Plastic Free India, a herculean task for govt

The GOI is going to launch the Plastic Free India initiative on Gandhiji’s 150th birth anniversary. It is a herculean task for the government to ban plastic products by 2022.

Hyderabad (Telangana): The Central government is working towards banning the usage of disposable plastic products by 2022 following the lead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to reduce plastic pollution.

The Plastic Free India initiative will be launched on Gandhiji’s 150th birth anniversary. As a part of this campaign, states and union territories have been clearly instructed to ban the usage of plastic bags, cups and plates.

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is also urging government offices, public and private institutions to stop using flowers, banners, flags, bottles and files made of plastic.

Although the Centre hasn’t clearly defined what single-use plastic is, the Pollution Control Board has proposed 12 items to be included under this category. According to the UNO, non-reusable grocery bags, bottles, candy straws and sticks, disposable teacups come under single-use plastics list.

Manufacturers’ Association is crying foul that plastic industry along with country’s economy will be in the gutters if India decides to follow the same list. Industries are asking the government to exclude PET bottles from this ban.

It is a herculean task for the governments to ban plastic, which has invaded all walks of life, that too during the times of financial setbacks. Similarly, one cannot ignore experts’ suggestions that converting challenges posed by plastic to business opportunities is beneficial to everyone.

Seventy years ago, worldwide plastic production was 20,00,000 tonnes while in 2015, it was 38,00,00,000 tonnes. Till now, 8,30,00,00,000 tonnes of plastic were produced out of which 6,30,00,00,000 tonnes are leftovers and 1,30,00,000 tonnes are dumped into oceans. All the nations have vowed to reduce this plastic menace on Earth Day, 2018.

Half of the plastic products are disposable ones and take 450-1000 years to decompose which makes them dangerous.

According to Central Pollution Board census, India produced 61,000 tonnes of plastic in 1996 and by 2017, it increased to 78,00,000 but when compared to per capita plastic production of other nations like USA (109 kg), Europe(65 kg), China(45 kg) and Brazil(32 kg), India’s production is only 11 kg.

Even though plastic production is lesser in India, our poor handling and recycling methods are tainting our image on the world stage. Public health will deteriorate if central and state governments don’t enforce policies on plastic ban.

Nationwide, 26,000-tonne plastic waste is generated every day out of which 10,400 tonnes are not even collected. Animals are dying of eating from dangerous mounds of plastic everywhere while people suffer from health issues due to plastic pollution.

Supreme Court has warned that plastic menace will be dangerous than a nuclear disaster if left uncontrolled. Sweden is recycling its plastic religiously. We must consider the technologies used in such nations and devise strategies accordingly.

In 2002, Ireland has imposed fine on plastic covers usage and China has prohibited shops from giving plastic bags for free. France is also enforcing rules against plastic usage. Our Prime Minister has asked students from IITs to invent an alternative to plastic.

Keeping in view the livelihoods of lakhs of people working in the plastic industry, recycling and reuse must be prioritized. Citizens must be made aware of the perils of plastic so that they voluntarily reduce their usage. Till then, there is no end to this environmental hazard.