The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) ban on disposable plastic bags lower than 50 microns is the best news in a long time. Non-biodegradeable plastic garbage is a major concern threatening the very existence of life on Earth. Over 2.3 billion tonne of garbage is produced globally every year. Plastic tops the list with over 275 million tonne, and most of this lands up in landfills and into our oceans. India produces over 16 lakh metric tonne of plastic waste annually. Plastic waste, which may take 1,000 years to degrade, is not only polluting the environment, air and water bodies, but is also injurious to animals and a serious public health hazard.
No effective recycling of plastic is possible since various plastics bags have different chemical compositions and the segregation of waste is tedious and time-consuming.
Many recycling units operate illegally to produce cheap carry bags and plastic articles which are not safe. The garbage is usually soiled and may even be contaminated, comprising a lethal mixture of carry bags, disposable nappies and even hospital waste.The pale pink and dirty green bags used by most vegetable sellers and dhabawalas are these cheap recycled bags. Holding them against light will show up the impurities and specks of dirt in the bag. Fecal matter has been found embedded in these bags. The bacteria turns active on contact with food or warm liquid.
Plastic finds its way into our fields, drains, rivers, sewage systems, and, sadly, even the remotest valleys and pristine high altitude lakes of the Himalayas. Plastic wraps and films are not standardised and manufacturers are not required to list the chemical compounds that make up their product. Plastic wraps or cling films are made of low density polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) or low density polyethylene (LDPE), which contains harmful compounds—DEHA, a potential endocrine disruptor linked to breast cancer, low sperm counts and kidney issues. Weddings and festivals are major consumers of single-use cutlery and cups, and packaging made from polystyrene and polythene. Carelessly dumped after use, these food-soiled plates and polythene are eaten by animals who, unable to digest it, die a painful death.
While the ban on disposable single-use plastic is a good start, it can be effectively implemented only with public participation and support. This simply means, we all have to take the first step to remove this health hazard and injurious polluter from our lives.Millions of tonne of plastic waste choke our landfills, potentially leaching pollutants into the soil and poisoning ground water. In the oceans, they are forming islands that threaten marine life and public health. The best solution to our plastic problem is to reduce its use and not be dependent on it. Reuse and recycle whenever possible. We need stringent policies banning plastic bags. We need to reintroduce bottle deposits and establish standardised recycling units.
However convenient it may seem, refusing and not accepting a single-use plastic bag is the first step. Mindsets will change. It may bother us for a short time, but ecofriendly alternatives will kick in. Traditional cloth bag, thaila, will return. Our overburdened, polluted planet needs the collective support of its most intelligent species—the humankind.
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