The Earth Day today (April 22) is focused on ending plastic pollution by 2020, the 50th anniversary of the day.
Plastic wastes clog the drains and affect urban sewage systems which lead to water logging and urban flooding, especially during rains. Around 5.6 million tonnes per annum (TPA) of plastic waste is generated in country, which is about 15,342 tonnes per day (TPD). In Bhubaneswar around 15,330 tonnes per annum (TPA) plastic waste generated in the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) jurisdiction. In the city, there is no proper mechanism for safe segregation and disposal of plastic waste.
Plastic pollution is now recognised as a hazard to public health. Chemicals leached from some plastics used in food/beverage storage are harmful to human health. If food or drink is stored in these plastics, they can be contaminated with these chemicals. The second way in which plastics impact human health is linked to the fact that plastic items are rarely disposed of in the right way. Given that plastic takes decade to start decaying, plastic pollution is a very big concern, particularly for our seas and oceans. Today, about 60–80% of all marine debris, and 90 per cent of floating debris is plastic.
Plastics and harmful chemicals contaminate fish and other animals entering the food chain and potentially posing a danger to human health.
There are four main methods of plastic disposal. These are 1) landfilling, 2) Incineration, 3) Recycling and 4) Biodegradation. All plastics can be disposed in landfills. However, land filling is considered highly wasteful as it requires a vast amount of land. In addition, when plastics decompose in landfills, they may leak pollutants to the surrounding environment. Incineration returns some of the energy from plastic production. However, plastic incineration tends to cause negative environment and health effects as hazardous substances may be released into the atmosphere in the process. Many plastics can be recycled and the materials recovered can be given a second-life. However, this method is not fully utilized, due to difficulties with the collection and separation of plastic waste. Biodegradable plastics are plastics that decompose by the action of living organisms. However, these plastics are currently more expensive than standard plastics.
The Government has notified the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, which regulate manufacture, sale, distribution and use of plastic carry bags, including those of compostable plastic and plastic sheets for packaging or wrapping applications. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation being an authority as prescribed in Rule 6 of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 should ensure that: Every local body shall be responsible for development and setting up of infrastructure for segregation, collection, storage, transportation, processing and disposal of the plastic waste either on its own or by engaging agencies or producers. At present, the BMC doesn't have any mechanism for safe segregation and disposal of plastic waste. However, the new rules mandate all urban local bodies to ensure proper management of plastic waste. It has been observed that disposal of plastic waste is a serious concern due to improper collection and segregation system. However, a few technologies have been developed to minimize its adverse effect on the environment. The CPCB put efforts to consolidate innovative technical options for safer disposal of plastic waste. It is worthwhile to note that before adopting any technology, it is necessary to segregate plastic waste from municipal and others solid waste.
In the country, 17 States and UTs have imposed complete ban on manufacture, stock, sale and use of plastic carry bags. Five other States—Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Odisha and West Bengal—have partial bans on the use of plastic bags around sites of religious, historical or natural importance, or during the pilgrimage season. Despite this, plastic bags and bottles are used in India’s cities.
While we recognise the need for plastic products in our homes, in light of the tremendous ecological impact throughout plastic’s life cycle, we are compelled to select plastic alternatives when possible. In other cases, our best option may be to replace a more toxic plastic, such as PVC, with a less toxic one, such as polyethylene, or metallocene polyolefin (a newly developed plastic of lesser environmental footprint) pipe instead of PVC pipe, fiberglass instead of PVC window profiles etc.
Disposal of plastic waste is a serious concern in India. Several experiments have been conducted on reuse of plastic waste in road construction, co-processing of plastic waste in cement kilns etc. The process of road laying using waste plastics is designed and the technique is being implemented successfully for the construction of flexible roads at various cities in India. Rourkela becomes the first city in Odisha which uses the plastic wastage to build new roads. Besides, the East Coast Railway has installed two bottle recycle machines at the Puri railway station to crush the plastic bottles and avoid plastic wastage at the station premises. These recycled bottles may be supplied to the fibre manufacturing companies to be used for clothes, carpets, and dustbin cabinet and grocery bags.
To end plastic pollution Governments, communities and individuals need to come together and explore sustainable alternatives and reduce the excessive use of plastic in our daily life.
(Dr Praharaj teaches at Department of Architecture, College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar)