Nowadays plastic plays an important and practical role in everyone’s lives. Indeed, plastic is known for its diverse valuable uses, from bottles of water to disposable cutlery and cups and plastic shopping bags. Speaking of disposable carry bags, we all have a large plastic bag at home with lots of folded bags inside. These are only a few examples of the consumption we make of it.
The United Nations claims that as plastic is low-cost and weightless, its production has raised sharply over the last century, and this trend might continue for the next decades. However, countries are now experiencing huge difficulties in managing the amount of plastic waste they have generated. Indeed, a global material balance study about plastics states that 79% of the plastic fabricated, invade our environment as waste.
The same happens in India, where according to the Central Pollution Control Board, every day there is a plastic waste of around 25.940 tonnes, which means that per year is up to 9.6 million tonnes. In this regard, over 60% of plastic waste (around 25 tonnes) is collected and recycled, whereas the director of the Foundation for Campaign Against Plastic Pollution claims that the rest part which is around 40% (10 tonnes) remains uncollected and left in the environment.
Globally, plastic bags are consumed annually for a total of between one and five trillion.
Soon, the Indian people will need to give attention to the environmental threat that the single-plastic use is causing and embrace alternatives to cling film, disposable cutlery, straws, and carry bags. Indeed, following the 2019 intentions to tackle plastic pollution in the country, the Indian central government reported that the ban on the majority of single-use plastic will take place effectively from the first of July 2022. This is the fits step to decrease plastic pollution.
The new order of rules has proposed to interdict the production, the sale, the distribution, the import, of determined single-use plastics. The ban will follow three stages.
The first stage of SUP that was proposed, consists in eliminating flags, cotton buds, candy wrappers, and sticks used in balloons.
The second stage sees the elimination of disposable cutlery, cups, plates, straws, trays, cigarette packets, packing films. The third category sees the forbiddance of non-woven bags.
It is extremely important to provide awareness about what single-use plastic is, and its elimination. The Government organized and launched a two-month Awareness Campaign of Single-Use Plastic 2021. As well as this, the Ministry has created an essay writing competition to raise awareness among the students of the country and help them to familiarize themselves with the topic.
To tackle the single-use plastic and eliminate the huge plastic waste that occurs daily worldwide, and of course in India, it is crucial to understand what is being wasted, which amount, and the reason. In this way, it will be easier to set up a proper and efficient plan.
SHAPE 