In a plastics world

In a plastics world

Context

• Findings of a recent study led by US-based non-profit organisation Orb Media that pointed out presence of microplastic in package (bottled) drinking water
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced a review into the potential risks of plastic in drinking water after a new analysis of some of the world’s most popular bottled water brands found that more than 90% contained tiny pieces of plastic

Author’s contention

Government should wake up and take remedial action against the dangers of microplastic in bottled water

What is microplastic?

Microplastics are particles of less than 5 mm that enter the environment either as primary industrial products, such as those used in scrubbers and cosmetics, or via urban waste water and broken-down elements of articles discarded by consumers

What was the most common type of plastic fragment found?

According to the Orb Media study, the most common type of plastic fragment found was polypropylene – the same type of plastic used to make bottle caps

Promise of Global intervention

In December 2017, in Nairobi, UN member-countries resolved to produce a binding agreement in 18 months to deal with the release of plastics into the marine environment

Scale of the problem of release of plastic into marine environment

8 million tonnes of waste, including bottles and packaging, make their way into the sea each year. There is now even the Great Pacific Garbage Patch of plastic debris

What is the Great Pacific Garbage patch?

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Marine debris is litter that ends up in oceans, seas, and other large bodies of water

• The amount of debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch accumulates because much of it is not biodegradable. Many plastics, for instance, do not wear down; they simply break into tinier and tinier pieces

Dealing with the problem

The most efficient way to deal with the pollution is to control the production and distribution of plastics

• Banning single-use bags and making consumers pay a significant amount for the more durable ones is a feasible solution
• Enforcement of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, which require segregation of waste from 8^th April 2018 will retrieve materials and greatly reduce the burden on the environment
• Waste separation can be achieved in partnership with the community, and presents a major employment opportunity

EU’s vision 2030

As the European Union’s vision 2030 document on creating a circular plastic economy explains, the answer lies in changing the very nature of plastics, from cheap and disposable to durable, reusable and fully recyclable