Demonetize Plastic to eliminate plastic from the country
Some State Governments have taken stringent action against use of plastic bags by formulating new laws. Levying of Fines & penalties will deter people from using plastic bags. But this is not the solution to eradicate plastic from the country. There is no proper alternative which is in abundant supply to deal with plastic. The plastic bags will be shifted to places where it is not banned. This will only result in postponing the use of a substitute to plastic.
The reason is that plastic bags were introduced in the mid 80's for milk pouches instead of glass bottles. Secondly, vegetable vendors & shop keepers used plastic bags to boost sales as customers used to buy veggies/groceries from the market on their way back from work and carrying jute bags to office was a strict no-no. Consequently, plastic bags were accumulated by all & sundry for use in their daily lives.
Even recently, shopping malls were charging for plastic bags Rs 4/Rs 5 and as jute bags were sold at high prices, people used to buy plastic bags for carrying their products purchased. The amount of plastic bags to be cleared have swelled because these have been accumulated for the last 35 years and this mammoth accumulation has to be eradicated from the country.
Now coming to the use of plastic- Plastic bags can be used to bolster the durability of roads. Plastic roads are roads made either entirely of plastic or of composites of plastic with other materials. Plastic roads are different from standard roads in the respect that standard roads are made from asphalt concrete, which consists of mineral aggregates and asphalt. Therefore this is a give & take relationship through Barter/exchange without the involvement of Money which will result in eradication of plastic and also use it as a raw material for building roads.
The following modus operandi will eradicate use of plastic:-
1. Plastic bags to be exchanged for jute bags of the same size. There will be no money involved and it will be pure barter/exchange and quantity will also be the same for each plastic bag provided.
2. For this purpose large scale production and free distribution of jute bags be done through the cottage industries where new employment will be generated. The funds required should be used from the Jan Dhan Account to pay off the jute industry workers.
3. The exchange of plastic bags should be done at the same centres for branded plastic bags. For example in the same shopping malls, the plastic bags with the name printed should be exchanged for jute bags without any extra cost. The unbranded plastic bags should be exchanged at any centres including PDS shops without any extra cost absolutely free of cost. The jute bags provided will be against a bar code and cannot be sold and can be donated to the needy.
4. This large scale plastic accumulated should be used as raw material for building roads and this way a changed attitude would bring in use of environment friendly carry bags. The malls providing the accumulated plastic bags would get rebate in their taxes and they should pass on the discount to the end users so that the prices come down and inflation is under control.
5. This large scale transformation would take at least 6 to 9 months and from the next year, we can reap the benefits of eradicating plastic bags from the country. more
The reason is that plastic bags were introduced in the mid 80's for milk pouches instead of glass bottles. Secondly, vegetable vendors & shop keepers used plastic bags to boost sales as customers used to buy veggies/groceries from the market on their way back from work and carrying jute bags to office was a strict no-no. Consequently, plastic bags were accumulated by all & sundry for use in their daily lives.
Even recently, shopping malls were charging for plastic bags Rs 4/Rs 5 and as jute bags were sold at high prices, people used to buy plastic bags for carrying their products purchased. The amount of plastic bags to be cleared have swelled because these have been accumulated for the last 35 years and this mammoth accumulation has to be eradicated from the country.
Now coming to the use of plastic- Plastic bags can be used to bolster the durability of roads. Plastic roads are roads made either entirely of plastic or of composites of plastic with other materials. Plastic roads are different from standard roads in the respect that standard roads are made from asphalt concrete, which consists of mineral aggregates and asphalt. Therefore this is a give & take relationship through Barter/exchange without the involvement of Money which will result in eradication of plastic and also use it as a raw material for building roads.
The following modus operandi will eradicate use of plastic:-
1. Plastic bags to be exchanged for jute bags of the same size. There will be no money involved and it will be pure barter/exchange and quantity will also be the same for each plastic bag provided.
