Mumbaikars are likely to get food delivery in steel tiffin boxes which need to be returned to the restaurant right away if all goes according to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) plan. This is part of an effort to reinforce the plastic ban and discourage the use of single-use plastic.

The civic body has decided to take action against hotel and restaurant owners who continue to use single-use plastic for their day-to-day business, delivery and takeaway of food. In the coming week, the civic body will meet hotel owners associations from Mumbai to explore other options and chart a road map going forward to eliminate the use of plastic.

A senior civic official said: “The BMC is proposing alternatives to the restaurant owners such as steel tiffin boxes. This is a one-time investment for restaurants. Alternatives for cutlery will also be proposed.”

Polythene bags, single-use plastic tiffins, and aluminium foil used for packaging in food delivery land up in household garbage or clog drains on the streets, the official said.

The Maharashtra government in 2018 banned the usage of single-use plastic. However, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the rules were relaxed. The government recently announced that the plastic ban will be reinforced across Maharashtra from July 1, 2022, and added a few more items to the list, such as paper cups and plates that are coated with plastic or aluminium.

Presently, plastic packaging polythene bags, plastic containers, spoons, cups and straws are banned from use in Maharashtra.

Last month, the BMC started taking action against shops and small establishments for violations of the ban.

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