In light of the increasing environmental harm caused by plastic waste, significant initiatives are being taken to counteract this issue. Recently, the Union Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change launched a series of Green Initiatives for Effective Plastic Waste Management. These initiatives, including an awareness mascot called ‘Prakriti’ and a National Dashboard for tracking progress in eliminating single-use plastic, are designed to cultivate a greater sense of awareness among the population and encourage sustainable changes.
What are the Recent Green Initiatives?
The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has launched several green initiatives. The National Dashboard on Elimination of Single Use Plastic (SUP) seeks to collate efforts and track progress made towards eliminating SUP. The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Portal aims to make producers, importers, and brand owners accountable for their plastic waste. A mobile app for Single Use Plastics Grievance Redressal has also been launched to give citizens a platform to report violations in their area. Monitoring modules for Single Use Plastics by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) have been introduced to provide on-the-ground enforcement of bans on SUPs.
The Challenge of Plastic Waste
A growing environmental concern is the accumulation of plastic waste. Unlike biodegradable wastes like paper or food peels, plastic persists in the environment for hundreds or even thousands of years. As a result, plastic pollution is having a profound impact on our ecosystems and contributing to air pollution. India is currently generating about 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with per capita plastic waste generation almost doubling over the last five years.
Major Challenges to Plastic Waste Management
Mismanaged plastic waste, spurious biodegradable plastics, plastic consumption through online retail, and the rampant spread of microplastics all pose significant challenges to plastic waste management. Plastic pollution in both freshwater and marine environments is a global problem, with 60-80% of marine plastic waste coming from plastic pollution. Terrestrial plastic pollution also remains an unresolved issue, with 80% originating from land-based sources.
Related Initiatives
Several initiatives have been launched to address these issues. These include the Swachh Bharat Mission, India Plastics Pact, Project REPLAN, Un-Plastic Collective, and GoLitter Partnerships Project. The way forward will involve raising awareness among the public, finding substitutes for single-use plastics, incentivising producers to switch to sustainable products, promoting responsible consumerism, and engaging key stakeholder groups.
Role of Citizens and Stakeholders
Citizens play a pivotal role in managing plastic waste. By refraining from littering, aiding in waste segregation, and contributing to waste management efforts, individuals can contribute significantly to alleviating the plastic pollution problem. Industry representatives, local government, manufacturers, civil society, environmental groups, retailers, consumers, and tourism associations are also vital stakeholders in these efforts.
UPSC Civil Services Examination Queries
Previous examination questions have addressed the issue of plastic pollution, including questions on Bisphenol A (BPA) and microbeads. BPA, a major concern, is a structural component in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Microbeads, released into the environment, are known to be harmful to marine ecosystems. Awareness and understanding of these topics are crucial for those preparing for the Civil Services Examination.