A late-evening order on 1 December by the Maharashtra government has lifted a four-year plastic ban. With this, the government has allowed the use, storage, trade, distribution, and transportation of all single-use disposable items, including spoons, straws, plates, cups, glasses, forks, and containers that are made from compostable material.

The decision has been issued after an empowered committee meeting chaired by Eknath Shinde, the chief minister of Maharashtra, and Devendra Fadnavis, deputy chief minister, permitted the production and distribution of single-use plastic using compostable material.

The notification has made it mandatory for the makers or traders of one-time-use items made of compostable material to obtain a clearance certificate from the Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology and the Central Pollution Control Board.

As per the ECCD, "The notification directs the manufacturers to obtain the permission in advance, and items will have notification of the certification from the office concerned."

The ban on plastic in the state of Maharashtra came into effect from 23 June 2018. The state government, in a notification on March 23, had clamped down on the use of plastic in a bid to fight pollution. 

The notification banned manufacturing, use, sale, distribution and storage of plastic materials such as bags, spoons, plates and other disposable items. 

Under the notification, products manufactured from plastic and thermocol have been covered under the ban. As a result, usage of plastic bags with a handle and without handle, disposable cups, and plates, spoons, forks, glasses, and containers is prohibited. Plastic packaging used to wrap and store the product is also banned.

Apart from this plastic straw, non-woven polypropylene bags, pouches and any other plastic used to store, package and transfer food items will no longer be permitted in the state. Besides, it has banned the use of plastic and thermocol for decoration purposes.