BMC mulls over ‘green tax’ on plastic bags

To reduce the plastic menace, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed to impose a ‘green tax’ on manufacturers of plastic carry bags, plastic bottles and others similar plastic items. The tax will be collected by the sales tax department on behalf of the BMC and then deposited to the BMC.

Current laws have provisions for penalising retailers, shopkeepers and street vendors, but the BMC has now proposed imprisonment along with penalty. The tax will be introduced as part of changes in the Maharashtra Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Ordinance, 2006.

“The quantum of this tax is yet to be decided. Once the civic body passes the proposal in the general body meeting, it will be sent to the state government for a final approval,” said a civic official.
According to the proposal, the manufacturer has to recollect the plastic product and dispose it at its own expense. If the manufacturer presents a disposal plan, it may get a concession on the green tax.

The amendment will make it compulsory for the manufacturers to print all details about the kind of plastic being used. The BMC also wants to reduce the use of recycled plastic and gradually increase the mandatory thickness of plastic bags from 50 microns.

At present, there is a ban in the city on plastic bags that have a thickness of less than 50 microns. However, this hasn’t been very effective in the absence of stringent norms for manufacturers and users of such bags. As a result, the BMC wants a 100% ban on recycled plastic bags.

Mayor Shraddha Jadhav said: “To create awareness, we are going to observe a No Plastic week in June. It will be started on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 22.”