What is the issue?
There is a need for coordinating and systematising the efforts for reducing the use of and the ban on plastic.
What is the need?
- India generates an estimated 16 lakh tonnes of plastic waste annually.
- Every piece of plastic ever disposed of is damaging the earth.
- Plastic persists in the environment for generations.
- A fraction of the plastic disposed of is recycled.
- But most of it eventually ends up in the ocean.
- It stays in the earth, floating in the ocean or in dump sites outside city limits.
- It may be broken down into microparticles and in the food chain.
- Plastic waste, mixed with organic and sanitary matter, reduces its recyclability drastically.
- The best way to reduce plastic pollution is to reduce and phase out its consumption.
What are the measures taken?
- India’s Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 specified some regulations.
- Ban- It called for a ban on plastic bags below 50 micron thickness.
- It also called for phasing out, within 2 years, of the manufacture and sale of non-recyclable, multi-layered plastic.
- Following this, more than 20 Indian States have announced a ban on plastic bags.
- Bengaluru announced a complete ban on the manufacture, supply, sale and use of thermocol and plastic items.
- This was irrespective of thickness, and included carry bags, banners, buntings, flex, flags, plates, clips, spoons, etc.
- The exceptions are plastic for export, packaging material for use in forestry, milk packets and hospitals.
- There are stiff fines that cover manufacturing and disposal.
- However, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report highlighted that this ban was barely effective.
- Companies - The responsibility for collection of used plastic and multi-layered plastic sachets lies with producers, importers and brand owners.
- The onus of disposal and recycling of products and materials is with producers, rather than on taxpayers and governments.
- Companies should have already submitted plans, in 2016, for waste collection systems.
- This is based on extended producer responsibility (EPR).
- It could be done either through their own distribution channels or with the local body concerned.
- However, none of this has happened at any perceivable scale.
- Companies say that plastic waste is too complex or pretend to be completely unaware of these rules.
How to address this?
- Citizens need to be made aware of these rules for better implementation.
- Governments need to work with citizens to collect fines in case of violations.
- Mandatory segregation and recycling of plastic waste must be implemented before it is eventually phased out.
- Companies - Companies need to be held accountable in terms of their environmental and social responsibilities.
- Several companies produce the same type of packaging.
- So, instead of each collecting and recycling only its own packaging, companies can collectively implement EPR.
- Geographically dividing a region into zones and handling the waste generated could be an option.
- This also reduces collection, transportation and recycling costs.
- Segregation - In order to realise the potential for recycling, waste must first be segregated at source.
- This includes separation of dry (plastic, paper, metal, glass) and wet (kitchen and garden) waste at source.
- Research - There should be research on waste generation quantities and trends.
- It should also contribute to find innovative alternatives to plastic.
- There is also a need for strategies to deal with the plastic that has already been disposed of.
Source: The Hindu