Drinks firms spooked as India refuses to exempt plastic straws from ban

Pepsi's Tropicana and Dabur's Real fruit juices, along with Coca-Cola's Maaza and Parle Agro's Frooti mango drinks are among the beverages sold in the small-pack format

India has rejected demands from large global and domestic beverage firms to exempt some plastic straws from a ban that takes effect on July 1, fanning fears of disruption in a multi-billion-dollar industry.

The ban on items such as straws packaged with small packs of juices and dairy products that earn $790 million in annual sales is part of India's drive to stamp out polluting, single-use plastic trash that chokes rivers and drains.

"We are worried as this comes during peak demand season," said Praveen Aggarwal, chief executive of an industry group, Action Alliance for Recycling Beverage Cartons (AARC), referring to India's