{"id":20101126,"date":"2022-10-26T12:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-26T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thethirdpole.net\/?post_type=opinion&p=101126"},"modified":"2024-04-12T11:31:07","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T11:31:07","slug":"opinion-india-plastic-ban-unprepared-under-resourced","status":"publish","type":"opinion","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/pollution\/opinion-india-plastic-ban-unprepared-under-resourced\/","title":{"rendered":"Opinion: India unprepared and under-resourced for plastic ban"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every year as the seasons start to change, pandals<\/em> appear all over Kolkata. Many organising committees for the Durga Puja, the biggest annual festival in West Bengal, pick topical themes to decorate these temporary structures, which display idols of the goddess Durga and her \u2018children\u2019. \u2018Pollution\u2019 and \u2018How we are destroying the planet\u2019 are popular subjects that have been used by organisers in the last few years to raise awareness of environmental problems and climate change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, the organisers of one of the biggest pandals<\/em> in the city chose \u2018Plastic and Marine Pollution\u2019 as their theme. The pandal<\/em> highlighted how plastic waste, especially polythene bags, is harming marine animals. The message was loud and clear. But can awareness alone change people\u2019s behaviour? A visit to the Puja pandals<\/em> in the neighbourhood quickly dispelled this notion. The streets were thronged with food stalls dispensing single-use plastic items like spoons, straws and plates for ice cream, juices and other snacks. Children were tempted by balloons attached to plastic sticks and adults were enticed by plastic decorations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Durga Puja pandal<\/em> in Kolkata in October 2022 raises awareness of the problems caused by plastic pollution by demonstrating how it affects marine life (Image: \u00a9<\/strong> Priti Mahesh)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

India generated around 34.7 lakh (3.47 million) tonnes of plastic waste<\/a> in 2019 and 2020, according to the Central Pollution Control Board<\/a>. Over the past five years, per capita plastic waste generation has almost doubled. According to a 2018 report by New Delhi-based think tank The Energy and Resources Institute, around 43% of plastics manufactured in India<\/a> are used for packaging, most of which is single-use, meaning it enters the waste system after one use. About 60% of plastic waste gets recycled in the country, with the remainder burned or buried in landfill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On 1 July this year, India took a step towards addressing the growing problem of plastic waste by banning<\/a> 19 single-use plastic items including spoons, straws, plates and polythene bags. Bags that are less than 75 microns thick had been banned since 30 September 2021, but the new ban prohibits bags that are less than 120 microns thick, in effect from 31 December 2022. India’s single-use plastic ban was hailed around the globe<\/a> as a major step by a developing country to combat plastic pollution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plastic bans fail without enforcement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most Indian environmentalists praised the nationwide ban, but knew that the real test would come months later. And, four months into the ban, the streets of Kolkata make it amply clear that there is a long way to go before the legislation is effective on the ground. It would be a mistake to think this is unique to the \u2018City of Joy\u2019; the situation is similar across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In September, I saw a similar situation in Delhi and then in Shillong. Banned plastic items were freely available in the markets, or given away in takeaway deliveries. Vegetables were sold in thin polythene bags; the local sugarcane juice and coconut water vendors provided plastic straws; and many restaurants were using plastic cutlery: back to business as usual. In other parts of the country as well, the banned items are freely available and are being used openly. So, where did we go wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Single-use plastics at the Durga Puja in Kolkata this October (Images: \u00a9 Priti Mahesh)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Most of these large cities were off to a strong start when India’s single-use plastic ban came into effect in July. Public events were organised and massive awareness campaigns were launched. There were efforts to showcase alternatives to plastic and promote the manufacturing of such products among businesses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was also a push to enforce the ban. Regulatory agencies in many states reported conducting spot-checks for the banned single-use plastics, and strict action was taken against violators, especially manufacturers. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n