Maharashtra plastic ban: 25 spots get waste bins only for plastic

For the effective implementation of the plastic ban across the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to install separate waste bins to collect plastic at 25 important locations across all wards.

Nidhi Chaudhary, additional municipal commissioner (Special), said that the specially-designed bins have been installed near the BMC headquarters in A ward. "In the next one week, separate bins will be put across all wards to collect plastic from residents," said Chaudhary.

Initially, the bins will be installed at Gateway of India, Girgaum and Juhu Chowpatty, Dadar flower market, Colaba Causeway, Mangaldas market, Crawford market, Fashion Street, Chor Bazar and Jhaveri Bazar among other important and crowded locations. The number of bins will increase in the coming days, said Chaudhary, and added, "All municipal markets will have separate bins for plastic collection."

Chaudhary said that the bins have been designed differently so that people can identify them easily. "We coloured old bins that we already had in store to make them available immediately," said Chaudhary, adding that the bins feature a logo which indicate they are meant to make the environment green.

The civic body has also been planning to use vehicles that will collect plastic from housing societies. "BMC is going to take a number of measures to implement the plastic ban effectively. These will include creating awareness through advertisements and separate bins to collect plastic," said Chaudhary. "We want people to take this decision positively to protect the environment and start using alternates like cloth bags," concluded Chaudhary, who said that she has already come across instances where shops have stopped using plastic.