Maharashtra plastic ban: DNA captures the acceptance, criticism, and scepticism it has drawn

The road to hell, as the saying goes, is paved with good intentions.

Despite its obvious intent to safeguard environment and public health, the ban on plastic and thermocol products may be difficult to implement. Stakeholders admit that the state may have put the cart before the horse by not creating protocols and alternatives before announcing the proscription.

Wheels turned after Yuva Sena president Aaditya Thackeray pointed to the implications of plastic waste—plastic and construction debris were blamed for last year’s water-logging that brought Mumbai to a halt.

Environment minister Ramdas Kadam, who belongs to the Shiv Sena, swung into action and announced that the ban would come into effect from Gudi Padwa (Marathi New Year). 

The state formally notified the ban last week.

Apart from manufacturers and retailers, consumers will also face stiff penalties for violations. These will range from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000 and three months in jail, with offences up to Rs 10,000 being compounded by designated officers. Subsequent offences will be escalated to the court, which will decide the quantum of the penalty.

The state will implement this in the first phase before deciding to on extending it. 

Officials pointed to how the use of thin, flimsy plastic cups for drinking hot beverages like tea could be carcinogenic and hence, had immense public health ramifications. This will also reduce plastic waste, estimated at 3 to 5 percent of the total municipal solid waste generated in Maharashtra, which works out to a huge 1,100 tons daily. Much of this is deposited in unscientifically maintained garbage dumps, or finds its way into the soil and water bodies.

“Lesser plastic waste means fewer trips for garbage trucks, savings in fossil fuel consumption and better traffic flow,” explained an official from the environment department.

However, another official admitted the implementation was tough at the consumers’ end. After the ban was announced last week, officials said civic bodies like the BMC would create designated spaces for plastic collection units and compactors to crush plastic bottles, something that could have been done earlier.

Though the notification has introduced a buyback scheme for milk polypacks—consumers will have to pay a minimum of 50 paise per plastic bag, which will be refunded after they return the used pouch to the retailer for recycling, dairies will have to evolve a collection and recycling system. For bottles of packaged drinking water, consumers will have to pay a buyback price of Rs 1 and Rs 2 for a 1 liter and 500 ML bottle respectively.

Usage, purchase, sale, distribution and storage of PET and PETE bottles having a holding capacity of less than 500 ml has been banned. It is estimated that around 30 lakh such bottles are discarded daily and the number of 500 ml bottles used daily is 25 lakh. The total number of PET and PETE bottles generated daily is 1.25 crore.

“We must have a system of portability, wherein a consumer can buy milk or packaged drinking water from one shop and return the empty bag or bottle to another shop, which may be even stocking a different brand, for a refund. However, this may take time to evolve,” an official admitted.

He said spot-fining was “dangerous” due to the element of corruption and discretion that may creep in. A central repository of offences, which the system lacks at the moment, will help identify repeat offender.

This is not Maharashtra’s first brush with the plastic ban law. After the July 26, 2005, deluge in Mumbai, bags of than 8X12 inches (20X30 cm) in size
and below minimum thickness of 50 microns was banned. But there was no let-up in their use.