Dimple Sharma
Why would you allow your family to suffer for the greed of a few? Why would you let your future generations choke under the propaganda of a handful of pseudo-environmentalists? Why won’t you support a great leader for a noble cause? If you feel unable to answer these simple questions, then you should re-think on your commitment to support the ban on the use of single use plastic.
Plastic is one thing that has penetrated deep into our social setup. It has undoubtedly resulted in an expanded market for selected few and availability of products for a large portion of the population. But at the same time it has also eroded our value system. This is how!
In order to maintain our petty convenience, we decided to compromise with the the very basis of our existence, the Mother Nature. How could we even imagine a safe and prosperous future for our next generation when we have vehemently decided to demolish our very homes?
Time and again, we have heard voices of concern for the environment, voices raised against Plastic Pollution. But none of them so powerful so as to disturb the sleeping spirit of humanity. Now, one bold leader, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, has given a ‘clarion call’ urging this great nation to come out of this fools’ paradise and support his noble vision to make India plastic free. The vision, indeed, is noble but the path is full of obstacles and hurdles. Significant among those are the distorted economic arguments and bias-laden developmental perspectives. Countering one or all of them ends up in frothing more tribulation. Tearing apart these egomaniacal reasoning has come a clear narrative from the Prime Minister when he declared that Government has decided that India will put an end to the Single Use Plastic in the coming years. Moreover, he has also urged the rest of the world to say good-bye to Single Use Plastic. Now, it is up to the nation to stand behind its leader and show the world that India can keep up with her commitments.
The very first basic steps is to get rid of all the plastic that we can actually live without. One of such plastics is what we popularly call as the Single Use Plastic. The name itself speaks for the purpose and utility of this kind of plastic. India is expected to consume approximately ’28 Billion Kilograms’ of Plastic in a year by 2020. Out of this approximately ’12 Billion Kilograms’ or 43% is estimated to be Single Use Plastic. You can easily imagine the impact of 12 Billion Kilograms of waste plastic on the environment. Even if we declare that we will be managing all of it by adopting some measures like ‘Collecting Back and Recycling’ as provided by law in the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 (legally known as Extended Producers Responsibility), that factually amounts to managing about ’01 Billion Kilograms’ of Plastic every year or more precisely ‘13.70 lakh Kilograms’ of Plastic every hour. And, surprisingly, that’s only Single Use Plastic! To give you a comparative perspective, if India commits to recycle all of its Plastic then we will be managing about ’32 lakh Kilograms’ of Plastic every hour.
To be very honest, we as a nation do not have adequate resources to manage this much quantity of plastic waste every day, 365 days of the year. The reason is simple. Managing plastic is not only about recycling it. It needs to be segregated, collected, processed, washed and decontaminated to make it suitable for recycling. A substantial part of the plastic, especially that has been made colourful by adding pigments, is not preferred by the recyclers. Likewise, the recycling of multi layered single use plastics, that you most commonly find as a packaging for your favourite snacks, is comparatively costly. You can very well imagine the infrastructure required in the entire process of collection to recycling of disposable plastic, discarded as cups, plates, spoons and glasses etc. that has been used to serve food in social gatherings. You not only need to take care of the plastic waste but all the waste that you segregate from the plastic waste. Plastic is not a different kind of waste. It is a part and parcel of the Municipal Solid Waste that India generates every year. Managing plastic waste indirectly means managing the entire Municipal Solid Waste that we generate. And, if we try to be honest with ourselves, and take a look around, we will be convinced that we have miserably flopped and failed in managing our solid waste. Then how can we keep up our spirits high on managing Plastic Waste?
According to a fact sheet issued by TERI, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had estimated the collection efficiency of Plastic Waste as 80.28% in the year 2014. Out of this, only 28.40% was treated. Remaining quantities were disposed in landfills or open dumps. The glaring truth is that substantial quantities of the plastic waste is discarded and thrown into landfills and streams and oceans, every day without a break.
Imposition of blanket ban on the manufacturing, sale or use of Single Use Plastic will at least solve 40% of the problem. We can then focus our time and resources on developing methodologies to tackle the remaining 60%. But this ban has to be complete without any rider of 50 microns. That will ensure smooth and prompt enforcement of ban by the authorities. Moreover, all discarded plastic becomes a source of pollution, irrespective of its thickness.
The ban can be imposed in phased manner too. To begin with, we can start by banning the Plastic Carry Bags (with or without handles) and the disposable cutlery and containers. Because, this is what, I hope, even the ‘millennials’ can live without. Mostly, these are used as a convenience packaging for our daily use items especially the dairy, groceries and take-away foods. There are several alternatives that may include carrying our own bags and containers or the use of eco-friendly ‘Earthen Pots’ and ‘Doona Pattals’. I need not elaborate the alternatives to Single Use Plastic. I just need to emphasize that Single Use Plastic is one thing that we can actually live without.
India can very well manage the successful enforcement of Plastic Ban. All we need to do is shun our modern selfish way of living and go back to the Indian Way of Living. We are primarily a nation of the rural people. And we know how to live in sync with our mother nature. We have always been teaching the world what our Indian Legacy has bequeathed upon us, and that is, how to be compassionate for other living beings besides our own human race. We do not need to put in any special effort. We need to stand as one nation despite our political contradictions. This is one cause where we need to stand beside our elected Prime Minister and show the world that Indian Way of Living is the most Sustainable Way of Living. Let the world know that India truly believes in the philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’.
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