With the quantum of plastic waste mounting across urban India and civic bodies showing sluggishness to manage the menace, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued fresh directions asking civic bodies to make action plans within six months to plug environmental damage due to plastic waste. Stopping production of plastic bags less than 40 microns thickness, using biodegradable material in plastic bags and cracking down on illegal plastic bag producers were some of the recommendations CPCB issued in its fresh directions.
Currently, The Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011, is the guiding regulation on management of plastic waste, but its implementation has been ineffective. The Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change has brought out a new Plastic Waste Rules this year but they are yet to come into effect. According to CPCB, most of plastic waste generated across urban India remains recycled and ends up in landfills. At landfills and in cities, open burning of plastic waste generates toxic emissions, such as; Carbon Monoxide, Chlorine, Hydrochloric Acid, Dioxin &Furans, Amines, Nitrides, Styrene, Benzene, and Acetaldehyde and pollute the environment.
Besides, open burning, plastic also leaches into ground contaminating ground water and chokes rivers, streams along with marine ecosystems such as mangroves and estuaries. To address this issue, CPCB has urged urbaan local bodies and municipal corporations to establish within six months systems to collect, segregate and process plastic waste through recycling. CPCB's latest assessment of plastic waste shows that 3,501 tonnes of plastic waste is generated per day across 60 major cities. In India, approximately 12 million tonnes plastic products are consumed every year , which is expected to rise further. It is also known that about 50-60% of its consumption is converted into waste.
In Maharashtra, the estimated plastic waste generation is 10950 tonnes/annum.
Main usage of plastics is in the form of carry bags, packaging films, wrapping materials, fluid containers, clothing, toys, household applications, industrial products, engineering applications and building materials.
In other directions, CPCB has asked state pollution control boards to crack down on illegal factories producing sub-standard plastic bags which are less than 40 microns in thickness. "Secretaries-in-charge of municipal bodies in each state shall ensure that all municipal bodies ban stocking, selling and use of any carry bag (having handle or non-handle) having less than 40 micron thickness plastic material. Those found stocking/selling such carry bags shall be penalised by imposing a fine of Rs1 lakh," the CPCB said.
