By July 2022, the Indian government’s ban on single-use plastic (SUP) will come into effect.At least that’s a recent statement from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC).The 2021 Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules announced in August stipulate that 20 identified SUPs will be phased out by next year.
Although ambitious, and some even see India’s snowballing plastic crisis as a welcome change, the announcement raises several questions.
The Single-Use Plastics Report, prepared by an expert committee of the Department of Chemistry and Petrochemicals (DCPC), classifies plastic products according to their environmental impact and utility – those found to have the lowest utility and highest environmental impact are recommended for phase-out .These include thin tote bags (less than 50 microns); non-woven totes and lids (less than 80 gsm and 320 microns); small packaging/packaging films; straws/stirrs; tableware such as foam cups, bowls; Earplugs; Cigarette Filters; Small Plastic Bottles; Plastic Banners; Among Other Products.
Interestingly, the report also mentions that in reviewing plastic product bans and other restrictions issued by state governments and federal territories, the committee of experts “noted a lack of uniformity in the guidance and that it varies widely across different regions of the country”.
Where is the business located?A cursory glance at the list that highlights the SUP’s adverse environmental impact scores makes it obvious that these products are produced by small and medium-sized manufacturers.Gone are the big companies that mass-produce everything from furniture and bags to multi-layer packaging and bottles.
The Mindelo Foundation’s Plastic Waste Manufacturers Index, released earlier this year, revealed the companies that produce 90% of the world’s SPU waste.The list includes Reliance Industries, GAIL India, Indian Oil Corporation and Haldia Petrochemicals from India.
Packaging and the EPR Dilemma: A report by the Centre for Science and the Environment found that plastic packaging (flexible and rigid) accounts for nearly 60% of all plastic waste generated.These include everyday items such as food wrapping paper, packaging films, etc., but packaging waste is not yet on the phase-out list.
The 2016 Plastic Waste Management Rules recommend that this waste be collected and managed in an environmentally sustainable manner through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) of Producers, Importers and Brand Owners (PIBOs).”Five years later, the EPR for plastic waste management is still on paper due to PIBO non-compliance and poor enforcement by authorities,” Down to Earth said.”The ministry’s assumptions that PIBOs will begin to comply are puzzling.”
The Expert Committee’s report supports this, noting that India’s EPR concept is largely related to waste and other environmental issues, but has not even begun to be implemented.This is another missing link in India’s plastic ban policy.
Breaking the Bioplastic Foam: Next up are the infamous “bioplastics” and other compostable, oxidatively degradable and oxidatively biodegradable plastics – mostly used in shopping or tote bags.While you might think it’s better to choose these bags over polyethylene, just how “sustainable” or “plastic-free” they are is a whole different story.Keep in mind that not all bio- and plant-based plastics are biodegradable, and not all “green” or biodegradable plastics are bio-based.
Additionally, they require the creation of separate composting facilities under specific environmental conditions.The report mentions that municipal landfills in India do not have what it takes to decompose compostable bags.On top of that, compostable plastic packaging is not a blanket solution, but a solution for a specific target application, as most compostable plastics are more expensive than conventional plastics and are in short supply in India.When conventional plastics and compostable plastics are mixed, the recycling process suffers.
Informal Labour: According to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the plastic recycling industry in India employs more than 1.6 million people and has more than 7,500 recycling units.Recycling is known to be managed by a very small number of actors who employ basic waste sorting processes and lack scientific knowledge about waste collection, sorting and disposal.
As the report states, the plastics industry needs not only to upgrade mechanical recycling technologies, but also to invest in educating these players and providing them with incentives to manage waste wisely.
Key to this list are scavengers – estimated to be between 1.5 million and 4 million.We need to take steps to improve the way they work.They need incentives for ID, authorization, health, benefits, education, and more.If source segregation and rules to prevent mixing of plastics are implemented, this will greatly ease the lives of waste pickers and make their jobs safer.
To make matters worse, the pandemic has made the fight against plastic harder given the rise of PPE kits and disposable masks, but the war with SUP has been going on for decades.Like the rest of Indian society, we have rules but not enforced.Polluters continue to pollute, and the landfill is getting taller every minute.Unless there is strong data on which products need to be banned and how, India’s plastic crisis is far from over, beyond putting existing rules into practice.
Print Version | April 25, 2022 12:06:57 PM | https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/single-use-plastics-2022-ban-environment-crisis/ article36510666.ece
Post time: Jun-08-2022