2. For this purpose large scale production and free distribution of jute bags be done through the cottage industries where new employment will be generated. The funds required should be used from the Jan Dhan Account to pay off the jute industry workers.
3. The exchange of plastic bags should be done at the same centres for branded plastic bags. For example in the same shopping malls, the plastic bags with the name printed should be exchanged for jute bags without any extra cost. The unbranded plastic bags should be exchanged at any centres including PDS shops without any extra cost absolutely free of cost. The jute bags provided will be against a bar code and cannot be sold and can be donated to the needy.
4. This large scale plastic accumulated should be used as raw material for building roads and this way a changed attitude would bring in use of environment friendly carry bags. The malls providing the accumulated plastic bags would get rebate in their taxes and they should pass on the discount to the end users so that the prices come down and inflation is under control.
5. This large scale transformation would take at least 6 to 9 months and from the next year, we can reap the benefits of eradicating plastic bags from the country. more
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A Study by scientists from the state university of New York has found that more than 90 percent of bottled water worldwide , including India , contains tiny pieces of plastic . Polypropylene , used to make plastic caps, was the most common polymeric material,54% found in samples while nylon was the second most abundant 16%.Plastic identified in 93% of samples. Researchers found 10.4 micro plastic particles per litre .Sales of bottled water in India is Rs 7040 cr in 2016. The negative impact of plastic pollution is found inside our bodies. And these chemicals inside our bodies are likely contributing to a wide range of harmful health issues. We therefore request you to see that Reduce, Refuse, Reuse, Recycle and Remove should be the ultimate aim of All governments to End Plastic pollution in World. To End Plastic Pollution and to recognize World Water Day, let’s take a look at how microplastic pollution gets into our drinking water supply. Here are some facts for you to consider: PLASTIC POLLUTION FACT: Microplastics (extremely small pieces of plastic) are present in almost all water systems in the world—streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans. PLASTIC POLLUTION FACT: 83% of the samples of tap water tested from major metropolitan areas around the world were contaminated with plastic fibers. In another study, 93% of water samples from major bottled water suppliers from around the world showed signs of microplastic contamination, including polypropylene, nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The ways microplastics enter our water supply are surprising. Microplastics emanate from clothing, cosmetics, car tires, and paint chips, among other sources. They’re also created from all plastic items as they erode into smaller and smaller pieces.You might think that water purification systems run by cities and companies remove these microplastics, but you would be wrong. Plastic fibers are so tiny that they seem to be able to pass through the filtering systems used to purify the water from streams or rivers that goes into our homes and water bottles. They are also small enough to be easily transported by the wind. Since we seem to be drinking water contaminated with microplastics, what impact does this have on our health? We know that plastics contain chemicals added during the manufacturing process and that plastics absorb other toxins from the water. We know that those chemicals, when consumed by humans, have been associated with some health issues.You’ll be surprised to learn the ways plastic in drinking water can potentially harm the people who drink it! Waste Management has strong linkages to arrange of other global challenges like Health, climate change, poverty, Education, Food and resource security, sustainable production and consumption. Population continues to grow, Migration from rural tourban areas increase, Waste per person increases in consumption rises.Lowerincome cities in Africa and Asia will double their solid waste generation in coming years. Public Health impacts of uncollected waste 1) Gastrointestinal and Respiratory infections,particularly in children. 