Plastics is the best example of how Scientific discoveries can have an unforeseeable consequence. It was a result of years of scientific iterations of knowledge therefore it’s difficult to ascribe it to (and hence to “blame”) any one creator.
Plastic is a fantastic material that was created with the economy in mind. The dirt-cheap price and incompetable economy of scale made it a habitual necessity for all kinds of amenities be it the handle of pressure cooker, the glass panel holder in airplane or the keys of laptop in which I am writing this article. From household chores to office, we can barely find any place, any device, any utilities, or appliances which is devoid of plastic made items or does not have a component made up of plastic.
But the terrible news is that scientists have found traces of plastics (especially nano plastics, a microscopic plastic particle with a negative charge) within our body. To add a cherry on the toping (pun intended) it has the potential to pass right through the blood-brain barrier, which serves as a protective barrier for your brain.
Plastics need the usage of fossil fuels in their production. In a world where the leaders are becoming excessively jittery over greenhouse gas emissions, plastic production is nothing less than a crime. The situation is exacerbated further by the single-use plastics, which requires 5-10 times more energy in its production than a recyclable plastic. Because of the lightweight nature of plastics, they can move long distances and represent a threat to both terrestrial and aquatic species.
A significant difficulty to find an economically feasible alternatives to single-use plastic goods and to choose the most sustainable ones after analysing their life cycle and environmental impact, have made the situation worse. Currently, the alternative market does not address economies of scale, as single-use plastic does. Local governments have pushed for developing smaller company models for alternative industries; but clearly, this is insufficient and still in its infancy.
According to the United Nations, if we continue to consume at our present rate and existing waste management procedures remain unchanged, there will be around 12 billion tonnes of plastic fouling landfills and the environment by 2050. While according to scientists, the world's oceans may contain more plastic than fish by 2050. Governments and campaigners all across the globe have declared war on plastic to save the ocean and preventing marine species from being hurt by this manmade disaster. The need of the hour is for us to use plastic less and recycle it more.
Policy decision of Indian Govt. and a discussion in Indian Context
The DCPC's 'Report on Single-Use Plastics' categorizes plastic items based on their environmental effect and usefulness, with those with the lowest utility and largest environmental impact being suggested for phase-out. State/UT Governments and vital central ministries/departments have been asked to produce a comprehensive action plan for eliminating single-use plastics and the successful execution of the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, as well as a timeline for implementation.
All States/Union Territories have been given directions under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to put up an institutional structure to increase enforcement of the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016.
With an aim towards low-plastics economy, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, has notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, which prohibits identified single-use plastic items with low utility and high littering potential by 2022, in line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's clarion call to phase out single-use plastic by 2022, keeping in mind the negative impacts of littered plastic on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
From July 1, 2022, the manufacturing, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of certain single-use items, such as polystyrene and expanded polystyrene will be outlawed. Earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (commonly known as thermocol) for decorating, plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping, or packaging films used for sweet boxes, invitation cards, and cigarette packets, plastic, or PVC banners smaller than 100 microns, and stirrers are among the items included in the statement.
We expect that the planned ban is based on data specific to India and will strike a balance between the harmful use of single-use plastics and the livelihoods of garbage pickers, because more than 1.5 million trash pickers earn their livelihood by removing abandoned goods from mixed rubbish, sorting them, and selling them to waste dealers, who clean and sort them again before selling them to dealers.
The ban can have a Positive impact on the recycling industry as well. In recent decades, the recycling business has experienced rapid growth, which has resulted in social, environmental, and economic advantages for society. One of these is the establishment of jobs and recycling self-employment prospects in the recycling business. Those interested in pursuing a career in the recycling business can take advantage of training opportunities.
Solid waste management is a highly automated process that requires just a tiny amount of human work. Recycling, on the other hand, can be a time-consuming process. It includes actions like collecting, sorting, processing, and ISRI and other support functions, including facility operations, sales, and logistics.
Additionally, involving young minds to come up with a curated hyperlocal policy in terms of waste management is also desirable. The "India Plastic Challenge – Hackathon 2021" is a one-of-a-kind competition that challenges start-ups/entrepreneurs and students from Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to come up with creative ideas to reduce plastic pollution and find alternatives to single-use plastics.
The problem of plastic management and slowly weeding it out of the system is really a complex task specifically in a developing country like India. The Indian attitude of “Chalta he...!” may be a correct mindset in living a minimalistic life but that is totally not applicable to the environmental rules (which we take it to be granted). We have regulations, but we don't follow them (sometimes because of negligence and sometimes because of “chalta he ...!” mindset).
Conscious Individual decisions like switching to a reusable water bottle or using cloth bags instead of plastics, avoid littering and using dustbin can go a long way. A collective change in people’s habit is the only solution to this problem.
- Team Prakriti, IIT Kanpur