Maharashtra’s Plastic Ban Plan

Why in news?

Maharashtra government's has decided to ban the manufacture, use, sale, distribution and storage of plastic materials.

What is the decision of Maharashtra on plastics?

• As a large, highly industrialised state, Maharashtra is the 25th Indian state to impose a ban on plastics.
• Maharashtra is responsible for generating the largest quantity of plastic waste 460,000 tonnes per annum.
• To address this issue the state has implemented ban on manufacture, use, sale, distribution and storage of plastic materials.
• The government offered a three-month "grace period" to eliminate existing stocks and find alternatives.
• It now intends to impose drastic penalties, including large fines and potential jail terms for violations.
• However, there is much confusion amongst the general populace and user-industries, as to which categories are permissible and which are banned.

What are the issues with managing toxic wastes in India?

• Though India has a low per capita consumption, it is still a major contributor to global toxicity due to poor waste management practices and the sheer size of the population.

• Apart from choking India's landmass, contaminating drinking water, killing animals, plastics flowing down India's rivers are estimated to contribute as much as 60 per cent of global ocean contamination.
• Industry will see up to 300,000 job losses and adverse impacts along the whole value chain due to policy measures to manage toxic wastes.
• The compliance record of plastic ban in most Indian states is very poor and the bans exist only in name.

What measures needs to be taken?

• Eco-friendly alternatives such as jute and recyclable categories of plastics replace toxic "thin" plastics, new employment opportunities will surely be created.
• Carry bag production using cloth can create more jobs than machines using plastic pellets.
• Any policy that aims to reduce plastic use must be well designed to induce behavioural changes at several levels from usage to disposal.
• Countries in the European Union use taxation policies, imposing heavy taxes on certain categories of plastic while offering incentives to make and use eco-friendly substitutes Indian can also try such models.
• After all educating consumers about the need for the proper disposal of all sorts of wastes, including plastics, is the only way for a ban be sustainably executed.

Source: Business Standard