Why in news?
Maharashtra government's has decided to ban the manufacture, use, sale, distribution and storage of plastic materials.
What is the decision of Maharashtra on plastics?
- As a large, highly industrialised state, Maharashtra is the 25th Indian state to impose a ban on plastics.
- Maharashtra is responsible for generating the largest quantity of plastic waste 460,000 tonnes per annum.
- To address this issue the state has implemented ban on manufacture, use, sale, distribution and storage of plastic materials.
- The government offered a three-month "grace period" to eliminate existing stocks and find alternatives.
- It now intends to impose drastic penalties, including large fines and potential jail terms for violations.
- However, there is much confusion amongst the general populace and user-industries, as to which categories are permissible and which are banned.
What are the issues with managing toxic wastes in India?
- Though India has a low per capita consumption, it is still a major contributor to global toxicity due to poor waste management practices and the sheer size of the population.
- Apart from choking India's landmass, contaminating drinking water, killing animals, plastics flowing down India's rivers are estimated to contribute as much as 60 per cent of global ocean contamination.
- Industry will see up to 300,000 job losses and adverse impacts along the whole value chain due to policy measures to manage toxic wastes.
- The compliance record of plastic ban in most Indian states is very poor and the bans exist only in name.
What measures needs to be taken?
- Eco-friendly alternatives such as jute and recyclable categories of plastics replace toxic "thin" plastics, new employment opportunities will surely be created.
- Carry bag production using cloth can create more jobs than machines using plastic pellets.
- Any policy that aims to reduce plastic use must be well designed to induce behavioural changes at several levels from usage to disposal.
- Countries in the European Union use taxation policies, imposing heavy taxes on certain categories of plastic while offering incentives to make and use eco-friendly substitutes Indian can also try such models.
- After all educating consumers about the need for the proper disposal of all sorts of wastes, including plastics, is the only way for a ban be sustainably executed.
Source: Business Standard
