Plastic products are virtually everywhere! From packaging industries to advertisements, one can note the amount of plastic that surrounds them on a day-to-day basis. Thus, it may seem that the product is indispensable to fulfill even the most basic requirements but does it come with zero repercussions? The answer is no. it is a known fact that plastic pollution has become a threat to the environment. It is a non-biodegradable substance hence, it stays in the system if not used for energy or recycled.
What must come as an alarm is just how much of this plastic product is neglected and becomes the root cause of land and soil pollution as well as a hazard to marine life. Unsegregated and recycled plastic can be the reason for the release of harmful greenhouse gases.
Plastic Waste in India:
India produces 3.4 million tons of plastic waste per annum out of which, 60% is collected and segregated while 40% goes untreated, directly harming the surrounding it settles in. the sight of contaminated fallow lands, harms the soil, as well as stray animals, is not rare in many cities.
In a report by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the increase in waste in urban cities is projected to be 5% per year. Even though it is a smaller number than many other countries it is also a fact that the nation has seen per capita waste growth from 700 grams to 2.5 kg over the last five years.
What is the Government’s take on this subject?
Recently, the Union Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched the Awareness Mascot ‘Prakriti’& Green Initiatives for Effective Plastic Waste Management. This initiative is an umbrella over various initiatives which focus on the elimination of certain single-use plastic products. The country has also adopted a ban on the use of such products from July 1st. the list includes earbuds with a plastic body, thermocol, single-use plastic plates, glasses and cutlery, cigarette packages, etc.
In the face of these initiatives, we can accommodate such bans for the betterment of the environment by substituting these products with more sustainable alternatives. Many industries have started to promote their bit towards bringing out a more eco-friendly products, for example, paper straws in tetra packs. On a personal level too, substituting SUPs is important as it promotes a more holistic and environmental-friendly lifestyle, which is key to sustainable development. The lesser plastic we produce, the lesser there is to manage.