Plastic industry opposes Maharashtra govt's ban on alcohol sale in PET bottles

Mumbai: Plastic industry has strongly opposed the Maharashtra government’s ban on packaging of alcohol in PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles. Maharashtra government has announced the ban on sale of alcohol in PET bottles from 1 April. Plastic packaging is dangerous to human health and the country liquor and country made foreign liquor cannot be sold in such bottles, the state government had earlier said. [caption id=“attachment_2620154” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representative image. AFP[/caption] Many trade bodies have protested against the government resolution banning sale of alcohol in PET bottles. The All India Plastics Manufacturers’ Association (AIPMA) has written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis urging him to quash the resolution. The Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC), International Spirits and Wine Association of India (ISWAI) and the Distilleries’ Association of Maharashtra have also written to Principal Secretary, Excise, Rajesh Kumar, seeking a meeting to reconsider the ban. The All lndia Plastics Manufacturers’ Association (AIPMA) said the PET bottles are not banned anywhere in the world, including India, for any food, beverage, alcohol, pharma packaging and have been in existence for last 35 years without a single case of any casualty due to PET packaging. Industry bodies have said there is no scientific evidence that good quality PET bottles, as certified by CFTRI, are harmful to humans or leech substances if alcohol is stored in them. The BIS has approved the use of PET bottles for alcoholic beverages and drinking water. FSSAI, in its Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulation-2011, recognises the BIS standards for compliance while packaging alcoholic beverages, industry experts said. PTI