Page 7 - Plastics News June 2018

THE PRESIDENT
THE PRESIDENT SAYS SAYS

Do we need a BAN?

Much awaited World Environment Day is behind us now and the industry is taking sigh of
relief that its worries did not come true.
While the industry was still coping with ban of plastic products and “Plastic Mukt Maharashtra”
announcement, announcement of India’s selection as host country for World Environment
Day with a theme “Beat Plastic Pollution” stunned the Industry. To begin with the choice and
the timing of such a decision raises many questions in one’s mind. Are we as a country the
worst polluter of the environment? On the contrary, use and reuse of any products before
it is dumped is ingrained into our culture. Besides we as a country do have recycling of
substantial quantum of plastics by large unorganised segment trying to recover economic
value. The only fault line it appears is failure of evolved waste management infrastructure
and littering habits in absence of any regulatory frame work that escaped attention of our
Government for at least five decades. HITEN BHEDA

What followed is of more concern. The social media was flooded with anti-plastic propaganda
many with intent to scare users about ill effects of plastics which are largely unsubstantiated.
The tsunami of sentiment seemed unabated and our voice was not to be heard. Misplaced
statements and policy dictats banning use of plastic that actually provide health and hygiene
security ignored the positive side of the most versatile product of the century.
Somewhere the main objective of beating the pollution created by littering of the plastic
went out of focus and the whole exercise became an opportunity to be in lime light.

The climax point was declaration by the Government to be free of “Single Use Plastic” by
2022. The countdown has begun and we are not sure what to expect. Who will define “Single
use Plastic” in context of Indian society. For a country with millions still to see the living
standard currently enjoyed by developed countries, such decisions ought to be thought
through rather than copy pasted. If US, China and Japan can take a stand with respect to
their economic necessity, why India can’t. The onus is on to take this point across to our
policy makers.

At the end of the day we need to answer, what kind of Swachh Bharat it will be if we embark
upon alternatives like paper and glass that will have larger environ impact in long term in
many applications?

Hiten Bheda
president@aipma.net

7 June 2018 Plastics News