Plastic Pollution

SYLLABUS

Environment & Ecology   >   Pollution   >   Plastic pollution

REFERENCE NEWS

The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) met in Nairobi on November 13-19 for its third round of negotiations to develop an internationally legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution worldwide. 

BACKGROUND:

• Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic objects and particles (ex: plastic bottles, bags and microbeads) in the environment that adversely affects humans, wildlife and their habitat.
• Today, the world produces about 400 million tonnes of plastic waste every year.

STATISTICS:

• Global
  • Between the 1950s and 2017, an estimated 9.2 billion tons of plastic have been manufactured, of which an estimated 9% has been recycled and another 12% has been incinerated.
• India:
  • According to the report titled 'Plastics, The Potential and Possibilities', India generates around 3.4 million tonnes (MT) of plastic waste in a year, of which only 30% is recycled.
  • According to FICCI, an Indian consumes 11 kg of plastic per year.
  • India’s contribution is around 3.1% of the global plastic waste generation.

CAUSES:

• Rising consumption: Plastic is cheap and durable, which make it ideal to meet the demands of the rising population. However, most of it is single-use plastic.
• Slow rate of decomposition: The decomposition rate of plastic typically ranges from 400 to 600 years, depending on the type. Hence, they remain in the environment for long.
• Informal sector activity: Plastic waste collection in developing countries like India is dominated by the informal sector workers. They lack the knowledge and the resources to segregate and scientifically dispose plastic waste.
• Infrastructure deficit: The number of recycling and collection facilities in India are dismal compared to the amount of plastic waste being generated in India.
• Ineffective enforcement: The current framework continues to ignore the informal sector. Also, there is no independent mechanism to verify the implementation of measures such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
• Pandemic: COVID-19 saw an increase in plastic finding its ways to the ocean, especially from medical waste and masks.

EFFECTS OF PLASTIC POLLUTION

1. Environmental Impact: Plastics, including microplastics, are now embedded in the Earth's fossil record, marking the Anthropocene and creating a new habitat known as the "plastisphere."
2. Human Health: Microplastics enter the human body, leading to various health issues like:

1. Marine Pollution: About 170 trillion plastic particles, weighing around 2 million metric tons, float in the oceans.Ex:The Great Pacific Garbage Patch 
   1. Marine Life: Marine animals often mistake plastic for food, leading to starvation, suffocation, and entanglement, with severe impacts on species like seabirds, whales, and turtles.
   2. Contaminated Seafood: Microplastics are found in 114 marine species, with a third ending up in human diets.
   3. Food Chain Disruption: Plastics of all sizes pollute the environment, affecting even tiny organisms like plankton.
2. Pollution: Toxic chemicals from plastics seep into groundwater, affecting lakes and rivers. A global tap water study showed 83% of global tap water samples contained plastic pollutants. Plastics in landfills interact with water, forming hazardous chemicals that pollute the soil. Burning plastics releases toxic chemicals, causing air pollution and respiratory health issues.
3. Economic Impact: Plastic pollution causes an estimated USD 13 billion in annual damage to marine ecosystems, affecting industries like fishing and tourism and increasing cleanup costs.
4. Invasive Species: Plastics can transport marine organisms to new environments, potentially introducing invasive species.
5. Floods: Plastic waste clogs storm drains, exacerbating flood damage, especially in urban areas like Bangkok, where it overwhelms the sewer system.

PLASTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA:

CHALLENGES IN PLASTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT:

• Volume of waste generated: With rapid urbanisation, rising population and increasing dependence on plastics, the amount of waste generated far exceeds the management capabilities.
• Absence of segregation: Due to the absence of waste segregation at source into biodegradable and non-biodegradable, considerable amount of plastic waste is not recycled, leading to it being incinerated or dumped in landfills.
• Fewer alternatives: Ban on plastics have had limited success due to absence of alternatives. Ex: Bioplastic production in India is just 1% out of 300 million tonnes of conventional plastics produced annually.
• Informal waste management sector: Waste collection and processing in India is carried out largely by the informal sector. This makes it difficult to implement the waste management rules, ensure scientific disposal of wastes and address the welfare of workers.
• Weak enforcement: 22 States have, in the past, announced a ban on single-use plastic. But this has had little impact on the crisis because governments were half-hearted in their approach and alternatives were not made available on time.
• Absence of global consensus: like the INC third round saw lack of consensus among the participating countries leading to null otcomes.
• Unempowered local government bodies: Due to lack of funds and technical expertise, local governments rely on burning plastic wastes or on municipal contracts, where companies are paid for haulage of mixed waste.
• Absence of community participation: Due to lack of incentivisation and awareness, participation from non-profits or community is limited. Also, most of the rules encourage centralized treatment such as waste to energy, which is still under-developed in the country.
• Unbalanced spending: Three-fourth of solid waste management budget is allotted to collection and transportation, which leaves very little for processing or resource recovery and disposal.

BEST PRACTICE

Rwanda’s ban on plastics:

• Since 2008, the African country banned the import, manufacture and distribution of plastic, with a few exceptions.
• On the last Saturday of every month, from 8 to 11 am, people across the country gather to clean their neighbourhoods.

WAY FORWARD

• 3R’s +E Strategy: Integrate Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Educate approach with enhanced public awareness about plastic waste management.
• Decentralized and Formalized Waste Management: Redefine solid waste strategies at the civic level and develop waste collection and processing into a formal, technology-driven sector.
• Segregation and Alternatives to Plastics: Emphasize segregation at the source and promote the use of biodegradable plastics and waste-to-energy plants.
• Government Incentives and International Cooperation: Offer incentives for waste management and take a lead role in international efforts to regulate plastic use.
• Tax Reform and Government-Supported R&D: Implement environmentally friendly tax reforms and subsidize R&D for sustainable waste management solutions.

Thus, by prioritizing sustainable practices, policy reform, and community involvement, we can make significant strides towards mitigating the environmental, health, and economic impacts of plastic waste.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q: Discuss the implications of plastic waste on the society. Enumerate the measures taken by Government of India to tackle Plastic waste. (10 marks, 150 words)