PLASTIC
POLLUTION – ENVIRONMENT
News:
How plastics affect our
daily life
What's
in the news?
●
Two papers published in Nature have found
evidence for widespread plastic contamination of coral reefs and freshwater
lakes.
●
The reef study finds that larger fragments
(mostly debris from the fishing industry) make up most of the plastic found and
these macro plastics are especially abundant in deep reefs.
●
The assessment of freshwater lakes and
reservoirs reveals that all assessed bodies of water were contaminated with
microplastics.
Key
takeaways:
●
According to UN data, more than 400
million tonnes of plastic is produced every year worldwide, half of which is
designed to be used only once.
●
Of that, less than 10 per cent is
recycled. Consequently, an estimated 19-23 million tonnes end up in lakes,
rivers and seas annually.
●
Around the world, one million plastic
bottles are purchased every minute, while up to five trillion plastic bags are
used worldwide every year.
●
In total, half of all plastic produced is
designed for single-use purposes – used just once and then thrown away.
Plastic
pollution:
●
It includes plastic waste that is
mismanaged (e.g. open-burned and dumped in uncontrolled dumpsites) and leakage
and accumulation of plastic objects and particles that can adversely affect
humans and the living and non-living environment.
Issues
of Plastic Pollution:
1.
Slow decomposition rate:
●
Plastics are hard to eradicate due to
their slow decomposition rate in natural ecosystems.
2.
Microplastics:
●
Plastics break down into their smaller
units called microplastics – officially defined as plastics less than five
millimetres in diameter.
●
These microplastics find their way across
the planet, from the depths of the Pacific Ocean to the heights of the
Himalayas.
●
According to the most recent global
estimates, an average human consumes at least 50,000 microplastic particles
annually due to contamination of the food chain, potable water, and air.
3.
Effect on Human Health:
●
Microplastics contain a number of toxic
chemicals which pose severe risks to human health. The biggest health risk
associated is with the chemical BPA or Bisphenol A , which is used to harden
the plastic.
●
BPA contaminates food and drinks, causing
alterations in liver function, insulin resistance, foetal development in
pregnant women, the reproductive system and brain function.
4.
Marine pollution:
●
The largest collection of plastics and
microplastics in the ocean is in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – a collection
of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Also known as the trash vortex, it
is located between California and Japan, and formed due to converging ocean
currents.
●
As per estimates, the GPGP covers a
surface area of 1.6 million sq.km– roughly half the size of India! There are
other, smaller such garbage patches in other oceans.
●
It floats on the sea surface and ends up
clogging the marine animals.
5.
Plastisphere:
●
Plastics are becoming part of the Earth’s
fossil record and a marker of the Anthropocene, our current geological era.
They have even given their name to a new marine microbial habitat called the
“plastisphere”.
6.
Climate change:
●
Plastic, which is a petroleum product,
also contributes to global warming. If plastic waste is incinerated, it
releases toxic fumes and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, thereby increasing
carbon emissions.
7.
Tourism and Economy:
●
Plastic waste damages the aesthetic value
of tourist destinations, leading to decreased tourism-related incomes and major
economic costs related to the cleaning and maintenance of the sites.
Global
Initiatives to Tackle Plastic Pollution:
1. The 1972 Convention on the Prevention of
Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other Matter (or the London Convention)
2. The 1996 Protocol to
the London Convention (the London
Protocol)
3. The 1978 Protocol to
the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).
4. The United Nations
Environment Program (UNEP) considers plastic marine debris and its ability to
transport harmful substances as one of the main emerging issues affecting the
environment.
5. Glo Litter Partnerships (GLP) - It is a project launched by the
International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and initial funding from the
Government of Norway.
6. Clean Seas Campaign:
●
The United Nations Environment Programme
launched the Clean Seas Campaign in 2017
●
Aim:
The goal was to galvanize a global movement to turn the tide on plastic
by reducing the use of unnecessary, avoidable and problematic plastics
including single-use plastics and phasing out intentionally added microplastics.
7. Greenpeace - It is an environmental NGO that is dedicated to
conserving the oceans and marine life across the globe. Its grassroots efforts
have resulted in the ban of destructive fishing practices, companies changing
their fishing policies, and the creation of whale sanctuaries.
8. United Nations resolution - 124 countries which are party to the
United Nations Environment Assembly including India signed a resolution to draw
up an agreement which will in the future make it legally binding for the
signatories to address the full life of plastics from production to disposal,
to end plastic pollution.
Indian
Initiatives to Tackle Plastic Pollution:
1.
Ban on single-use plastics:
●
India has banned the production, use and
sale of single-use plastics such as bags, cups, plates, cutlery and straws in
many states.
2.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR):
●
The Indian government has implemented EPR,
making plastic manufacturers responsible for managing and disposing of the
waste generated by their products.
3.
Plastic Waste Management Rules:
●
India introduced the Plastic Waste
Management Rules in 2016, which provide a framework for managing plastic waste
through various measures, including recycling and waste-to-energy initiatives.
4.
Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022:
●
The guidelines on EPR (Extended Producer
Responsibility) coupled with the prohibition of identified single-use plastic
items.
●
It banned the manufacture, import,
stocking, distribution, sale and use of carry bags made of virgin or recycled
plastic less than seventy-five micrometers.
5.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan:
●
The Indian government launched the Swachh
Bharat Abhiyan, a national cleanliness campaign, which includes the collection
and disposal of plastic waste.
6.
Plastic Parks:
●
India has set up Plastic Parks, which are
specialized industrial zones for recycling and processing plastic waste.
7.
Beach clean-up drives:
●
The Indian government and various
non-governmental organizations have organized beach clean-up drives to collect
and dispose of plastic waste from beaches.
8.
Awareness campaigns:
●
India has launched awareness campaigns to
educate people about the harmful effects of plastic pollution and encourage
them to use sustainable alternatives.
9.
The “India Plastic Challenge – Hackathon 2021":
●
It is a unique competition calling upon
start-ups /entrepreneurs and students of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)
to develop innovative solutions to mitigate plastic pollution and develop
alternatives to single-use plastics.
WAY
FORWARD:
●
Global plastic production must be capped
and reduced to prevent plastic pollution
from tripling by 2040.
●
Adopt a circular economy approach for tackling the problem of plastic
pollution.
○
Circular economy solutions can reduce
pollution by 80% by 2040.
●
Financial
mechanisms and capacity-building are essential for
participation and national legislation implementation.
●
Ensure
Accountability - Governments and businesses must be held
accountable through mandatory disclosure and reporting.
○
Global North countries that export their
waste to Global South countries must be held accountable for supporting
infrastructure development in importing countries by at least the volume they
export annually.
●
Strengthen Waste Management Infrastructure - Financial support is required to
invest in robust waste collection and recycling infrastructure across cities
and towns.
●
Implement effective segregation systems,
establish recycling centers, and promote the adoption of advanced technologies
for plastic waste processing.
○
This can involve collaboration between the
government, private sector, and civil society to develop innovative solutions.
●
Investing
in waste-to-energy plants using advanced technologies can
reduce fossil fuel dependence and generate electricity while effectively
managing plastic waste.
○
India has the capacity to process 14.2
million tonnes of plastic waste annually, accounting for 71% of primary plastic
production.
Plastic pollution is
perhaps the biggest threat facing the planet after climate change. Government
ministries at the national and local levels must collaborate in the
development, implementation and oversight of policies, which includes
participation from industrial firms, non-governmental organisations and
volunteer organisations to reduce the impacts of plastic pollution.