Sansad TV: Nature and You- Single use Plastic | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Introduction

India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has called for the phasing out of single use plastics by 2022. To support this effort, the Ministry of Environment and Science (MOeS) has notified The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules 2021, which will ban the manufacture, sale, and use of certain single use plastics items from July 1, 2022. These items have been identified as having low utility and high littering potential, including plates, cups, straws, trays, and polystyrene.

Understanding Single Use Plastics:

• Despite efforts to ban them, there is no central and comprehensive definition for single use plastics, making it difficult for governments to implement a successful ban. Single use plastics are typically used once and then thrown away, leading to accumulation in water bodies and clogging of drains which can result in floods.
• These plastics have been found in various locations, including the depths of oceans and the peaks of the Himalayas, highlighting the severity of the problem caused by their widespread use.

Alternatives to Single Use Plastics

• Despite the promotion of compostable, biodegradable or edible plastics made from materials such as bagasse, corn starch, and grain flour as alternatives, there are limitations of scale and cost. In India, spurious biodegradable and compostable plastics are entering the market due to the absence of robust testing and certification to verify claims made by producers.
• In January 2021, the CPCB identified 12 companies marketing carry bags and products marked ‘compostable’ without any certification and asked the respective State Pollution Control Boards to take action against them.

Impacts of Single Use Plastics:

• Plastic bags and Styrofoam containers take a long time to decompose and can contaminate soil and water, causing ingestion, choking and entanglement hazards to wildlife. Plastic bags, due to their light weight, are easily blown in the air, ending up on land and in the ocean. Styrofoam products contain toxic chemicals that are considered carcinogenic, leading to health complications such as adverse effects on the nervous, respiratory, reproductive systems, and possibly on the kidneys and liver.
• Studies have shown that toxins in Styrofoam containers can transfer to food and drinks, posing a risk when people reheat food while still in the container. In low-income regions, domestic waste including plastics is often burnt for heating and/or cooking, exposing women and children to prolonged toxic emissions. Stranded single-use plastics create visual pollution and are a priority especially in countries that rely heavily on tourism as a major source of GDP. 
• Recycling of Styrofoam products is often financially unviable due to challenging recovery dynamics, and cleaning such products, which are often contaminated with food or drinks, is difficult and energy-intensive, further increasing the cost of recycling.

Challenges Posed

• Despite efforts to phase out single-use plastic, there are numerous challenges that hinder the success of the initiative. Petroleum-based plastics are not biodegradable and end up in landfills or oceans, causing harm to wildlife and contaminating the food chain. 
• The lack of pricing regulations, insufficient infrastructure for waste collection and segregation, and exemptions for certain products weaken the impact of the ban. Additionally, the ban negatively impacts small plastic producers and can cause a loss of jobs and disruption to the economy.

Strengthening waste management systems:

• Implementing better waste management systems with a focus on segregation and incentives for recycling and composting can lead to long-term success. Finding alternative materials that are as lightweight and cheap as plastic is also crucial. 
• Raising awareness among citizens about the harmful effects of single-use plastic is necessary for success, as well as consultation with stakeholders such as plastic manufacturers, eateries, and citizen groups to address implementation issues and minimize inconvenience to consumers. It is important to strengthen the waste management system to ensure that plastic waste has value and is not treated as litter.

Social Engineering:

There is a need to improve consumer awareness about the negative impacts of littering single-use plastics. Communication, strategic planning, and awareness campaigns can play a crucial role in this regard. By promoting eco-consciousness among citizens, widespread actions can be encouraged.

Way Forward

• Promote eco-friendly alternatives such as cotton, khadi bags, and biodegradable plastics to replace single-use plastic. Governments should provide economic incentives to encourage the uptake of these alternatives that do not cause more harm. Tax rebates, research and development funds, and technology incubation can be provided.
• Reduce or abolish taxes on the import of materials used to make alternatives to single-use plastic.
• Provide incentives to the industry by introducing tax rebates or other conditions to support its transition. However, it is expected that governments will face resistance from the plastics industry, including importers and distributors of plastic packaging. Therefore, they need to be given time to adapt.
• Use revenues collected from taxes or levies on single-use plastics to support environmental projects or boost local recycling with the funds. This can create jobs in the plastic recycling sector with seed funding.
• Effective enforcement of measures chosen can be ensured by clear allocation of roles and responsibilities.
• Monitor and adjust the chosen measure if necessary and update the public on progress.