Munnar bans plastic bags and bottles under 500ml July 1
Starting July 1, Munnar (Kerala's popular hill station) is banning plastic carry bags and water bottles under 500 ml.
For the first 10 days, officials will just give warnings, but after that, non-compliant shops face fines starting at ₹5,000, and repeat offenders could pay up to ₹1.25 lakh.
Munnar offers residents 25% of fines
Plastic waste makes up over 80% of Munnar's garbage and costs the town over ₹2 crore from its plan fund to manage.
The ban also covers using plastic bags for serving or packing food.
Locals can now report illegal dumping with video proof and get a reward: 25% of whatever fine is collected!
Panchayat President S. Vijayakumar pointed out that tiny water bottles are a big problem because they clog drains and pile up after events like weddings.
The hope is to cut down waste and use those savings for better community projects.