Maha govt tweaks policy on single-use plastic, allows compostable materials

The official said that a panel which studied the ban on single-use plastic and thermocol items has decided to permit items made from compostable material

The Maharashtra government has permitted the production of straws, cups, plates, forks and spoons made from 'compostable' materials by making changes to the policy on single-use plastic, a senior official said here on Friday.

Satish Darade, secretary of the Environment and Climate Change department, told reporters that a panel which studied the ban on single-use plastic and thermocol items, headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, decided to permit items made from compostable material. But it will be mandatory to get approval for these products from the Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology (CIPET) and Central Pollution Control Board, he said.

The move will give relief to plastic product manufacturers, he said.

There was a demand to allow production of single-use items made from degradable materials, Darade said. In 2018, the Maharashtra government had imposed a ban on single-use plastic.