McDonald's and Starbucks hit by plastic ban in India

McDonald's and Starbucks have been caught in a crackdown on plastics in India.

Restaurant chains were among dozens of fined businesses in the state of Maharashtra – the second largest in India with a population of over 100 million – this weekend , said a government official.

The ban on single-use plastic items, including shopping bags, food containers and cutlery, was announced at the end of March, but it came into effect on Saturday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the plastic "a threat to humanity" in a speech this month. His government is committed to eliminating single – use plastics in India by 2022, joining a global campaign that has been made all the more urgent by research showing that there is will have more plastic by weight than fish in the oceans by 2050.

At least 25 of India's 29 states have banned single-use plastics in whole or in part, but they are often not strictly enforced.

Maharashtra is raging immediately, forcing companies to change their habits.

Hardcastle Restaurants, the franchisee that runs the McDonald's stores in Maharashtra, said they have begun using wooden cutlery, paper cups and straws made of corn starch.

But the chain has been fined because it has not yet found similar alternatives for delivery items such as plastic lids for drinks, said a spokesman. from McDonald's India to CNNMoney. McDonald's is joining with local restaurant associations to request waivers for the ban on delivery and takeaway orders, the spokesman added.

Starbucks India has not responded to a request for comment.

Fines for breaking the ban are low for global companies. They start at 5,000 rupees ($ 73) for primary offenders, up to 25,000 rupees ($ 367) for subsequent violations. Serial offenders could face a term of imprisonment.

But the ban poses a much bigger challenge for small businesses and retailers. Industry associations have warned disastrous consequences, starting with the plastics industry.

Neemit Punamiya, secretary of the Plastic Bag Manufacturers Association of India, estimates that India's plastic industry could lose more than $ 2.2 billion and 300,000 jobs as a result of the ban, local media reported.

Punamiya did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Until now, the government Maharashtra has only exempted plastic containers used to package drugs, milk and solid waste, as well as plastic items intended for export.

The Mumbai authorities, India's financial center and the state capital of Maharashtra, on Sunday levied fines of 400,000 rupees ($ 5,900) from more than 80 settlements, said a senior manager at CNNMoney. Officials in Pune, another major city of the state, reportedly collected a similar amount.

India's campaign to reduce the use of plastic follows similar moves in the European Union and the United Kingdom.

Large global companies are also doing their part, the Swedish furniture giant IKEA imposing a ban on single-use plastics earlier this month.