Plastic Waste Management

Why in news?

• Maharashtra has recently enforced ban on several consumer articles made of plastic.
• It becomes imperative for the whole country to take lessons to act upon plastic pollution seriously.

What is the significance?

• India hosted the recent World Environment Day.
• Indian PM made a pledge that India would do away with all single-use plastics by 2022.
• But the goal is not yet backed by an action plan.

What are the concerns?

• The state governments and local bodies are largely out of sync in the effort.
• Governments lack proper systemic data on volumes of waste, and even less on what it recycles.
• Segregation at source has not taken off, as there is little awareness, official support or infrastructure.
• Even bulk generators such as shopping malls, hotels and offices do not abide by the law.
• India’s plastic waste is estimated officially to be around 26,000 tonnes a day.
• To global concern, this is being dumped in the oceans.
• Guidelines forrecycling different types of plastics were issued two decades ago by the Bureau of Indian Standards.
• The Centre and the States have failed to implement the existing regulations.
• A ban is not even necessary if regulations on plastic waste management and municipal solid waste had been taken up.

What is the way forward?

• Priority, should be given to stop the generation of mixed waste, which prevents recovery of plastics.
• There has to be an effort on a war footing to segregate waste at source.
• The Urban Development Secretary in each State should be mandated to produce a monthly report.
• It should have details on how much plastic waste is collected, the types of chemicals involved, and disposal methods.
• Such compulsory disclosure norms will maintain public pressure on the authorities.
• Companies covered by extended producer responsibility provisions must be required to take back their waste.
• Besides, incentives to reduce the use of plastic carry bags, single-use cups, plates and cutlery must be in place.
• Retailers must be required to switch to paper bags.
• Potentially, carry bag production using cloth can create more jobs than machines using plastic pellets.

Source: The Hindu