India’s war against plastic pollution
India won global acclaim for its “Beat Plastic Pollution” resolve
declared on World Environment Day last year. 22 States and Union Territories have joined the fight, announcing a ban
on single-use plastics such as carry bags, cups, plates, cutlery, straws and
thermocol products.
Voluntary initiatives are having an impact in many States, as citizens
reduce, reuse and sort their waste. Yet, this is only a small start. But the
depressing reality is that State and local governments are unwilling to upgrade
their waste management systems, which is necessary to even measure the true
scale of packaging waste. To recover thousands of tonnes of waste that end up
in dumping sites, cities and
towns need competent municipal systems to achieve this.
The Bengaluru-based Plastobag Industries is one of the sixteen companies
in India that have permission from the Central Pollution Control Board to make
bioplastics. Can bioplastics solve
India’s plastic pollution woes?
Most bioplastics produced globally are made from the byproducts of food
crops, they are expensive. Compared to conventional plastics, which are derived
from fossil fuels, a bioplastic carry bag could cost almost thrice as much.
With only a few municipal corporations implementing the 2016 countrywide ban on
conventional plastic carry bags of less than 50 micron thickness, there has
been no economic reason for most people to switch. In the coming years,
however, the price difference between bioplastics and conventional plastics is
expected to shrink.
Many had lost business after the 2016 ban on thin carry bags. Many firms
shut down due to the plastic ban. These people are now trying to switch over
bioplastics. In India, bioplastic carry bags have been exempted from the 50
micron rule. They are allowed to be thinner because this will let them break
down faster. Such factors can keep the prices of bioplastics down, at least in
some cases.
There is a case for greater bioplastic use worldwide and in India. But
experts caution that bioplastics, while useful, are no panacea for pollution.
This is because the key culprit today is the lack of awareness among people,
who don’t segregate their waste. A large amount of the discarded plastic today
wouldn’t be an environmental hazard in the first place, if it were properly
recycled. With most bioplastics, degradation is fast in industrial composting
facilities, but takes years in the natural environment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi should formulate a great policy that will
force all container manufacturers and snack packers to switch to microbe
degradable plastics for all sort of packing needs.
Clean India and Clean Ganga campaigns will not succeed unless we stop the
culture of "tear the snack pack, eat and throw" mentality. Plastic is
not only the problem for the human on one side but also this creates many
problems for soil, water, tree etc. on the other side.
In view of environment hazards like Global warming, Earth & Air
pollution, the innovative technologies some people are coming up with should be
really appreciated and implemented for the well-being of our environment. The solution
would be to increase agricultural land for banana trees and go back to the
traditional Banana leaves for having food and jute bags instead of plastic bags.
No approvals required, and would also benefit farmers a great deal.
Our culture of littering has to change. One must have noticed a kit with
shopkeepers when they lock and leave for home. The kit contains plastic to be
disposed enroute home on the roadside. Some others set fire to plastic on
roadsides. Both are dangerous to environs. Why people behave like this? It
would be good if a waste disposal barrel is established in front of every home
and shop so that the municipality men can collect them and dispose them without
harming the environment.
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