2) Blocked Drains aggravate floods and spread Infectious diseases. Enviromental impacts of open dumping and burning 1)Severe land pollution and freshwater , groundwater and sea pollution 2) Local air pollution and Greenhouse gas Emissions. Atlast The Cleanliness of the city , state and country can be used as a proxy indicator of Good Governance. "No-one in their daily life within a period of 10 minutes isn't touching something that is made of plastic,". "The plastic waste in the oceans is disastrous for marine and bird life, and the human race has to avoid disposal of this waste in a way that enables it to enter drains, rivers, and eventually the ocean, Research suggests that the chemical could be harming children’s kidneys and hearts, independent of the heart issues related to obesity. Over the past two decades, the share of children with defective tooth enamel has been rising . This enamel defect “now affects 15 to 20 percent of children six to nine years old,” Polyvinylchloride (#3PVC) In plastics Can cause cancer, birth defects, genetic changes, chronic bronchitis, ulcers, skin diseases, deafness, vision failure, indigestion, and liver dysfunction .Its High time to measure the Hazardous effects of PLASTIC and ban plastic covers, Bottles ( Bags) and even goods made of plastic. If we don’t ban plastic our land fills up and we have to send our garbage to dump it into Mars , Now the time has come to ban plastic or ban Human beings from Earth , Better to go with the earlier one to Ban Plastic. Waste per capita increases with income level, 7-10 Billion tonnes of solid waste from urban house holds, commerce , industry and construction. By the next 10 years, Earth will become 4 degrees hotter than its now. Himalayan glaciers are melting at a rapid rate, so all of us lend our hand to fight global warming. Plant more trees, don’t waste water. Don’t use or burn plastics. In India, the Government of Himachal Pradesh has banned the use of plastics and so has Ladakh district. Other states should emulate their example. Find alternatives to plastic products whenever possible. Some specific suggestions: § Buy food in glass or metal containers; avoid polycarbonate drinking bottles with Bisphenol A § Avoid heating food in plastic containers, or storing fatty foods in plastic containers or plastic wrap. § Do not give young children plastic teethers or toys § Use natural fiber clothing, bedding and furniture § Avoid all PVC and Styrene products § Buy food in glass or metal containers § Avoid heating food in plastic containers, or storing fatty foods in plastic containers or plastic wrap § Do not give young children plastic teethers or toys § Use natural fiber clothing, bedding and furniture Avoid all PVC and Styrene produce, If we don’t measure it, we cannot manage it. NANDIKANTI SAI KUMAR H.NO 9-2-743 REZIMENTAL BAZAR SECUNDERABAD , HYDERABAD DISTRICT, TELANGANA STATE , PINCODE 500003. CELL NO 9985506746 more
Apr 28
The concern and idea of Mr vaidya nathan is understandable and useful. It is really urgent need to control the use of plastic. Unfortunately we can not sea any place without plastic . Carry bags mostly used but packaging material also plastic only. carry bags are at least reused but the packing plastic is not reused but only can be recycled because their shape is disturbed. The floods in the cities also because of chocked drains with pan masala and water packets. Small packets like pan masala may be packed in paper and stored/ transported in big bags or containers. more
Apr 28
Very heavy taxation on plastic bag manufacturers may deter availability of plastic bags. Educating people of harmful effects plastic bags may help. more
Apr 24
We can not again come back to jute bags. However, cotton polymer bags can to encouraged. more
Apr 24
I have started using cloth bags in the year 2009 and have not looked back. I keep atleast one bag in my car and one in the bike. And we go shopping for anything - groceries, vegetables or even clothing, we take our own bags from home. For food purchases like curry points, non-veg items, fruits etc, we carry appropriate containers. Even for purchase of rice, dry fruits etc, from neighborhood stores, we carry steel containers of applicable size. We bluntly refuse plastic bags even when offered. yes, we do get them at some points like food delivery or take out, which we keep to a minimum (once or twice a year). This is needed to be done by all. When I look back, our household has avoided the need for over 500 carry bags of various sizes per year, over the past 9 years. This is around 4500 for just one house hold. Just think what can happen if a building block or an entire colony takes up this approach. In addition to this, we also separate wet and dry waste. We do our best to compost the wet waste, but does not always work. However the same is dried and handed over the waste collector from municipality. This negates further plastic usage for waste disposal. We use 2-3 bags per month for waste disposal. Is this doable by all? I believe it is. This is a better option than use them freely and try to find other ways of disposing/handling them. If anyone is interested to take this idea forward, I would be happy to discuss in detail. Thinking Global is good, but acting locally is very very important. Else it will just stay as an academic discussion with no impact. more
Apr 23
