Maharashtra’s New Plan to Boost Recycling !

The Maharashtra government has exempted milk pouches and PET bottles from the state-wide plastic ban set to come into effect soon.

But in an attempt to ensure that these plastic products are recycled, it will soon levy an extra charge over and above the the MRP on the products.

But don’t fret, this additional charge of an 50 paise on every milk pouch and Re 1 for a PET bottle (including soft drinks) will be refundable.

Here’s how:
All you have to do is pay the extra amount at the time of purchase of these milk pouches and PET bottles. But you can refund the money once you return these bottles/pouches to the retailer you bought it from.

Bringing to the forefront a forgotten or less used provision in the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, which highlights ‘extended producers responsibility,’ the state government will ensure the creation of a collect-back system for plastic waste reported the Times of India.

Under this the government will charge a refundable ‘recycle or reuse’ cess on manufacturers of these plastic products. These manufacturers will be able to refund the cess only when they prove that they have recycled all the plastic they have produced.

If the manufacturer fails to claim this refund by proving they are recycling their products, the government will use this amount for recycling facilities.

The final details of this tax have yet to be finalised with the GST commissionerate and local bodies as they they already have a taxation structure for these manufacturers, reported the publication.

But the overall aim of this collect-back system, is that this ‘recycle or reuse’ cess will create a pressure on plastic manufacturers to get the retailers their deal with to collect the used milk pouches/PET bottles from consumers.

And in turn the additional charge of 50 paise or Rs 1 that consumers pay, will lead them to claim the refund by returning the pouches & PET bottles to the retailers, thus completing the chain.

Reference: The Better India