Page 36 - Plastics News February 2020

FeAtures

needed fix. “People really care about plastic pollution the excessive plastic packaging of online goods. So the
and they want to make good choices,” Hocevar said. study busts the myth that the plastic industry peddles
“It’s difficult because we often don’t have very many that they manufacture these products because there is
options available to us. If companies are misleading us the consumer wants it,”adds Priti. According to the study,
about plastic being recyclable, it’s harder to make good “rapid rise” in online shopping is `”creating mountains
decisions and changes.” of cardboard and packaging waste.”

Consumers confused on SUP The survey also said that while respondents from the
While Greenpace have questioned the claim on Plastics economically lower income group identity items like
recycling back home in India a study finds consumers balloon sticks and non-refillable pens as SUPs, an
are confused on what constitutes single use plastics overwhelming 65 per cent of the total respondents did
especially at a time when the government is trying to not categorise them as SUPs.“This group though got it all
phase out plastic in India. wrong for packaging material and mineral water bottles
as only 26% and 20% of them believe these are Single
The study “Single-Use Plastics: The Last Straw”, Use Plastic. The results clearly point out towards the
released by environment body –Toxic Links found that ambiguity in the mind of individual consumers regarding
most consumers do not consider mineral water bottles what is single use plastic,”says the study.
and straws as single-use plastic (SUP), despite them
being so. Only 57 percent of those surveyed in urban Plastic bags of less than 50 microns have been banned in
centers including metropolitan cities and smaller towns, India since 2016. However, even after three years, the
considered plastic carry bags as single-use plastic, said study said, “22 per cent were completely unaware. Only
the study. Interestingly, the survey also found that 40% of the respondents, aged under 20, were certain
consumers are not wanting to use single-use plastics and about the 50-micron restrictions in the Plastic Rules. In
are looking for alternatives. fact, the awareness grew with age- the 60 plus population
was the most aware at 76%,” the study finds.
“There is a huge gap between the government’s desire
to phase out plastic products and awareness among the The Central Pollution Control Board has estimated
people. Although the Prime Minister’s announcement approximately 3.6 Million Tonnes per annum of
of the government’s intention to do has had a huge plastic waste generation for India. A major reason for
impact and has brought proliferation of SUPs is the changing lifestyle, especially
this conversation to the in urban context, says the study. Increased mobility
fore. The good news is means needs to carry food, liquid and other personal
that we found during our care products- smaller pouches or containers, made of
survey that consumers do plastic, is seen as more convenient and hence are now
not want to use single-use widely in use. In 2015, plastic packaging waste (single
plastics and are looking use plastic designed for immediate disposal) accounted
for alternatives – the for 47% of the plastic waste generated globally, with half
alternatives are simply of that appearing to come from Asia. Estimates suggest
not available yet,” says the author of the report Priti 50% of plastic is discarded in India after single use. The
Mahesh. In the survey, 16 single-use plastic items were marine has become sinks for large quantities of single
taken into account out of which three were particularly use plastic.
ubiquitous and harmful. The most abundant and widespread source of marine
debris is plastics, accounting for 60–95% of marine
“The harmful products include things like plastic tubes
– such as toothpaste or creams, medicine wrappers with litter. In India, more than 20 states have notified full
multi-layer plastic capsule holders and the packaging for or partial plastic bans Maharashtra being the first
online products. The consumer is aware that these need without understanding the root cause of the problem
to be replaced and have told us that they do not need and its severity for the lack of proper effective waste
harmful plastic products like straws, plastic cutlery or management system at its disposal.

Plastics News Februar y 2020 36