Environmental impact by use of plastic

Plastics have become an integral part of human life that it cannot be done away with. The use
of plastics in our day to day life has a serious impact on human life and it hampers ecosystem
to great extent. As per the Rule 17(3) of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, as amended
2018, each State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee shall prepare and
submit the Annual Report to the Central Pollution Control Board on the implementation of
these rules by the 31st July of each year. As per the estimates by CPCB, plastic waste
generated in India in the year 2017-18 was 660,787.85 tonnes1. Out of 35 SPCBs/PCCs, only
13SPCBs/PCCs have provided information on implementation of Plastic Waste Management
& information provided by these States/UTs are compiled as per the provision ‘17(4)’ of the
PWM Rule, 2016, as amended 2018. It has been observed that SPCBs/PCCs are not able to
collect information from all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the State due to unknown reasons2.

Conclusions of the above Annual Report(2017-18)3

There are about 383 unregistered plastic manufacturing/recycling units are still running in
few States/UTs, namely Bihar, Punjab, Manipur, J & K and Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand which
is against the PWM Rules,2016, as amend time to time.

According to the Rule ’6’ of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, as amended 2018
Municipal Authorities shall be responsible setting up, operationalization and coordination of
waste management system and performing the associated functions. However, it has been
observed that most of the States/UTs have not established the organized system for Plastic
Waste Management. Hence, resulting into widespread littering of plastic waste in towns &
cities of the country. Few States/UTs namely: Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya
transporting their plastic waste to cement plants for co-processing. Besides, few other
States/UTs namely: Orissa& Nagaland, using plastic waste for polymer bitumen road
construction.

As per the Rule ‘14(1)’ of PWM Rules, 2016, as amended, 2018 as amended 2018
shopkeepers/retailers shall be responsible for use of properly marked and labeled plastic
carry bags. Most of the States/UTs are not following the proper practice of plastic carry bag
labelling, especially in case of the carry bags available with the street vendors and small
retailers

As per Rule ‘16’ of PWM Rules, 2016, as amended, 2018 as amended 2018, there shall be a
State Level Monitoring Committee (SLMC) to monitor the implementation of PWM Rules,
however, majority of the States/UTs have not constituted such monitoring body till date. The

1
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/waste/india-s-plastic-waste-situation-wasn-t-created-today-67061
2
http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/file/Annual_Report_2017-18_PWM.pdf
3
https://www.cpcb.nic.in/uploads/plasticwaste/Annual_Report_2017-18_PWM.pdf
States/UTs, who have constituted SLMC, are not convening meetings on regular basis, to
monitor the progress of implementation of these Rules, therefore, implementation of the Rules
is not effective in the cities/towns & wide spread littering of waste has been observed.

As per Rule 17(3), the SPCBs/PCCs are required to submit Annual Report in Form-VI by 31st
July 2018. Majority of States/UTs have not followed the timelines.

What other nations have done?4

Subsequently, countries such as Rwanda, Kenya, Indonesia and many other global south
nations followed the lead. Conversely, Ethiopia’s ban on importation and production of carry
bags thicker than 330 microns, plateaued out in a short period. A form of punitive punishment
binds citizens from illegal activities. For example, in the case of Kenya, about 500 people have
been imprisoned for the offence of distributing or manufacturing plastics and some were fined
between Kenya Shillings 50,000 and 150,000. Currently, about 25 African countries have
taken legal initiatives to curb the consumption of SUPs and Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda are
exploring sustainable disposal methods for their plastics waste. If these bills are diligently
implemented, then they are one step ahead in fulfilling six targets of Sustainable Development
Goals:

 Good health and well-being

 Clean water and sanitation
 Sustainable cities and communities
 Responsible consumption and production
 Life below water
 Life on land.

UK government passed a policy (which is yet to come into effect from 2022) that encourages
the use of recycled package products among the producers by imposing plastic packaging tax
on production and importation. Other special attempts pushed by South Africa is a
memorandum of understanding, signed by actors in the plastic sector with the government to
monitor efficiencies of various stakeholders viz, manufacturers; the Ministry of Tourism;
packaging industries and the Department of Environmental Affairs to reduce the usage of
disposable plastics.
It’s quite similar in Singapore, which includes a broader set of actors from the private sector,
companies, shopping mall managers who are committed to reduce packaging waste by five
years. This approach thrusts the actors to use other sustainable alternatives instead of SUPs in
the value chain system. Additionally, an emerging practice, “precycling” (bringing own mugs
and reusable bags), in South Korea’s supermarkets, grocery stores and cafes is curbing the
consumption of disposables.

