Maha milk cooperatives told to submit plastic recycling plan

Maharashtra Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam Tuesday asked milk cooperatives to submit in 15 days a proposal regarding collection, buyback and recycling of plastic pouches used to package milk.

If they fail to submit the proposal in the stipulated time, action would be taken against them under the law dealing with plastic ban violation, he warned.

Kadam was speaking at a meeting of a high-powered committee set up to monitor the plastic ban in the state.

He said earlier milk distributors were given time to collect plastic milk pouches from customers for recycling but nothing happened.

In June last year, the government imposed a state-wide ban on the use of plastic items, including carry-bags and thermocol.

The ban covered manufacturing, use, sale, distribution and storage of plastic materials such as one-time-use bags, spoons, plates and thermocol items.

All kinds of plastic bags, irrespective of their thickness, tea cups, glasses, thermocol glasses, thermocol used for decoration, plastic used in hotels to parcel food like boxes, spoons have been banned, Kadam had said.