Dr. Arvind Kumar*
The choice for the first set of single-use plastic items for the ban was based on “difficulty of collection, and therefore recycling. While technology takes its leaps and bounds to help us live our life more comfortable, we must not forget that the earth should also be able to sustain this advancement. We use so much plastic in our day to day lives, at home and in the kitchen that even recycling one item you maybe wouldn’t have done before can make a world of difference. Though the central government has issued the ban, the implementation lies with the respective state governments and their state pollution control boards. The state’s actions are not up to the mark; there seems to be lack of effective implementation strategy from the states to enforce the ban fully. But India, which uses about 14 million tons of plastic annually, has not issued any advisory to stop the use of SUPs, and no penalties have been imposed following the ban. SUP products continue to be available as usual. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) chairman highlighted in a recent communication that despite the ban, the use of SUP items, specifically thin carry-bags, also continues unabated in the low-end section of the economy. It is not an easy task given that close to 26,000 tons of plastic waste is generated across India every day, of which more than 10,000 tons stay uncollected.
Plastic particles have not just pervaded throughout the environment, but are pervading our bodies too. A recent Dutch study examined blood samples from 22 healthy volunteers and found microplastics in nearly 80% of their bodies. This study contributes to the evidence that if it is in our blood, it can be anywhere in our bodies. From endless meeting like UNEA5 and 5.2, agreements like INC1 and 2, frameworks and banning plastics somehow finds its way back into our lives. For instance in India, even after imposing this ban on single use plastics (SUPs) to tackle plastic waste and worsening pollution, plastics are still in rampant circulation across the country. The ban includes almost 21 SUP items such as plates, cups, cutlery, straws, packaging films and cigarette packets. These particular plastics are the strongest threat to the environment, wildlife, and people. They contribute to rising pollution levels, close to half of all plastics used worldwide end up in landfills or were dumped in the wild and are not biodegradable. Instead, they break down into smaller fragments known as microplastics which were found in the human blood. Even UNEP has to come back on the theme of Beat Plastic Pollution for the World Environment Day 2023 theme. WHY? Because the way we produce, use, and dispose of plastics is polluting ecosystems, creating risks for human health and destabilizing the climate.
Love story with Plastics that need to break
Sometimes it is cheaper to produce new plastic products than to recycle existing plastic. Every year, more than 380 million tonnes of plastic is produced worldwide, more than 100 times the weight of the entire blue whale population. Just 16% of plastic waste is recycled to make new plastics, while 40% is sent to landfill, 25% to incineration and 19% is dumped. More focus should be on increasing resource efficiency as a way to minimise waste through greater reuse, refill and repair systems not relying on recycling to be the saviour. The negative effects they have on the environment can be reduced and transformation of societal costs into a symbiotic relationship with the planet is imperative. Some countries are able to recycle most of their plastic waste. Up to 56% is recycled in Germany, closely followed by Austria, South Korea and Wales. But the global picture is quite different – 15% of plastics go to recycling, but 40% of this waste is rejected for contamination or other issues, meaning only 9% of plastic waste is actually recycled. By contrast, metals can have an up to 100% recycle rate.
Living without plastics is not impossible, it is just hard. When you think you will be able to find a plastic-free version of all the convenient foods you consume you will realize that plastic made those foods possible like plastic wrapped freshly cut fruits, salads, veggies for stir fries and many more. Across the world, most of the plastic that ends up as garbage is material used for food packaging. The figure may be low for India, but the relatively primitive waste collection system and poor manner of disposal make the country one of the worst performers in unsatisfactory dumping and recycling. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, experts say some factors are a key to reducing single-use plastic. These include advance consultation with industries, sufficient time to build public support, strong enforcement, and the use of incentives such as the buy-back of banned plastic items.
Way Forward
Availability of sustainable and economic alternatives to cater the demand of these banned products is a critical challenge which needs to be looked into. Investments have to be adequately made to make the transition. There have to be incentives for this shift. Manufacturers have to be told on no uncertain terms. Going by track record, we have directed strict enforcement of the ban, with a focus on street vendors, vegetable markets and local markets, along with checks at borders and inspection of concerned industries. I doubt India’s ban alone would be sufficient to eliminate SUPs. There needs to be marketing of affordable alternatives as well as improvements in waste management to achieve results. If companies are shown economically interesting ways of being sustainable they will go for the more sustainable option without a second thought. Consumers can contribute to tipping the balance to the more sustainable side. The awareness has exploded and decisions like banning SUPs should not be just taken but monitored and abusers should be penalized
Making world plastic-pollution free is not going to be easy and the responsibility is not limited to one stakeholder — the plastic industry or governments, for instance. All the stakeholders involved from the production of raw materials, plastic manufacturers, giant FMCG companies, national, state and local government along with the consumers have their parts to play to make the ban a success. The plastic industry, manufacturers and FMCG companies should consider coming up with design changes in their product packaging to eliminate the necessity of ancillary plastics like straws. This will be possible when the companies come together and pool their resources to find an optimal design that not only promotes profit but also cares for people and the planet. Plastic is a victim of its own success: cheap, light and flexible. It’s so cheap that many of us don’t question using it once and throwing it away. It’s so useful that we find it everywhere. While plastic waste is a pressing problem, its properties mean that it still has an important part to play, particularly in transporting food. Negatively affecting living beings on the earth can be avoided by not just reducing, reusing, and recycling all our plastic waste but also finding sustainable alternatives. So before we give up on plastic, perhaps we should think about how to use, and reuse, it better. Otherwise with so much ending up in landfill and the environment, plastic will continue doing what it was made to do – endure.
*President, India Water Foundation
