Today it is almost impossible to imagine our lives without plastic; so many things that surround us are packed in plastic or have some plastic ingredient. It’s undeniable that plastic has made life easier and more convenient. It is also true that we are literally drowning in plastic waste; that plastic waste management is a huge global problem. Governments are contemplating various methods of tackling the problem, including banning those plastic bags. What do they plan to do and will it work?
It was back in March that news of the plastic ban first hit headlines. Use of single-use plastic bags, PET bottles, plastic packaging, disposable plastic cutlery and containers, were either banned or sought to be made more expensive, to discourage use. People would face fines for using plastic and repeat offenders may also find themselves in jail because of this.
As with most such regulations, the ban was poorly thought out and showed no foresight with regard to implementation problems. There has been a lot of confusion, several changes in regulations and easing of norms since then. There is also the fact that the ban could be very costly: it could cost industry Rs 15,000 crore and as many as 3 lakh jobs.
In four of Australia’s six states, there is now a ban on single-use plastic bags. As a result of retailers implementing the ban, fights broke out and employees faced abuse. Here as well, owing to this “bag rage” retailers are making adjustments to mollify customers.
As many as 193 countries agreed to a UN initiative to stop plastic waste entering the oceans. As many as 40 countries have banned single use plastic bags, many such as the UK are in the process of banning plastic straws, cotton buds and so on. Kenya has introduced very stringent punishment for those who infringe produce, use or sell plastic bags.
In a word 'no' – especially if we speak about banning something in India! 17 Indian states have tried and failed. At first, there is some fear of fines or some self regulatory zeal that makes people follow the ban. For a while those thin, tiny bags are replaced with thicker higher micron bags that we can reuse; retailers switch to cloth bags for a while, but soon things are back to ‘normal’. In fact, plastic bags below 50 micron thickness are banned all over India. But with every subziwalla routinely packing each item in a separate bag, with about 20 of those bags straightaway consigned to the rubbish bin, the law remains a part of the rule book only. Nothing seems to make any difference to our overflowing garbage dumps and sites such as Ghazipur continue to grow in size and toxicity.
In India, an official or enforcement personnel can always be bribed to look the other way so that people continue to manufacture, sell and use plastic bags. Entire industries and the livelihoods of so many depend upon plastic. We can barely imagine packaging of food and drink without plastic today. Further, the alternatives to plastic are often just not good enough. Plastic packaging isn’t just convenient; it also prevents bacteria buildup. The way that the authorities in Maharashtra are tying themselves up in knots trying to enforce the ban while amending the rules seemingly every day seems to be evidence of the fact that plastic bans rarely work.
Many argue that bans don’t work because when governments ban plastic bags this is just symbolism without the will to back this up with concrete plans to actually make a difference. The ban on bags thinner than 50 microns has been in place for years now; why not concentrate on enforcing that ban? Why not ensure that the manufacturers of those thin polythene bags transition to better quality reusable bags? Why not make plastic bags more expensive so that sellers don’t hand them out indiscriminately?
Bans are easy. They are visible. They convince people that the government is doing something at least. However, sudden bans are neither enforceable nor sustainable. Bans have to be implemented in a staggered manner all the while creating alternatives and increasing awareness among people. Workable systems for garbage segregation, collection, recycling and disposal have to be put into place, but these are difficult, time and resource intensive. We also need to find workable alternatives to plastic and ways to utilise waste plastic in innovative ways. The solutions to plastic waste are not easy. They take time. Meanwhile banning is easier.
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