Introduction – A serious affair with the Plastic, a Non-Biodegradable Waste.
- Wonder not by watching people collecting all their plastic wastage in a single single-use large plastic bag.
- Wonder not when you always forget to bring your own bag when going to shop something and end up asking for the plastic bag.
- Wonder not when you buy black single-use plastic bags to collect garbage at home and workplaces.
- Wonder not when you opt for the plastic bottles for being affordable and unbreakable to carry water.
- Wonder not when your kitchen has a large number of beautiful plastic containers to store general commodities and other items.
- Wonder not when you choose disposable plastic plates,glasses,cups and even spoons for your in-house parties and other occasions.
- Wonder not when you have large plastic bags stored somewhere in your house that itself is filled with innumerous plastic bags.
- Wonder not when different companies pack their products in plastic packets ( Though these plastic packs are within the permissible thickness parameters.)
- Wonder not when plastic bag manufacturing companies are thriving with their production units though there is a ban, a total ban on production of plastic bags with thickness less than 10 microns.
- Wonder not when the cattle are found to have plastic bags stuck in their abdomen ( Many cattle swallow plastic bags along with the edible wastes thrown in the garbage.
- Wonder not when human beings are warned and warned against the overuse of plastic in every environment based summits.
- Wonder not the sewage systems are always clogged with the recklessly thrown plastic bags.
- Wonder not when scientists found microplastics in the blood samples of many people.
- Wonder not that plastic invaded the food chain.
- Wonder not when you opt for the epoxy resin ( a plastic polymer with excellent thermosetting property ) for various purposes starting with art and craft projects.
Coming to the point : Plastic – A boon once ,A bane now
The “by accidental invention” of Plastic and its quick acceptance in the world for varied purposes and then finding it as severe environmental hazards in all the possible and impossible meaning, Plastic came a long way since its invention in 1907 as synthetic polymer.
Have you seen a city flooded just because of some heavy rainings ?
Your answer will be a yes and simply you can assume the drainage pipes and gutters are badly clogged with the plastic bags thus impasseing the smooth passage of rain water and making the system collapse.
Serious concerns of plastic contamination into rivers and seas are being raised by scientists and activists for they are turning more hazardous to the water ecosystem.
Plastic bags came into existence in 1965 and in this short span, in the oceans and seas, they are now weighing more than the accumulated weight of all the living organisms in them.
A scientific study says that it will take more than 500 years to disintegrate a Single-use Plastic bag and about 1000 years to its complete decomposition and till then they are here to stay in the mainstream ecosystem as a hazardous contaminating element.
First Anniversary of “Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021 in India.
India, being at a potential threshold for the environmental pollution cases, complied with UN initiatives to implement relevant rules and regulations for the conservation and protection of nature and natural resources as well as maintaining the equilibrium in the ecosystem.
1st July, 2022, India issued new guidelines to provide a solid framework for the plastic wastages and its management and a total prohibition of the production, importation, stockpiling, sale, distribution and use of ‘single-use’ plastic (SUP) goods, especially single-use plastic bags.
This coincides with the International Plastic Bag Free Day of 3rd July every year.
International Plastic Bag Free Day –
It all started 101 years after the advent of Thermosetting Plastic or Bakelite as we know it.
Started in July 3rd 2008, when Rezero, a member of Zero Waste Europe ( ZWE) initiated it.
This was in accordance with the Plastic Free Movement of the UN and it has 190 countries as participants.
Theme of this year (2023) International Plastic Bag Free Day is #BeatPlasticPollution.
3 R’s – Concept that is indeed deceiving from the very end
The three R’s are “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” for waste management.
The driving motivation is to minimize the uncontrolled disposal of waste materials that are causing serious harms to the ecological and biological environment.
But even after a number of laws, rules and regulations, India is performing worst in terms of “Environment Performance Index” ( EPI ) as India is ranked 180 among the enlisted 180 countries according to the Biennial EPI 2022 released by the researchers and this is raising serious concerns for the upkeep of the balancing and maintaining of the Indian endeavor for the protection of environment.
Conclusion – Pledges that are becoming futile
Yep, every law for the conservation of environment and ecosystem, management of Greenhouse Gases, production and disposal of harmful solid waste and the degree of adding reckless pollutants in the soil and water is actually going in vain and this is the harshest truth that we own.
It’s a wake up call for India for being at the lowest position in the environment index and for being a dump yard of plastic wastes of other countries too.
A Note for everyone –
If you are not reading the starting pointers here seriously and if you don’t have a liking for a safe and green environment around you, if you are not thinking of the upcoming generation’s plights for a green environment – Just give yourself some time to introspect and assess the grim situations.
Global warming is a reality and so is the Ozone layer depletion and as a world citizen, we have some real responsibilities for our mother Earth.