PUNE: This year, the State government’s decision to ban plastic bags and thermocol items, stood out as an effort to portray itself as an ‘environment conscious’ state, but failed miserably with its implementation. 

The State Government on January 2, 2018, banned plastic bags and all items made of thermocol or plastic, like disposable plates, cups, glasses, spoons, advertisement flexes, non-woven polypropylene bags and banners, decorative items, flags and plastic sheets. The ban extended to production, use, storage, distribution and sale of these items. 

SOCIAL CHANGE?
Maharashtra became the 18th state to impose such a ban. However, the law had several loopholes - it came across as a hasty decision in which no alternatives were provided to citizens. 

On one hand, the ban was hailed by environmentalists, but it also resulted in loss of jobs of people working in the plastic industry.

Citizens were encouraged not to accept polythene bags from shopkeepers. Use of cloth and paper bags was promoted. Residents of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad were urged by the civic bodies to deposit polythene bags kept at their homes or shops.

Punekars ditched plastic straws and cutlery, switching to paper and wood. Some hotels even urged their customers to bring their own container to carry take-away or leftover food. 

JOBS LOST
Sameer Joshi, who is a member of the CM’s plastic task force, admitted that the government’s decision was short-sighted.

“The government had not planned any alternatives before banning plastic and thermocol. Alternatives did came up after a period of time, but the damage to the employees and plastic business was done.”

Ravi Jashnani, President of Maharashtra Plastic Manufacturers’ Association (MPMA), said, “The ban announced by the Maharashtra Government was very sudden for all of us and hit us badly, resulting in loss of Rs 15,000 crore. Around 20 lakh persons directly or indirectly dependent on manufacturing and packaging industry lost their jobs.”

THERMOCOL BAN
The thermocol industry was also not spared. Harish Jalan, President of Thermocol Sajavat Sanghatana, said, “We requested the Fadnavis government to relax the prohibition at least for the Ganpati Festival, as 80 per cent of makhars and decorative materials were ready. But on July 13, the Bombay High Court ordered complete ban on thermocol.”

RECYCLING UNITS
Among the worst-hit were the recycling units, the biggest of which is in Malegaon. Mukesh Jhunjhunwala, President of Recycling Plastic Manufacturing Association of Malegaon, said that around 40 out of the 140 recycling units - in which 60,000 to 80,000 labourers worked - shut shop. 

“More than half the labourers went back to their hometowns or other States in search of jobs,” he said.

HOLLOW EPR POLICY
MPMA Secretary Nikhil Rathi said, “The government came up with buy-back mechanism termed as Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) without doing any homework. They did not have any guidelines for it and started sealing all the plastic industries for not having EPR policy.” 

Rathi felt that quietly removing flexes from banned list indicates weak political willpower, since those are extensively used by political parties. 

LOOPHOLES
At ground level, questions were raised on how meat would be sold, if not in plastic bags. Packaging of eatables like biscuits, chocolates, chips etc was challenged, but with no result. 

Online portals were urged not to use plastic packaging like bubble wraps. Garbage disposal bags are still being sold. 

Recently, the milk pouch manufacturing units were also sealed, due to which the milk associations were planning to stop milk distribution from December 15. A quick meeting with the government earned them two months’ time to implement a buy-back plan.

However, the biggest flaw remains that plastic bags and products continue to enter Maharashtra from other states. 

BAN TIMELINE
March 23: State clarified that plastic materials like one-time-use bags, spoons, plates, PET and PETE bottles and also thermocol items will be banned. Gave three months to manufacturers, distributors and retailers to dispose off stock.