Amul urges environment ministry to postpone ban on plastic straw by one year; cites paucity of paper straws

Dairy firm Amul has urged the environment ministry to postpone the ban imposed on plastic straws by one year due to the lack of adequate availability of paper straws in the domestic as well as international markets.

The government's ban on single-use plastics, including plastic straws, is going to be effective from July 1, 2022.

''We have written a letter to Environment Secretary on the proposed ban on a single-use plastic straw,'' Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) MD R S Sodhi told PTI.

GCMMF markets its milk and other dairy products under the Amul brand.

''The plastic straw in our buttermilk and lassi is attached to the tetra pack. It is part of the primary packaging.

''So we have urged the Environment Ministry to include it as part of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and recycling,'' Sodhi said.

Amul needs 10-12 lakh plastic straws daily.

Besides, Sodhi said, the company has urged the ministry to provide local industry one year to set up dedicated facilities for producing paper straws.

''Paper straws are not available in the domestic market. We don't have the capacity. We are not getting paper straws in the international market,'' he said.

Earlier, beverage company Parle Agro, which owns popular brands such as Frooti and Appy, too had urged the government to extend the deadline to implement the ban on plastic straws by six months.

(With PTI inputs)