Pune restaurants and hoteliers’ association (Praha) have asked all their members to start providing home delivery orders in steel tiffins instead of plastic containers.
Ganesh Shetty, president of Praha, said,“Responding positively to the plastic ban, our association has decided not to use plastic items of any kind for food delivery either for packing or for home delivery. We will use stainless steel tiffin for home delivery of food items. As far as my Kalinga restaurant is concerned, I have started using stainless steel vessels from day one of the plastic ban,and it shows positive results. Restaurants are facing problems like food losses, leakage while using plastic and hence, when people come for takeaways or call us for orders, we give them the option to bring tiffin boxes along.”
Restaurant owners in the city have very limited options to pack or deliver food items following the plastic ban, hence, they have taken this move.
Rajesh Shetty, owner of Naivedyam Restaurant in Swargate, agreed that since the plastic ban, restaurant owners have been facing difficulties finding an alternative to plastic items. “We are supporting the plastic ban and hence, when we get calls from customers for home delivery, we ask them if they could get their own steel vessels or tiffin boxes.”
Some customers preferred to use apps to order food after the plastic ban instead of picking it from a restaurant. “In such cases for dry order, we use paper foil and for items with gravy, we are using foil containers,” Ganesh Shetty said.
On March 23, the state government had issued the Maharashtra Plastic and Thermocol Products (Manufacture, Usage, Sale, Transport, Handling and Storage) notification banning plastic items. On June 23, civic bodies started strict implementation of the ban by charging a fine of ₹5,000 for the first offence and ₹10,000 for the second offence. One who violates the plastic ban for the third time, will have to pay a fine of ₹25,000 and may also face imprisonment for a period of three months.
{{/usCountry}}On March 23, the state government had issued the Maharashtra Plastic and Thermocol Products (Manufacture, Usage, Sale, Transport, Handling and Storage) notification banning plastic items. On June 23, civic bodies started strict implementation of the ban by charging a fine of ₹5,000 for the first offence and ₹10,000 for the second offence. One who violates the plastic ban for the third time, will have to pay a fine of ₹25,000 and may also face imprisonment for a period of three months.
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