4
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/waste/plastic-waste-management-what-can-india-learn-from-other-
countries-67048
To halt the illegal movement of plastics in cross-borders and to promote the use of sustainable
packaging substitutes, governments of Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, and United
Republic of Tanzania signed the East Africa Community Polythene Material Control Bill in
2011. On the other side of the world, the EU’s policy on packaging waste dates back to the
1980s. It introduced Directive 85/339/EEC to address the issues on production, use, recycling
and refilling of containers for consumption and on disposal of post-consumed plastic waste.
Other directives such as Directive EU 2015/720 (in 2015) and amendment of Directive
94/62/EC states how to tackle the problem regarding the consumption of lightweight plastic
carrier bag. This Directive obliges member states to reduce the per capita consumption of
plastic bags to 90 per cent by the end of 2019. Certain countries have taken distinctive measures
like supporting recycling and recovery structures by indicating role of EPR and PROs etc.
South Africa for instance, passed National pricing strategy for waste management which
includes EPR fee along with custom and excise duty on the product.
While this policy has had negative implications on trade and infrastructure for the country,
EPRs adopted in other nations show a more positive outcome such as the Singapore Packaging
Agreement of 2007 which has led to the reduction of packing waste by 46000 tonnes.

As we mentioned earlier, at the UNEA held in Nairobi, Kenya, between March 11 and 15,
2019, India piloted a resolution on phasing out single-use plastic by 2022, a deadline later
updated to 2025. A majority of member countries opted to go in for a less ambitious “reduction
by 2030”.5 In 2018, as the global host to UN World Environment Day, India had promised to
phase out single-use plastic by 2022 with the theme ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’. “Only a small
proportion of the plastics produced globally are recycled, with most of it damaging the
environment and aquatic biodiversity,” a government press release had stated. “Both these are
global challenges and the resolutions piloted by India at the UNEA are vital first steps towards
addressing these issues and attracting the focus of the global community.”6

Various states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha And Bihar had banned single use of
plastics.
As per Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, all the plastic manufacturing/recycling units
must be registered with the concerned State Pollution Control Boards. However, there are close
to 300 unregistered plastic manufacturing/recycling units still running in states where a plastic
ban exists, according to a CPCB report.7

Water Pollution:

5
https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/why-does-india-report-only-half-the-plastic-
waste-it-generates-every-year-119040200120_1.html
6
id
7
https://swachhindia.ndtv.com/year-ender-2018-waste-management-plastic-waste-india-performance-
against-plastic-29144/https://swachhindia.ndtv.com/year-ender-2018-waste-management-plastic-waste-
india-performance-against-plastic-29144/
The Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers, which flow thousands of miles from their headwaters
in the Himalaya Mountains, both carry huge loads of plastic to their deltas in the Bay of
Bengal. The Ganges alone, which provides drinking water for more than 400 million people,
transports an estimated 110,000 tons of plastic every year to its mouth and ranks second only
to the Yangtze River in China on a Top 20 list of rivers, published in 2017, that move the
most plastic waste to the seas. 8 The seas near Mumbai, Kerala and the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands are among the worst polluted in the world. Plastic debris affects at least 267 species
worldwide, including 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species, and 43% of all
marine mammal species. • Significant amount of toxic heavy metals like copper, zinc, lead and
cadmium recovered from plastic wastes from sea shores have an adverse effect on the coastal
ecosystems. • Lead and Cadmium pigments, commonly used in most of the plastics as additives
are hazardous in nature and are known to leach out. Several GHG gases are emitted from the
landfills. Among them, carbon dioxide and methane constitute 90 to 98%.9

Animals suffer by consuming plastic waste

In Karuna Society for Animals and Nature & Others v. Union of India & Others10, WP(C)
154/2012 Supreme Court was called upon to issue necessary directions to authorities on
disposal of plastic bags and other plastic waste to prevent animals from suffering. SC in this
case said
All our urban areas are getting choked with plastics. We must expand the scope of this petition.
Until we examine the total ban on plastic and ensure the collection and disposal of all plastic,
the next generation will be faced with a ticking atom bomb. 1000 million plastic bottles are
manufactured every day for packaging drinking water. A photo of Yamuna in a newspaper
looks like a lotus pond. In Bangalore the municipal corporation has developed a technology
by using plastic for making roads.

