing so in the past many years?

Recycling to be compulsory
Thackeray said manufacturers will have to sign an affidavit making recycling of their plastic products compulsory. A problem here is that the state pollution control board and municipal corporations/councils, district collectorates and ZPs which will be responsible for the enforcement of the ban, may not have adequate machinery and manpower to check any irregularities committed by the plastic production units, said a government official.

“The fact that maximum water packaging plants are based in rural areas will make enforcement difficult. There will be irregularities for sure,” said the official. Thackeray said plastic food packaging may not be replaced with biodegradable material soon because of lack of alternatives. “Other countries have alternatives. I think our country will also get them in future,” he said.

Committee to hear views
Knowing that the ban is being imposed in haste, the government will appoint a committee of experts to hear views from all quarters. A notification to be issued before March 18 will have more details.

Also read: Maharashtra cabinet decides to impose ban on plastic from Gudhi Padwa

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