What exactly is the decision to do with plastics?
While it was earlier speculated and suggested that there will be a complete ban on single-use plastics, the government has announced a “mass movement to sensitise the public against the use of plastic”. This is to be accompanied by a gradual phasing out of plastic products, although when this phasing out will start is not been made clear.
At the state level, however, there has been action against plastic. While 18 states have already banned plastic carry bags, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh, Pondicherry have gone a step further and also banned single-use plastic cutlery, plates, cups and straws. Recently, Chandigarh approved its final notification on the same.
This decision to not introduce a blanket ban has irked a section of citizens, but what does such a ban actually entail? What are its implications? And is a ban the best way to start?
What is single-use plastic?
Single Use Plastics are different kinds of foamed plastics which are rigid, durable and mostly used for packing. These are items intended to be used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. Globally, these types of plastic packaging make for the largest industrial sector at 36%. For now, the government is planning to ban six such plastic products — straws, plastic cups, plates, small bottles and certain types of sachets.
Why is it bad for the environment?
These take thousands of years to decompose, and thus stay in the oceans, soils or blow above the surface. An estimate shows that by 2050, 99% of seabirds will have ingested plastic and 15% of species would be affected by ingestion and entanglement from marine litter, making them endangered.
For its production, it has a huge dependence on fossil fuels: if the growth in plastic production continues at the current rate, by 2050, the plastic industry may account for 20% of the world’s total oil consumption.
Further, as a recent report highlighted, single-use plastic contributes to greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of its lifecycle, from its production to its refining and the way it is managed as a waste product. It means that by 2050 plastic will be responsible for up to 13% of the total “carbon budget” – equivalent to 615 coal-fired power plants.
It is estimated that one to 5 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year. That is almost 10 million plastic bags per minute. If tied together, these entire plastic bags could be wrapped around the world seven times every hour.
Who all would be impacted with the ban?
While there is still no clarity on which items fall under the bracket of single-use plastics, estimates indicate that they could constitute 4-7 percent of raw material used in the manufacturing process. In this context, Jairam Ramesh tweeted, “I resisted blanket ban on use of single-use plastic. Plastic industry employs lakhs and the real problem is how we dispose and recycle waste."
If implemented, the ban will affect close to 10,000 plastic manufacturing units, impacting 3-4 lakh employees working in these units. Almost every Fast Moving Consumer Good companies (FMCG) like Nestle, Britannia, PepsiCo would be impacted.
Food delivery services are also set to be hit by the ban. Apart from this many other people, up and down the value chain, will be affected including small manufactures of plastic as well as those in the informal recycling sector. Packaged drink producers are also likely to get hit, since they use PET bottles for packing their products. The chairman of Bisleri International had stated, “Almost all PET is recycled in India, so where is the problem? Instead, the authorities need to step up incentives for recycling”.
The All India Plastics Manufacturers Association, consisting of 2000 direct members and 20,000 indirect members, has suggested that before any such measure, there needs to be a clear scientific definition of the term 'single-use plastic'
Are Plastic bans really impactful?
More than 60 countries have introduced bans and levies to curb single-use plastic waste. But, in 50 per cent of cases, information about their impact is lacking, partly because some countries have adopted them only recently and partly because monitoring is inadequate. In countries that do have data, about 30 per cent have registered drastic drops in the consumption of plastic bags within the first year. The remaining 20 per cent of countries have reported little to no change.
In South Africa, the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and deposit-return schemes proved effective in reducing littering from PET bottles, while boosting the recycling sector. This created jobs and business opportunities, while addressing one kind of problematic single-use plastics.
In India though, where states have banned this, implementation was limited to restrictions on plastic carrying bags.
What other methods could be adopted for it to be more effective?
Waste management practices need to be improved, along with financial incentives to change the habits of consumers, retailers and manufacturers. The Research and development of alternative materials need to be financed as well.
India would do well to focus on a circular economy of plastics. This means that government leadership, producer responsibility, consumer education and awareness should ideally enable market mechanisms to drive higher resource productivity, innovation and economic growth. While the idea behind a blanket ban is commendable, the implications it carries must be considered before diving in. Phasing plastic products out seems like a better way to go, but this must be matched with real deadlines and strict implementation if we are to actually combat this issue.