VISAKHAPATNAM: Considering the convenience that plastic offers, there is little chance for any government or organisation to ban it, Andhra University professor Bala Prasad said, adding that people wouldn’t allow such a move. Stating that there are several way to regulate plastic usage, he stressed that banning was one of the efficient way to do it. Last year, the Centre had notified a ban on single-use plastic across the country starting July 1, 2022. Recently, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) announced the list of banned items.
On June 5, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) banned single-use plastic in the city. Prasad, who is also an environmentalist, said, “When it comes to a plastic bag, if you think of the environment, use it twice or more.” Asserting that most of us cannot even remember the last time we did not use a plastic bag, the professor pointed out that single-use plastic bags are very convenient for consumers, but they pose a danger to the environment and human health.
Explaining why plastic ends up in the oceans, soil and everywhere else, Bala Prasad said, “As the plastic bags are extremely lightweight, they fly from one place to another. “So, it is our duty to dispose them properly in dustbins instead of t h r o w i n g t h e m indiscriminately.” Acknowledging that banning plastic bags is a good start, the environmentalist felt that prohibiting bottles, cups, straws and cutlery would be a hard sell.
Elaborating, he said, “Today, dairy farms are the largest producers of plastic. But, we don’t see an alternative to replace plastic packs. So, we should dispose them responsibly. A lot of dairy farms recycle the used plastic packets, keeping in mind its harmful effects. If we can consider spending a little time taking care of such things, we can definitely control plastic pollution. If we can store a pile of papers for months, use them for various household chores and sell them to vendors, why can’t we follow the same procedure with plastic items? We don’t have to indiscriminately dispose off plastic in public areas.”
Lauding the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), he said, laying roads made from plastic waste in various parts of the city, thereby putting the non-biodegradable plastic waste to good use is a smart and eco-friendly move. Noting that not a lot is known about microplastics and their impact yet, the professor explained that plastics do not biodegrade and instead slowly break into smaller pieces called microplastics. “Most of this eventually ends up food chain, showing up in animals, big and small.”
On the other hand, Bala Prasad said the plastic has revolutionised the field of medicine with life-saving devices, made space travel possible, reduced the weight of cars and jets, saved fuel and pollution, and saved lives with helmets, incubators, and equipment for clean drinking water. “We cannot eradicate plastic from our lives and on the planet. But, we can help ourselves by avoiding the unnecessary use of single-use plastic. It will reduce the carbon footprint,” Bala Prasad concluded.
CPCB-banned items
Earbuds, Balloon sticks, Candy and ice-cream sticks, Cutlery: plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, trays, Sweet boxes, Invitation cards, Cigarette packs, PVC banners less than 100 microns, Polystyrene for decoration