The Big Picture - Say No To Plastic

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged people to shun single-use plastic and encouraged the usage of jute and cloth bags to protect the environment. The PM urged startups and experts to find ways to recycle plastic, like using it in building highways, and appealed to shopkeepers to have boards in front of their shops saying, “Please don’t expect plastic bags here. Bring cloth bags from home or take them from us at a price”. On World Environment Day last year, the government had announced its intention to phase out single-use plastic like straws and cups by 2022. According to the Environment Ministry, about 20,000 tonnes of plastic waste is generated every day in the country, out of which only 13,000-14000 tonnes are collected. Experts have maintained that the problem lies in the inadequate collection and recycling systems. On this edition of The Big Picture we analyse how to get rid of the plastic menace.

Guests - Dr Suneel Pandey, Senior Fellow and Director, Environment & Waste Management Division, TERI,
Prof. C.K. Varshney, Environmentalist and Former Dean, School of Environment Sciences, JNU,
Sandeep Sen, Sr Journalist & Author,

Anchor - Frank Rausa Pereira

[shawindermann]

Prof. Varshney just nailed it....hats off

[curiouscase]

Dr. Varshney is phenomenal. He is the depository of knowledge and his clarity of thought is next to none.

[Satyendra_Kumar]

I don't understand why government ban on consumer. Why not shut down production of plastic. Problem will solve automatically.

[vartikasrivastava]

This is one of the best episodes of The Big Picture! I'm really concerned about our environment. Please guys, avoid using plastic bags on day to day level. _/\_

[aspirant]

eye opener: Saudi is investing in India for Petro and plastic production, thus making us a producer of plastic and subservient to the use of plastic. And our PM is saying the other way i.e. to reduce the plastic use, if we should reduce it's use then why are you signing the agreement. HYPOCRISY.

[madhukar.teekaram]

What a healthy debate! Learnt a lot 🙏🙏 Thanks rstv 👏

[maheshmahajan]

We all are citizens of major Idea
The mother earth
I can't let die my mother
It's my responsibility
To refuse

[shashiketan]

*91: PLASTIC POLLUTION*
- According to the Environment Ministry, about 20, 000 tonnes of plastic waste is generated every day in the country, out of which only 13, 000-14000 tonnes are collected.
- Plastic: From Miracle product to deadliest product.
- Ubiquitous: Marine, Himalayas, rivers, oceans.
- North Pacific Garbage dump.
- UNEP dedicated Year 2008 - 'free from plastics'.

Impact:
- Clogging the drainage system - Cause of floods.
- Water Crisis, Water pollution.
- Health Effects: The air we breathe, chemical compounds through plastic bottles.
- Marine life: Most of the plastic end up in oceans, taken up by marine animals leading to death.
- Huge Economic Cost: India is marine exporter, Fishes with microplastics rejected, Health Cost for individuals.

Challenges in Plastic
- Single use plastic is a major problem the world is battling: use of plastic material only once & throw it environment.
- Micro-plastics (um or nm) - present everywhere.
- Collection is Challenge: Majority is done by informal sector.
- Lack of alternatives: Few & Costly.
- Waste Management.
- Destroying existing plastic

Way Forward:
- Alternatives - New material & economies of scale
- Mindset Change: From 'Say no to Plastic" to 'Say Yes to Alternatives' Jute bags.
- Technology Solutions: Unsegregated waste can be destroyed at high temp: Temp Should rise very quickly.
Done in Australia in commercial way.
- REDUCE: will help in reduction in mining, transportation, refining, Air & water pollution where it is produced - Multipurpose benefits.
- Cost Benefit Analysis should be done for each type of plastic.
- Reverse Vending.
- Replace each plastic item with its substitute.
- Co-processing in cement kilners - Multi layered plastics.

Concerns:
- B2B have 130 types of plastics - No talks about that.
- Food delivery: everything is plasticized.
- Saudi Investing in India to produce more plastics & petrochemicals.
- India slowly growing to be a biggest producer - Subservient to industries.

Plastic Pollution is huge problem in the near future. Attempts have to be made in reducing its use & providing alternatives to people. Individuals should pledge to 'Say NO to Plastic' to save the mother earth from its detrimental effects.

[musicskp]

New phenomenon of micro plastic rain is real eye opener... We should learn from Bhutan for taking nature along development..

[VikashSharma-uino]

First of all, thanks to all my eminent penalist to participate on very crucial issue and also thanks to parera sir to discuss on this topic in a very holistic way. My question is why government shouldn't decrease production of plastic materials instead of this use alternative way.

[kumarraj]

A famous scientist, RAJGOPAL VASHUDEVAN, discovered how to make briks from plastic, this great man give this technique free of cost to the central government but till this time government could not work as well as we hoped.
There is only one way to save our Jagjani to use R 3 that is recycle, reuse and replace.

[jitendrapasi]

We as every single people on earth should take initiative and should stop using plastic from our home, grocery stores, B2B business. although it is not possible completely at initial level but where ever it is possible say no to plastic and use cloth and joot bag.
in the long run government should stop manufacturing plastic industry but without possible alternative government would not be able to take such decision.


so here my urge to every individual say no to plastic and save environment and previous earth. what is in our hand we should do it.

[nicholaskhupsian]

The question is viable alternative method, u cant simply tell people not to use plastic unless you give them option, you go to super market, u are not allow to enter inside with a bag, how do you solve that, its just one example. How do you get a simple refreshment in the summer heat on a roadside without using plastic, is there an alternative, can you manufacture something which can not only replace it but also is affordable for everyone

[अनकहीबाते-नस]

Introduce the alternatives is really good idea 👍

[bobminion]

The discussion should have focused to harm of Single Use Plastics, rather implementing complete ban on Plastics.🤔

[PawanKumar-qbfx]

There is only one thing to do to curb plastic pollutions is to provide jute bags as plastic bags available in the market...

[nicholaskhupsian]

The question is viable alternative method, u cant simply tell people not to use plastic unless you give them option, you go to super market, u are not allow to enter inside with a bag, how do you solve that, its just one example

[bobminion]

*Plastic isn’t the problem* It’s what we do with it. And that means the
onus is on us to be far smarter in how we use this miracle material.

[sammail]

The main challenge is to find alternate and affordable biodegradable material to replace plastic in our lives. One thing we can do, to succumb financially a little bit and use slightly costier alternative materials.

[funlifefun]

All the products are packaged by plastic, what to do with that?