| Name of Program |
Maharashtra Plastic and Thermocol Products Notification 2018 |
| Date Implemented | Implemented in 2018, updated 6/14/2019. [1] |
| Containers Covered |
|
| Refundable Deposit |
|
| Fees and Taxes |
TBA |
| Program Success |
N/A |
Details
On March 23, 2018, the Indian state of Maharashtra issued a Notification to place deposits on single-use PET plastic beverage bottles and milk pouches. [2] The Notification cites the increasing economic and ecological costs of non-biodegradable plastic litter and waste as the impetus for the move, being part of a larger initiative to ban single-use plastic products in the state. [3] Though the program was initially expected to start in July, it was delayed for at least a month before full implementation. [4]
Manufacturers began selling deposit-bearing PET bottles in July 2018. [5] However, buy-back plans for milk pouches have not yet been implemented, with dairy manufacturers and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) having not yet reached an agreement. Milk dairies across the state opposed the scheme due to difficulties in implementation; as of October 2019, the MPCB are still waiting on the government to confirm and approve the submitted plans. [6]
Footnotes
[1] "Waste Management: Plastic Waste." Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. 2019.
[2] "Maharashtra Plastic and Thermocol Products (Manufacture, Usage, Sale, Transport, Handling and Storage) Notification 2018." Environment Department. March 23, 2018.
[3] “Illustrative pictorial information about the banned and unbanned plastic and thermocol items.” Government of Maharashtra Environment Department. July 10, 2018.
[4] "Maharashtra: Plastic buyback scheme put off by at least a month." Jain, Bhavika. The Times of India. July 10, 2018.
[5] Maharashtra Plastic Ban: Companies start buyback scheme on PET bottles; price details you must know.” The Free Press Journal. July 21, 2018.
[6] "Plastic ban: Most dairies in Maharashtra yet to start buying back and recycling of milk pouches." The Indian Express News Service. October 1, 2019.
Last Updated on May 22, 2023.