On October 2nd, this year, PM Narendra Modi was expected to announce a national ban on six single-use plastic products. But the government held off outlawing the items- bags, cups, plates, small bottles, straws and some type of sachets. The measure was seen as too disruptive for an industry coping with slow down and job loss. The proposed step was part of a campaign to rid India of single-use plastics by 2022. States were, however, asked to enforce existing rules against storage, manufacturing and use of things such as polythene bags and Styrofoam. States where bans have been in place for at least a year, there has been government will, everyday –plastics have indeed made their way out.
Several states like UP, Jharkhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha have had bans in select cities since at least 2018. Strict enforcement and replacement options alongside awareness drives and unique initiatives meant shoppers and shopkeepers slipped back to carrying jute or cloth shopping bags- the decades old habit discarded after ubiquitous plastic enslaved citizens with its convenience.
Coaxing Consumers:
It’s never easy to change ingrained behaviour. Providing replacements have helped enforce the ban. Shopkeepers offer paper, cloth or jute bags at a price if customers turn up without a bag. Others wrap their wares in old newspapers. Tea vendors and roadside food joints have switched to paper cups and plates, and plastic spoons have been replaced with bamboo stirrers. Bags made of waste paper and viscose are in. Vegetables are wrapped in newspapers.
Fear of Fine Helps:
Penalties have gone a long way in making people drop plastic. Here there is ban, anyone found using plastic products is being booked under IPC-188- disobedience to order issued by public servant. Flouting the ban invites a penalty between Rs. 1000 to Rs. 25000.
What Drives Behaviour:
Awareness and monitoring have ensured drastic cut-back on plastic use. Even the humble plastic knife taped to the birthday cake has been junked. Branded food outlets and cafes at airports and railway stations have switched to paper cups. The consumer often times has little choice to refuse plastic. And because it’s so ubiquitous and such a common item, it becomes a force of habit. The most common thing that keeps people from using reusable alternatives to single-use plastic—like reusable water bottles and tote bags—is forgetting the reusable version at home. But it’s not just a problem of individuals forgetting. It doesn’t matter, for example, if you bring your own water bottle with you if there is nowhere to fill it up. And for some, it comes down to preference, or a belief that re-using some products is unsanitary. Once the barriers have been identified, the next challenge is to find the right message to change human behavior.
People will only do so much when it’s just because somebody told them to. They have to understand that the single action matters. Behaviors that are done on an individual level can have a big impact when you aggregate them. There should be a display showing to the public, of the amount of waste they produce are another powerful tool for social change that has bolstered the “zero waste” movement. These types of visualizations can help people realize that they need to change their behavior. And once one person makes a change, it’s likely they will influence those around them to rethink their choices. People want to be part of the “in group,” and new behaviors need to feel socially acceptable. To facilitate this shift in social norms, public commitments or pledges can create “a sense of both community and peer pressure. These different ways that we can move through our lives by avoiding single-use plastics is something that is cool and can be a fun thing to do as a community.
Big Cities Lag:
The fight against plastic has been tougher in mega cities Mumbai and Delhi. Though the switch from plastic is visible across malls, supermarkets and showrooms, it’s a different story with street vendors who find it expensive to offer alternatives. Government’s inability to notify penalties provide a legal framework to empower and obligate its field force is also seen as reason for the lack of steady progress in plastic war. One of the most popular alternative after plastic ban in 2016 was non-woven bags. But it has now emerged while these appear to be made of cloth, they are actually polypropylene. Enforcement drives have been sporadic and haphazard and experts have questioned seizure data too. Without viable alternatives and sustained crack down, a ban will show little result. Bye-laws should be notified timely, then only the war will be over.
If you make them more expensive, or if you don’t make them available, it will be less convenient for people to get them. It’s really a production issue. Consumers have some choice, but we really need to focus on the bigger issue, which is the production of single-use plastics.
Be an individual consumer. You have a lot of power as a consumer. If enough consumers get together, they can affect change as far as industry and government policies go. A multi-faceted approach that combines public education with consumer pressure and business buy-in can ultimately lead to policy changes.
Appealing to both cost-effectiveness and public perceptions of eco-friendliness can help businesses reduce the number of single-use plastics available to the public. A lot of people think that going eco-friendly or being more mindful of the environment involves a higher cost, but often it’s the opposite.
Ban Inspires innovation:
Asking for a polybag today is like asking for trouble. One often gets looks of derision and a dose of green gyaan. Carry your own bag. People can donate old clothes at collection points, that can be turned then into bags and the bags can be provided free of cost.
The ban certainly will spur innovations. Saplings which were plants into plastic bags now at least 20% nursery growers started planting in coconut shells. Further, pots started made from cow dung. Plates are mass-produced by saal leaves by Self Help Groups. These organic plates take back in the traditional atmosphere.
“Even though this issue is so overwhelming and it’s easy to feel hopeless because it’s a global issue, it really has risen to the forefront, not only in policy conversations about how to actually make a change, but also in public consciousness. There’s a real shift happening about how we view plastic in our lives.”
Matter referenced:
- Times of India, Ahmedabad, Sunday, 20th October, 2019.
- https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2018/07/29/plastic-waste-pollution-people-cant-resits/818703002/
By: Dr. Bhawana Asnani.
Happy to see Reviews, Additions, Suggestions and Comments, further.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.