Penalties have already kicked in for businesses and several, reportedly including a McDonald’s and Starbucks, have already been fined. The ban, implemented for shops and restaurants on Saturday and residents on Monday, applies to any single-use or disposable plastic, including shopping bags, plastic cutlery, PET bottles and gloves. Maharashtra has become the 18th state in India to completely ban single-use plastic, but despite a pledge by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clean up the country by the time his term ends in 2019, the ban is reportedly rarely enforced in larger cities. Businesses and residents face fines of between 5,000 rupees (S$99.48) for a first-time offence to 25,000 rupees ($367) or even three months in jail for repeat offending. Authorities in Mumbai, India’s financial hub and the capital of Maharashtra state, collected fines worth 400,000 rupees ($5,900) on Sunday from more than 80 establishments, a senior official told CNNMoney.
A ban on single-use plastics including cups, bags, and bottles in Mumbai, India, comes into effect. Mumbai is the nation's largest city with such a law, and those in violation face fines and up to three months in prison.