Plastic ban begins, but city sees little change as vendors continue with biz as usual on day 1

As the ban on 19 single-use plastic (SUP) items came into force on Friday, there was almost zero compliance in most places across the city, especially in the unorganised business. Officials, however, said that their initial focus was on producers of these items.

- Ujwal.Bommakanti @timesgroup.com

A visit by TOI to markets in Moazzam Jahi, Bowenpally, Ameerpet, Necklace Road and also medical stores revealed that the banned items were very much available for sale. From selling plastic earbuds at medical stores to vegetable vendors providing plastic bags that are way below the mandated 75 microns, the city did not see any difference on the first day of the ban.

“We have a huge inventory of these materials. We haven’t got the time or the resources to shift to other materials as these plastic materials still dominate,” said Chenchu Ravi, a roadside fruit seller near Ameerpet Metro Station.