Editorial . . . . . . 

Plastics are undoubtedly quite common and toxic, and they also seriously endanger the ecosystem, which is a dreadful reality. Policies are being used by nations all around the world to counter the threat. Nations are developing their own remedies to handle the hazard within their own borders even as international organizations develop answers for the world’s plastic problem. According to estimates provided earlier this year by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Singh Yadav, India produces 3.5 million tonnes of plastic garbage annually. The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that more than 300 million tonnes of plastic are produced worldwide annually, 14 million tonnes of which end up in the ocean. According to a 2021 research by one of Australia’s charitable organizations, the Minderoo Foundation, single-use plastics make up a third of all plastic produced worldwide and are made with 98 percent fossil fuels. According to the study, single-use plastic makes up the majority of the 130 million metric tonnes of plastic that will be thrown away globally in 2019 and is “all burned, buried in landfills, or tossed straight into the environment.” According to the survey, India ranks 94th out of the top 100 nations for producing the most single-use plastic garbage, behind Singapore, Australia, and Oman. With domestic production of 11.8 million metric tonnes annually, and import of 2.9 MMT, India’s net generation of single-use plastic waste is 5.6 MMT, and per capita, generation is 4 kg. India will therefore adopt a state-wide ban on all single-use plastic starting on July 1, 2022. (SUP). The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change announced the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, which forbid the production, importation, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, and polystyrene (Thermo col) for decoration; plates, cups, glasses, cutlery like forks, spoons, and knives; straws; trays; wrapping or packaging. In short, it encompasses SUP items with low utility and high littering potential.

Not the existence of plastic per se, but the presence of plastic in the environment, is the problem. Microplastics are created when plastic is left in the environment for a very long time without decomposing and then enters our food supply before eventually making its way into our bodies. This is incredibly dangerous. These prohibited objects are the ones that are challenging to gather, particularly since the majority of them are either small or dumped into the environment, such as ice cream sticks. In contrast to the much larger pieces, it becomes harder to collect after recycling. Bans do work, according to studies, authorities, and environmentalists, but only to a certain extent. It won’t help to just seize the goods from the retail locations. A step in the right path was made in this regard when the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) prepared a thorough action plan to abolish manufacture, stocking, and selling. Large suppliers, e-commerce firms, and manufacturers have all received letters from them. Since that area comes within the purview of separate governments, it is unclear if this includes the entire ecosystem. Additionally, we require a more thorough strategy for halting plastic imports and production. Citizens are aware of the dangers of plastic, but we must communicate a shift in behaviour.