Plastic bottles of soft drinks are exempt from the ban as of now, Aaditya Thackeray said (File)
The Shiv Sena-led government will make Maharashtra single-use plastic free of by May 1, Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray told the legislative council on Friday.
In 2018, the Maharashtra government had imposed a ban on manufacturing, use, sale, distribution and storage of plastic materials that included one-time-use bags, spoons and plates, among others.
"Single-use disposable plastic items such as carry bags, straws, cups and plates are already banned in the state. However, these items are still found in markets," Mr Thackeray said, responding to a question by Ramhari Rupnavar of the Congress.
"I have asked officials of my department to make Maharashtra free of single-use plastic items by May 1," he added.
Plastic bottles of soft drinks are exempt from the ban as of now, he said.
The government has also fixed the buying rate at Rs 15 per kilogram under buy-back policy of plastic items from conservancy workers, the minister said.