Maharashtra plastic ban comes into force from today: All you need to know

The Maharashtra government's state-wide ban on the use of plastic items, including carry-bags and thermocol, came into effect from Saturday(June 23).Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the plastic ban can succeed only if all the stake-holders support the move. 

 

"We want to promote responsible use of plastic. Therefore, we have banned the kind of plastic that cannot be collected, regulated and recycled," Fadnavis said.

 

 

1. The first-time offenders will be fined Rs 5000. For second time offenders, the fine will be Rs 10000. 

 

2. Those who violate it for the third time will face a fine of Rs 25000, along with imprisonment of three months. 

 

3. The ban imposed is on manufacturing, use, sale, distribution and storage of plastic materials such as one-time-use bags, spoons, plates, PET and PETE bottles and thermocol items.

 

 

4. All kinds of plastic bags, irrespective of their thickness, tea cups, glasses, thermocol glasses, thermocol used for decoration, plastic used in hotels to parcel food like boxes, spoons are now banned.

 

5. The government has also made a strict provision of three-month jail if plastic is found being brought into Maharashtra from any other state. 

 

6. Plastic and thermocol used by manufacturing companies, materials used in hospitals like saline bottles, and boxes used to store medicines, plastic pens, milk pouches that are above 50 microns in thickness have been exempted from the ban. 

 

 

The chief minister said that the ban puts the onus on the polluters, but at the same time some exceptions have been made so that businesses are not hampered till alternatives have a strong presence in the market. 

 

Earlier the government had given three months’ time for the disposal of the existing stocks.