Now, Maharashtra targets existing plastic stock too

A month from now, consumers in Maharashtra will have to hand over their existing plastic stock to authorised recyclers or give them to the local bodies for scientific disposal.

The Maharashtra government notified its ban on plastic late on Friday night. The ban covers plastic bags with or without handle, and disposable products manufactured from plastic and thermocol (polystyrene) such as single-use disposable cutlery and items used to package food in hotels, non-woven polypropylene bags, cups/pouches used to store liquid, packaging with plastic to wrap or store the products and packaging of food items and food grain material.

While the use of these items will be banned from the date of the notification, it also makes it mandatory for all individual users to dispose of existing banned plastic items by handing them over to local bodies for scientific disposal or recycling or by sale to authorized recycler or industry within a month from the date of the notification.

The Maharashtra Plastic and Thermocol Products (Manufacture, Usage, Sale, Transport, Handling and Storage) Notification, 2018, has been issued under the means the Maharashtra Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act, 2006.

It has also banned the use of plastic and thermocol for decoration purposes. The ban, however, will not cover plastic used for medical packaging or that used at the manufacturer's stage or exports or that used for packaging milk subject to a buyback scheme.

Manufacturers, sellers, retailers and traders will also have to dispose of existing stocks through sale outside the State or to authorised recycler or industry.