Plastic packing slips ban, only if it’s returnable

Retail shops will be able to use plastic for packaging from Thursday as the state government has decided to exclude it from the ban. While interacting with ZEE 24 Taas, Minister of Environment Ramdas Kadam said that the government will issue a fresh notification that will allow retailers to use plastic for packaging. However, this shall not be allowed for small quantities of produce and loose items.

Retailers can sell packed groceries or other material in packaging that will bear the manufacturer’s details, with a provision of buyback. Retailers associations have been demanding this move since the ban came into effect last week, and the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA) had met Kadam to discuss this demand, said its president Viren Shah.

Apart from this, plastic bin liners, food takeaway containers and festival decoration are under consideration. Nidhi Chaudhary, deputy municipal commissioner (special) clarified on Twitter that items under consideration will not be subjected to coercive action.

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There is no respite on any kind of plastic bag, regardless of micron.

Meanwhile, the BMC’s penalty booty went up to Rs 13 lakh on Wednesday as its squad visited 5,739 shops and found banned plastic in 65 establishments. “We collected Rs 2,80,000 in fines from 56 shops, while nine refused to pay,” said Chaudhary. She added that defaulters have been issued inspection report and will be prosecuted before the Metropolitan magistrate. The civic body collected 254 kg banned plastic on Thursday.

Source: DNA