Beyond the ban

In his campaign, the Prime Minister conveyed that single-use plastic, which comes to use only once, causes a lot of problems but did not indicate a plastic-free India as interpreted by some people in the country. The central government will request all the states to enforce existing rules against storing, manufacturing and using some single-use plastic products such as polythene bags and Styrofoam. In response to his campaign, plastic manufacturers in India will seek exemptions from the government's planned ban on certain plastic items, fearing the move will disrupt supply chains and raise costs ahead of a festive season. Based on my experience, it is pertinent to mention that there are no cost-effective alternatives of small-sized plastic bottles used for pharmaceutical or health products and plastic bag less than 50 µ for keeping the food products in a moisture-free environment to poor people at no cost.

Already 18 states have imposed a ban on single-use disposable plastic as per the rules stipulated by the different states to reduce plastic waste that presents not only an environmental challenge but also a major socio-economic development challenge which impacts biodiversity, infrastructure, tourism and livelihoods. Burning plastic in open air by people out of ignorance releases gases namely dioxin and furan which are highly carcinogenic. No doubt, the most critical environmental issue is the management of plastic waste.

To beat this, over the last 10 years, a remarkable shift in policies associated with plastic has taken place in countries across the world. Many governments have started to ban or put restrictions on the sale or free distribution of plastic carrier bags in countries over the world, including India.

Many states that banned plastic use have failed to crack down on the problem. However, the plastic bag ban was more successful in Gangtok and nearby towns, Maharashtra metropolitan area and in selective tourist spots than in outlying areas. The likely reasons for failure to implementation of the ban are the intervention of the corporate brigade and vested interests, but most importantly the attitude of people and non-availability of alternatives. Thereby, the success of the policy to impose a ban on using plastic without the availability of alternative materials in all respects depends on the fact that it must be consistent with public opinion and have a definite control target.

According to researchers, recycle and reuse are practical environmental solutions to the problem of plastic waste. But an important task to overcome the key knowledge gap is to measure the extent, distribution and impact of debris on land, rivers, estuaries, islands and along coastlines. This is practically neglected. The traditional mindset of engineers and scientists in India, with scant regard to sound scientific evidence available in the literature, is the major impediment to success in developing management and remedial strategies for plastic waste by identifying and quantifying the sources, sinks, flows and types of waste.

Inert plastic waste can be converted into energy (thermal and mechanical) via a light-controlled process through the simple chemical activation of plastic waste including polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride. This is done in many other countries.

Another approach may be the polluter-pays principle that needs to integrate systemic thinking, with technological innovations and policy reforms at all stages of the supply chain, to promote sustainable practices. The most important component in plastic waste management is "collection modalities".

According to the Central Pollution Control Board, 9,000 tonnes out of 15,000 tonnes of plastic produced in India per day are collected and processed/recycled. This figure needs to be verified in the backdrop of today's plastic pollution problem which has not been mitigated successfully either by recycle or reuse.

The best alternative is to frame a policy to ban plastic and to charge for plastic use till cheap bio-degradable shopping bags are developed using advanced science and technology. In many countries including India, artisans are preparing bags, plates, buckets etc of various sizes and shapes using water hyacinth, coconut tree, bamboo, palm tree, grasses and other biodegradable raw materials. In my village, with the help of artisans belonging to the low socioeconomic group, water hyacinth is being used to produce small bags and other handicrafts but not cost-effective till date as no advance technology could be adopted. But incremental innovation of existing technology will obviously reduce the cost in future. Material like a plastic straw, which is not a necessity but more of a luxury causing great harm to our environment, must be banned. Moreover, there are paper straws, aluminium straws and bamboo straws that are much safer for our environment.

Obviously, the ban on plastic bags or a charge on them has had a positive effect on consumer behaviour. But the most important aspect is to know about the underlying processes in order to explore why and under which conditions these policies would be effective, and how to improve them. Imposing a ban followed by a penalty on plastic bag use may cause negative consequences as it may be a "shove measure" aiming to modify customer's behaviour. The underlying process is not clear, so we do not know for sure about the consistency of behaviour of people in the long-term as there is no cheap alternative. A plastic bag charge is quite effective to increase the use of one's own bags among consumers in cities, towns and even in villages. This will be a sustainable approach.

The financial implications were always related to policy opposition because the free-of-charge bag has immediate positive consequences (i.e., comfort, ease), while its negative consequences (i.e., environmental damage) are always uncertain and distant in time. Common people do not realise this when they use plastic bags. Importantly, a plastic bag charge may activate environmental motives to bring one's own shopping bags.

It can be observed at supermarket counters that many consumers support plastic bag charges to improve environmental quality. Many consumers who carried their own shopping bag after the policy implementation are now influenced by intrinsic motives (environmental and hedonic) rather than extrinsic (financial) ones. Clearly, this suggests a positive behaviour change of many consumers to protect the environment and human health from risks of plastic waste.

Therefore, there is a need for education at all levels to inculcate environmental knowledge and sustain this behaviour even when incentives would no longer be available. Moreover, all consumers must be exposed to a media campaign announcing the ban, the charge, and the environmental benefits of reduced plastic bag use emphasising the role of citizen participation. This will reduce negative attitudes.

The best option to manage plastic waste will depend on collation of scientific information and development of a conceptual model to tackle this problem. Since a lot of scientific information is already available, a sincere effort is now needed to evolve the management strategy.

Most importantly, the conventional mindset to impose a ban on plastic without considering the citizens' opinion can fulfil the environmental issue with the little outcome but not the equilibrium between economy, society and environment.

(The author is a former Senior Scientist, Central Pollution Control Board. The views expressed are strictly personal)