13/08/2020 - Environment | Mainstorming

IAS Parliament 4 years

KEY POINTS

· Disposable masks and PPEs, made of plastic (most notably single-use-plastics), have been at the frontline of our fight against COVID-19.

· A gloomy scenario where single-use plastic waste generation to the tune of 400 tonnes, in the form of discarded plastic syringes that may be used if the whole of earth’s 7.8 billion population is to be vaccinated against the virus. Till the pandemic took the world by storm, single-use plastics were the obvious villain; maybe not so anymore.

· A three-pronged strategy can bring us closer to pragmatic and effective action — reduce plastic consumption, recycle, and reuse plastic products and waste to the maximum possible extent, and comprehensively manage plastic waste.

· They are light, highly mouldable, waterproof, and can be produced in any colour. But what makes them almost impossible to replace is that they are cheap; more so in market conditions characterised by falling crude prices that enhance their price competitiveness.

· The government may also have to provide support by enabling market access for such products, which if left to their own will face tough competition from cheaper plastic counterparts.

· Recycling and reusing plastic needs to be strengthened to bring back used plastic into the manufacturing cycle. This strategy will achieve the twin goal of reducing entry of virgin plastics into the market, as well as reducing plastic waste burden in waste dumps, landfills, and oceans.

· The recently published Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) draft notification by the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change can be leveraged for this. Significantly, EPR places the responsibility of product after-use on the manufacturer.

· Finally, it all boils down to effective management of plastic waste that has escaped circularity. Citizens need to help by desisting from littering and diligently segregating waste at source.