The global furore following the release of an iconic video of marine biologists removing a plastic straw from the nose of an endangered turtle gave the much-needed impetus to the issue of plastic pollution. Not only is plastic biologically indestructible, when broken down mechanically it results in microplastics which enter our food chain, water and even the air we breathe. Burning of plastic gives rise to dangerous fumes which have a negative impact on people exposed to them.
In India, over 28 states and UTs have banned plastic carry bags. Some have further banned styrofoam and one-time disposable cutlery. However, this hasn’t worked because the ban is yet to be completely enforced by the authorities as there is laxity. The proposed ban against six identified plastic products had to be called off in the wake of the economic slowdown. India’s Single-Use Plastic (SUP) industry has an estimated turnover of about Rs 53,000 crore and provides 13 lakh jobs across 10,000 firms in the country (according to 2018 estimates). It is estimated to grow at a rate of 20 percent.
As the plastic recycling industry is mostly unorganised, pickers associated with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and other SUP products form nearly 30 percent of India’s waste pickers’ population. SUP has not yet been defined by the government even after a committee was constituted for the job. And though states have banned plastic carry bags, there is a long list of products which constitute SUP.
A recent report, “Single-Use Plastics: The Last Straw”, released by a Delhi-based NGO highlights the issues of disposal and downcycling of SUP. It tries to identify the SUP products being used by urban residents in Delhi-NCR in large volumes and looks into consumer awareness and behaviour around SUP use. According to the survey, almost 50 percent of the respondents were regularly taking plastic bags from vendors. Only 17 percent of the respondents said they never took plastic bags. Of those surveyed, women seemed more eco-friendly as only nine percent, compared to 19 percent men, took plastic bags every time they shopped. Forty-six percent chose cloth bags as the best alternative, followed by jute and bio-plastic bags.
The survey further showed the clear ambiguity in the understanding of SUP products amongst people. Most consumers did not consider mineral water bottles or plastic straws as SUPs. Only 57 percent of the respondents thought plastic carry bags were single-use plastic. An overwhelming 65 percent of the total respondents did not categorise plastic balloon sticks and non-refillable pens as SUPs.
The plastic industry feels that the disposal habits of people are the primary reason for the state of affairs. Industry experts vouch that irresponsible dumping has led to widespread pollution and proper collection and recycling is the need of the hour to control it. “India recycles 60 percent of plastic but needs a robust plastic waste collection system,” said Ajai Kumar, associate vice-president, plastic recycling and water initiatives, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd. “There must be a pragmatic approach rather than an idealistic approach. A substitute for plastic is not possible for the next 50 years. The positives need to be considered and the negatives must be minimised,” he added.
Recyclers Asrar Mohammad Munshi, the chief functionary of Esree Foundation, and Rahul Poddar, the owner of Shakti Plastics Industries, agreed with this viewpoint. “Plastic is not a problem—it can be reused and recycled. It is the consumers’ lack of knowledge about its responsible usage, storage and preservation which is the main issue,” they said. Although stating that awareness does not automatically translate into a new practice, Munshi still stressed the need for a change in consumer behaviour to contain plastic pollution. “The biggest issue is that of mixed waste. Contaminated plastic cannot be recycled and ends up being littered,” said Poddar.
This industry claim, however, is refuted by environmentalists and experts. “The plastic industry does not want to change. It is time they looked for options; even using recycled plastic for packaging will be a big leap. But to do so, we need standards for recycled plastic products. Going from PET to a downcycled plastic fibre is not enough, it should be from PET to recycled PET. We need that upgradation,” said Swati Singh Sambyal, a municipal solid waste expert. “Plastic downcycling only increases the life span of the plastic, but ultimately all of it is waste,” added Priti Mahesh, chief programme coordinator at Toxics Link.
According to a report published by the Central Pollution Control Board, there are limits to recycling SUPs. They can be recycled only two to three times, after which it all ends up in a landfill. And with each recycling phase, the product quality also deteriorates. Additionally, the process of melting plastic to recycle it requires high temperatures which contribute to global warming. Toxic fumes are also released during the process. Currently, storage, transportation or packaging of food items using recycled plastic is not allowed. “Ideally, we need a specific definition of SUP countrywide, considering that our SUP waste composition changes drastically across regions and is not similar to that of the West,” said Sambyal. Mahesh echoes this: “There is an urgent need to identify SUPs which can be phased out and restricted. The government also needs to support the alternative industry,” she added.
Experts feel that the plastic waste management guidelines should look into a phase-wise ban with items that already have alternatives. The guidelines should also look into the social, environmental and economic viability of the alternatives suggested. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) should also be addressed and states should look into different EPR models. Globally, there is a strong movement for making consumers aware of the harmful impact of SUP so that they not only avoid its use but demand companies and governments move towards alternative and sustainable materials. However, with the lack of definition of SUP, any drastic behavioural change among consumers is difficult to achieve.
“Consumer awareness can play a key role here. However, I don’t think that is happening or even if it is happening, it is not for an extended period,” said Sambyal. “Consumers directly affect the demand-supply chain, and if we push for sustainable products, if we say no to common SUPs, it will definitely push bigger FMCG giants, retailers and manufacturers of SUPs to look out for alternatives,” she added. However, any such initiative can only work with proper regulatory compliance and policy-backing.
Lead picture: UNI