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Environment

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June 08, 2018

Despite the fact that 18 Indian states have banned plastic use and the laws to regulate plastic use and recycling have been in place since 1999, India remains a major producer of plastic waste that ends up in the oceans. Critically examine what contributes to such situation and suggest measures to beat plastic pollution. (200 words)

Refer – Live mint

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IAS Parliament 6 years

KEY POINTS

·        Like most environmental laws, the missing key remains implementation.

·        The reasons cited are

1.      Lack of adequate infrastructure

2.      Absence of trained and adequate staff

3.      Overall lack of awareness

4.      Information asymmetry

5.      Wavering political will

Suggestions

·        Redesign and innovate – The most efficient way to deal with the pollution is to control the production and distribution of plastics.

·        The very nature of plastics has to be changed from being cheap and disposable to durable, reusable and fully recyclable.

·        Banning single-use bags and making consumers pay a significant amount for the more durable ones is a feasible solution.

·        Improve waste collection, sorting and reprocessing

·        Enforcing the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, which require segregation of waste, will retrieve materials and greatly reduce the burden on the environment.

·        For a country which generates more than five million tonnes of plastic waste per year, reliance on the informal sector for managing our plastic waste will not yield results.

·        Waste separation can be achieved in partnership with the community, and presents a major employment opportunity.

·        Scale up the adoption of reusable plastic packaging.

·        Establish a global plastics protocol.

·        Create viable markets for recycled plastics.

·        Put in place deposit schemes.

·        Establish clear regulatory frameworks for biodegradable plastics.

·        If only we had strong local bodies with trained staff, implementation would be so much better.

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