Strict clamp down on single-use plastic in Maharashtra

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) reiterated its stand on the use of single-use plastic. Readers of PrintWeek will recall that the ban was initially enforced in 2018. The Maharashtra government had revised the ban partially in 2022, which allowed the manufacturing and usage of some plastic items, such as single-use disposable plastic items like straws, spoons, forks, cups, plates, glasses, and containers like bowls, among others that were made of compostable plastic material.

The Central government amended the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, which prohibited specific single-use plastic items in India in August 2021. The Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022, came into effect on 1 July 2022, banning nationwide manufacturing, importing, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of specific single-use plastic items with low utility and high littering potential.

The city of Mumbai continues to use single-use plastic, especially by restaurants and hawkers despite the ban. The production of single-use plastic items has ceased in the city and is being imported from neighbouring states. To clamp down on the usage of single-use plastic, the authorities have issued a warning that there will be no leniency towards restaurants and hawkers flouting the ban. The BMC will also implement better segregation and recycling initiatives to better manage plastic disposal.

Despite the ban, single-use plastic items are being used. A plastic waste management expert who spoke to PrintWeek said, "There is a need for cheaper and environment-friendly alternatives that can be scaled. With investments in R&D for alternatives and biodegradable products, single-use plastic can be replaced."