The government banned the sale of plastic bottles containing drinking water less under 200 millilitres.
Plastic
Ban : Maharashtra has eased a ban against single-use plastic,
just over a week after it was imposed, following what sources said
was intense lobbying by multinational companies and plastic industry
bodies for softer rules and extensions.
Maharashtra,
home to India's financial capital of Mumbai, has allowed e-commerce
companies to use plastic packaging for three more months, according
to a government order dated June 30, which was published on Tuesday.
During
these three months, e-commerce firms will have to come up with a
buyback plan to collect used plastic packaging material, ensure its
recycling and disposal as well as source alternative packaging
material.
The
ban, which came into effect on June 23, had threatened a sharp rise
in costs for retailers, beverage makers and sellers of bottled water,
among other companies that rely on plastic for packaging.
Representatives
of companies including Amazon, H&M, Pepsi and Coca-Cola, as well
as plastic lobby groups, met Maharashtra
government officials days before the ban, urging them to
implement the rule in phases and relax some norms, Reuters quoted
four sources as saying on Friday.
A
senior government official, who was involved in the talks and did not
wish to be identified due to government rules, said changes to the
ban had been made after considering the industry demands.
Maharashtra's
top environment official Anil Diggikar did not answer calls or texts
seeking comment.
In
its latest order, the government banned the sale of plastic bottles
containing drinking water less under 200 millilitres. It also did not
specify a buyback price for empty bottles used for selling beverages
other than water, a move that could potentially help soft drink
makers.
Amazon,
Pepsi and Coca-Cola declined to comment on the modifications to the
ban. H&M did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The
latest rules also exempt the use of plastic packaging of medical
equipment and drugs.
Plastic
could be used for wrapping products by manufacturers, if the material
used was thicker than 50 microns, comprised at least 20 percent
recyclable material and had the manufacturer's details and buyback
price printed on it, the order said.
Maharashtra's
move to ban plastic, the first such broad action against the material
by an Indian state, comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushes a
plan to completely end the use of single-use
plastic in India by 2022.
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