Plastic straws cause FMCG firms indigestion as deadline for ban nears

Juice and beverage giants struggle to meet the impending ban on single-use plastics

The industry may account for just 0.05 per cent of the total volume of single-use plastics in the country. And the product it uses is just one among the 22 — including spoons, forks, plates, knives and trays — that will be banned across the country from July 1 by government order.

Yet, it is the plastic straw that is at the centre of public focus as fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies make a last-ditch effort to get the government to extend the deadline.

Specifically, it’s the plastic straws used in small tetra packs between 75 ml and 250 ml