Despite the fact that 18 Indian states have banned plastic use and the laws to regulate plastic use and recycling have been in place since 1999, India remains a major producer of plastic waste that ends up in the oceans. Critically examine what contributes to such situation and suggest measures to beat plastic pollution. (200 words)
Refer – Live mint
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 6 years
KEY POINTS
· Like most environmental laws, the missing key remains implementation.
· The reasons cited are
1. Lack of adequate infrastructure
2. Absence of trained and adequate staff
3. Overall lack of awareness
4. Information asymmetry
5. Wavering political will
Suggestions
· Redesign and innovate – The most efficient way to deal with the pollution is to control the production and distribution of plastics.
· The very nature of plastics has to be changed from being cheap and disposable to durable, reusable and fully recyclable.
· Banning single-use bags and making consumers pay a significant amount for the more durable ones is a feasible solution.
· Improve waste collection, sorting and reprocessing
· Enforcing the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, which require segregation of waste, will retrieve materials and greatly reduce the burden on the environment.
· For a country which generates more than five million tonnes of plastic waste per year, reliance on the informal sector for managing our plastic waste will not yield results.
· Waste separation can be achieved in partnership with the community, and presents a major employment opportunity.
· Scale up the adoption of reusable plastic packaging.
· Establish a global plastics protocol.
· Create viable markets for recycled plastics.
· Put in place deposit schemes.
· Establish clear regulatory frameworks for biodegradable plastics.
· If only we had strong local bodies with trained staff, implementation would be so much better.
