Paper Cup Ban Ahmedabad: No More Disposable Tea Coffee Cups

Most of these tea sellers learned about the ban through newspapers or word of mouth. The coffee and tea chains in the city are also implementing the bans.

Glass cups or kulhads have replaced paper cups at tea stalls as the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's decision to ban paper cups in the city will come into force from Friday. The AMC decision was taken after it was found that paper cups clogged the drains.

According to Harshad Solanki, Director of the Solid Waste Management Department at AMC, Ahmedabad disposes of about 25 lakh paper cups daily. "They choke the drains. These cups are not exactly paper cups as they have a thin coating of plastic and cannot be torn. Their disposal is difficult, and they create a lot of litter," Solanki said.

The ban was announced on January 15. The tea vendors and other shop owners were given until 20 January to switch to alternatives such as ceramic, glass, terracotta (kulhad), or steel cups. "After 20 January, we will start sealing the shops and stalls selling these cups. No fine has been imposed. Moreover, these cups cost these vendors a lot, too," said Solanki.

"We are targeting the users here. They are discouraged from using the cups. Our focus is not on banning the production (of paper cups)," Solanki clarified.

He added that for the past two months, more of these cups have been disposed of, and vendors' shops were sealed if they were found using them. The department has been running a campaign for the past 15 days to discourage the use of paper cups and convince vendors to switch to alternatives. The civic body has claimed to have received a positive response.

However, Nepal Singh, who runs a tea stall on Nyay Marg in the Bodakdev area, said many of these vendors do not have the water to wash the alternative cups frequently. "Plus, customers have issues using the glass cups due to the hygiene part. This has become a major problem after the COVID-19 pandemic," the 35-year-old said.

Singh used to buy nearly 400-500 paper cups daily, which cost him 20 paise to 500 paise per piece, depending on the size of the cups. "First, for the customer's sake, we might have to buy kulchas, and given the purchase cost, we will have to increase the cost of tea. Second, after the ban is fully imposed, the glass cups will also increase costs," Singh added.

Depending on their size, a glass cup costs around Rs 10, while a small terracotta cup, known as a "kulhad", retails for around Rs 5. However, many tea stalls, such as those lined on the SG Highway near Karnavati Club, welcome AMC's decision. "The ban has saved us from the cost of purchasing disposable paper cups. Purchasing the glass cups (Rs 4 each) is a one-time thing and prevents litter.

However, we are not planning to keep kulhads as they cost about Rs 3 each and cannot be reused. My customers are excellent with it," said Dinesh Desai, a tea stall owner. He says he keeps around 30 glass cups in his stall after the ban and washes them in two water buckets beside them.

Most of these tea sellers learned about the ban through newspapers or by word of mouth. The coffee and tea chains in the city are also implementing the bans. "We have stopped using the paper cups that the corporation has banned. However, our cups are not plastic-coated and therefore do not fall under this criterion. These can be recycled as well. If required, we will go for alternatives like ceramic or glass cups," said one of the city's waiters at a tea cafe chain.

Musfik Alam, a 35-year-old tea stall owner in Jamalpur, said the ban has affected some of his customers and the takeaways. "There were customers who used to take tea to nearby shops daily. So, I used to give cups with the parcel as well. Now, it isn't easy to sell to them. The glass cups that we are using cannot be given. We also have to wash them frequently. That is a bit vexing."