Squeezed for a time the juice and milkshake market is literally grasping at straws as the beverage makers face a severe deadline to ban plastic straws by July 1. So essentially from the popular Frooty, Appy, Chaas to all juice boxes are not allowed to have a disposable plastic straw starting next month.
Not equipped to make this shift due to lack of infrastructure and cost economics, the FMCG majors are now pleading with the government for a deadline for environment friendly push.
And the demand is high and not easy to fulfil - Amul needs 10-12 lakh plastic straws daily.
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The company along with Parle Agro, which owns popular brands such as Frooti and Appy, too has urged the government to extend the deadline to implement the ban on plastic straws by six months.
"There is no infrastructure at present in India to be able to produce the quantum of straws required for the industry. We have started importing paper straws to ensure the new rules are met by the deadline. However, importing is not a sustainable option," Parle Agro CEO Schauna Chauhan said.
She further said, "The percentage increase in the cost for importing polylactic acid (PLA) and paper straws goes up by 259 per cent and 278 per cent respectively. The economics just does not match up for a Rs 10 product.
Leading dairy cooperative Amul has already written to the environment ministry earlier this month seeking postponement of the ban on plastic straws by one year due to lack of adequate availability of paper straws in the domestic as well as international markets.