Plastic ban failure – Managing plastic waste needs a multi-pronged strategy

Source: The post is based on the article “Plastic ban failure – Managing plastic waste needs a multi-pronged strategy” published in The Hindu on 26th April 2023.

Syllabus: GS – 3: Environment and Bio-diversity Conservation

Relevance: About Plastic ban failure.

News: Even nearly 10 months after the ban on single-use plastic products, their use is still rampant in most parts of the country. This shows the plastic ban failure.

What is the present status of the plastic ban?

Some of the bulk consumers of single-use plastic materials have switched to their biodegradable alternatives. However, most other producers, sellers, and consumers use and throw plastic, particularly thin carry bags, stuff as usual. For instance, a) A recent anti-plastic drive carried out in Kerala led to the confiscation of 25 tonnes of proscribed plastic material, b) Delhi’s 100-day “beat plastic campaign”, which culminated on Earth Day on April 22, has resulted in the seizure of over 14,000 kg of outlawed plastic items, c) Delhi is now the largest producer of plastic waste among all the metropolitan cities in the country.

There has been hardly any noticeable improvement in the system of collection and safe disposal of discarded plastic materials. Thereby, aggravating the menace of plastic pollution.

What is the reason behind the Plastic ban failure?

a) The implementation of the rules was left to the states and their pollution control boards. But they have not discharged their functions responsibly, b) The Centre which displayed remarkable determination at the time of promulgating the ban, failed to take up follow-up action, c) The Centre has not taken the states along for putting in place an
effective legal framework for plastic waste management, d) Many state’s plastic waste management norms remain only on paper. For instance, Delhi framed the Plastic Waste
Management Rules way back in 2019, still, these rules are not yet notified, e) Inadequate availability of their cost-effective alternatives, and f) Less investment on research and development for suitable substitutes for use-and-throw plastic goods. Similarly, the government also has not offered any fiscal or other incentives for this purpose.

What should be done to ensure a proper ban on single-use plastic?

The government needed a well-advised multi-pronged strategy to address plastic pollution in its entirety. This should focus right from production to retrieval and appropriate recycling or disposal of the plastics.