Bombay high court had directed the state government to answer within one week to the appeals made by plastic manufacturers, as there was no remission over the plastic ban. The Maharashtra Plastic Manufacturing Association (MPMA) claimed that the ban would leave over 20 lac people unemployed and affect over 8,000 industries. The manufacturers had then moved to HC over the proposed ban. The state had issued a ban on manufacture, use, storage, distribution, sale, import and transportation of all kinds of plastic items such as bags, dishes, cups, glasses, bowls, forks, spoon, straw, containers, small PET bottles and decoration items.
However, the government has decided to lift the plastic ban on small PET and PETE bottles with volume of less than half litre. This has made installation of vending and crushing machines necessary at starred hotels, malls, tourist places and public places across the state. The manufacturers of PET bottles will also have to install vending and crushing machines at tourist and public places. People will have to pay Rs 2 extra for using each small PET and PETE bottles under the depository buyback scheme and would be refunded in case the they return the plastic bottle to the shopkeeper or to the vending machine.
The state has decided to give extension of another two months to people for disposing of the banned plastic items. Thus, implementing authorities cannot start any disciplinary action against the offenders till June 23.
