Sources
- Single-use plastics: Plastic bags, straws, cutlery, cups, and packaging materials are excessively used and often discarded irresponsibly.
- Sachets: The widespread use of sachets for packaging various products like shampoos, condiments, and even drinking water contributes significantly to plastic waste.
- Poor Waste Management Infrastructure: Inadequate waste collection and recycling systems lead to improper plastic disposal, exacerbating the problem.
- Lack of Awareness: Limited public awareness about responsible plastic use and waste disposal practices hinders behavioral change.
Impacts
- Environmental Damage: Plastic pollutes ecosystems, harming wildlife through entanglement, ingestion, and habitat destruction. Marine life is particularly vulnerable.
- Public Health Risks: Leaching of harmful chemicals from plastic into soil and water sources can contaminate food and beverages. Microplastics pose a potential health threat, requiring further research.
- Economic Costs: Plastic pollution leads to losses in tourism revenue, damage to fisheries, and increased healthcare costs associated with plastic-related illnesses. Cleaning up plastic pollution also incurs significant economic burdens.
Initiatives
- The Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022, banning specific single-use plastic items and introducing an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework.
- Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a national cleanliness mission that promotes plastic waste collection and recycling.