In Karuna Society for Animals and Nature & Others v. Union of India & Others SC in para 4
said: It is evident that the situation is very alarming but it is not for this Court to monitor the
functioning of concerned authorities & local authorities to see that the areas of the local self
government are not polluted. Accordingly, we direct the Union of India and the State
Governments to consider the prayers in the petitions and take all necessary steps in the matter
in accordance with law by constituting committees consisting of competent persons who have
got sufficient knowledge on the subject matter. The Central Government may also set up an
appropriate monitoring mechanism in the matter. In our considered view the respective
regional Natural Green Tribunal benches can monitor and regulate the cases by passing /
giving orders or directions to all the concerned statutory authorities and local self governments
in the country for discharge of their constitutional and statutory duties.

Prevent usage of plastic by pilgrims (Amarnath Yatra):

8
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/02/india-single-use-plastic-bans-maharashtra-
tamil-nadu/
9
https://www.teriin.org/sites/default/files/files/factsheet.pdf
10
2014 SCC OnLine SC 910
In Court on its own Motion v . Union of India, Suo Moto Writ Petition No. 284 of 2012, the
Supreme Court was in full agreement with the recommendations of the Special High Power
Committee (SHPC) on issues related to Amarnath Yatra. The judgment clearly emphasised the
views of SHPC –
9.3.8 To counter the ever increasing use of plastic in the Yatra area, the SHPC recommends
the following:
a) The State Government should direct the concerned law enforcement agency(ies) to take all
required steps, on a time bound basis, to enforce the current statutory ban on the use of plastic.

b) SASB should progressively arrange facilities for drinking water filters being set up at Camps
and Langar sites to discourage the use of water bottles in the Yatra area. The aim should be to
provide a viable alternative to plastic water bottles in due course. The SASB could also
consider introducing a “deposit amount” scheme under which the deposit is returnable when
the beverage bottle is brought back to the disposal site.

c) Pictorial signage (in place of the existing signage in Hindi and English) should be used at
all prominent places. This would be helpful in also educating the Yatris about the need to keep
the Yatra area free from plastic materials.

d) The SASB should suitably revise the existing Terms and Conditions of the permissions given
to Langar Organisations to ensure that that no plastic material is used for serving food and
beverages to the Yatris. There should be adequate monitoring of the implementation of these
conditions and all cases of nonadherence must be penalised severely.

Recent NGT Order:

The order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Mohammad Yusuf Abdullah Shaikh &
Others v. State of Maharashtra & Others Original Application No.359/2019 dated 15/10/2019
regarding remedial action against the air pollution on account of melting of plastic in the process
of manufacturing gitti (recycled plastic granules) for use of plastic pipes at Malegaon in the State
of Maharashtra.
A report filed by the CPCB on September 9, 2019 reported that the list of 203 units as given by the
Malegaon Municipal Corporation to be engaged in plastic related activities is not comprehensive
and there can be more units engaged in the polluting activities. Further the list does not have
information about type of activities being carried out in terms of storage or sorting or recycling of
waste plastics or manufacturing of pipes from plastic lump (gitti) derived from waste plastic
recycling. Also, not all plastic waste recycling units to whom closure directions have been issued
by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and power supply disconnection has reportedly
been done by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Corporation Ltd. (MSEDCL) and not not
all units have closed their operations effectively.

The NGT directed the State PCB to take steps to prevent further polluting activities by the units by
disconnecting their electricity supply and recovering compensation. The Tribunal in its order made
it clear that "while polluting activities cannot be allowed to continue on the ground that alternative
sites may have to be explored, it is open to the authorities to take steps in that direction." "The
industrial activity ought to be allowed without causing damage to the environment. The existing
proposal for shifting of the units from residential area to any other area may be considered on its
own merit," the order said.
Other Countries

India’s first plastic buyback scheme

 IN

Source: TOI, 9 JULY, 2019