Editorial . . . . . . . . 

Although there are alternatives to single-use plastics, many appear unwilling to make the switch. A stroll around the marketplaces in Jammu and Kashmir would show that little has changed after the single-use plastics ban went into force. Even if the majority of customers do not or will not carry cloth bags for their own reasons, vegetable and grocery vendors nevertheless hand out plastic bags to clients. The sellers contend that because their business would suffer if they did not distribute plastic bags, they would be left with no choice. In August of last year, the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, were notified by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. From July 1, they imposed a ban on the production, importation, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of single-use plastic products. As a result, plastic products such as straws, cutlery, plates, cups, and banners made of PVC that are smaller than 100 microns were outlawed. Plastic earbuds, balloon sticks, cigarette packs, sweet boxes, candy and ice cream sticks, invitation cards, polystyrene used as decoration, and PVC banners smaller than 100 microns are among the additional products included. After the central government released regulations for the production and use of recycled plastic, the order was passed. Since then, the restrictions have changed, but tragically, the use of plastic bags and other materials has only gone up. The organizations tasked with enforcing the prohibition are the only ones at fault for this. Single-use plastic bag usage has continued unabated as a result of lax enforcement. The UT agencies must launch inspections and impose strict penalties on businesses that produce or stockpile the prohibited goods for sale. Additionally, this must be done frequently to let producers and merchants know that any infraction would result in harsh punishment from law enforcement. Because they are not biodegradable, plastics are bad for the environment. Using a special combination of satellite imagery and artificial intelligence, the Global Plastic Watch (GPW) digital platform, operated by the Australian non-profit Minderoo Foundation, maps the world’s plastic pollution in almost real-time. According to it, plastic pollution is one of the biggest and most urgent threats facing our planet and our health. The majority of plastic that is thrown away, 130 million metric tonnes globally in 2019, comes from single-use plastic and is either burned, buried in landfills, or dumped into the environment. The government must make sure that the implementation of the prohibition is done correctly in light of all of these statistics.

But until the public is convinced of the cause and actively supports its implementation, no ban will be successful. Consumers, in particular when it comes to single-use plastics, have a crucial role to play because it is up to them to refuse plastic carry bags provided by vendors and businesses, regardless of their thickness. They will then be forced to choose more environmentally friendly options or risk losing customers as a result of this. Additionally, as a society, we need to practice careful consumption and separate the household solid waste that is produced. This will make sure that plastic garbage is delivered to recycling facilities and not landfills, where it might otherwise end up harming the environment.