Drive against plastic: Cloth bag vending machine to be installed at Maharashtra secretariat

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government is planning to set up a cloth bag vending machine at Mantralaya (state secretariat) here in its drive against single-use plastics ahead of the World Environment Day on Thursday, an official said.

All departments at the secretariat have been asked to collect and deposit the single-use plastic items at their offices as part of the drive, he said.

The state Environment and Climate Change Department is planning to install the cloth bag vending machine at the secretariat on Thursday as a demonstration for daily visitors, the official said.

It issued an order on Tuesday, asking all the departments to deposit the single-use plastic items in their offices at the Trimurti location in the Mantralaya.

The environment department has already installed cloth bag vending machines at prominent locations, including the Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple in Pune and a temple at Parli Vaijanath in Beed district.

These machines dispense eco-friendly cloth bags for Rs 10, encouraging sustainable alternatives to plastic bags, which pose significant environmental concerns.

At the inauguration of the facility in Pune last month, state Environment Minister Pankaja Munde stressed the importance of raising awareness about plastic-free alternatives.

"Religious sites see an extensive use of plastic bags. By adopting options like these cloth bag vending machines, we can significantly contribute to environmental conservation," she said, commending the Dagdusheth Trust for its support.