https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Time To Shun Plastic Is Now

Indian Masterminds Stories

Invented in 1862 as a substitute to ivory, plastic is now threatening the world. More than 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year worldwide, half of which is designed to be used only once. Of that, less than 10 per cent is recycled. An estimated 19-23 million tonnes end up in lakes, rivers and seas annually. 

Microplastics find their way into food, water and air. It is estimated that each person on the planet consumes more than 50,000 plastic particles per year, according to a UN report. Plastic waste flowing in water systems, would triple in next 15 years. In fact, microplastics are reported to be responsible for rapidly increasing cases of cancer in the world.

Sample these statistics issued by the United Nations:

  • More than 1 million plastic bags are used every minute, with an average “working life” of only 15 minutes
  • 500 billion plastic bags are used annually—and that’s just plastic bags.
  • Of all plastics the world has produced, only 9% of the nine billion tons has been recycled—most ends up in landfills, dumps, or in the environment.
  • The ocean is expected to contain 1 ton of plastic for every 3 tons of fish by 2025 and, by 2050, more plastics than fish (by weight).
  • Studies suggest that the total economic damage to the world’s marine ecosystem caused by plastic amounts to at least $13 billion every year.
  • If current consumption habits continue, we’re on pace to have discarded 12 billion tons of plastic waste into landfills and our environment by 2050.

Plastic has invaded every sphere of our life. Everything comes packed in plastic – from water to eatables and from clothes to computer peripherals. From surgical equipment to spaceships, everything has its fair share of plastic. Plastic mow is like artificial intelligence – we can’t live without it despite being aware of the dangers it poses to the world in general and to human race in particular.

Plastic is a by-product of petrochemical industry but its prevalence is due to its flexibility – it can take any shape and size, impermeability, and its sturdiness. Being inexpensive, its goods mostly are of use and throw kinds, especially the packing material.

So what do we do? There are two ways to tackle plastic. One – recycle it and two – replace it with reusable material in everything from packing to daily use goods.  Right now less than 10 percent of plastic is recycled. The remaining 90 percent goes either into landfills or aquatic ecosystems. Since it takes anywhere from 20 years to 10000 years for plastic to degrade, the danger is increasing rapidly. Being impervious, its stops rainwater to seep into the ground while at the same time choking gullible animals – from elephants to whales – feeding on it.

Can we increase plastic recycling to bring it back in use instead of going into landfills and oceans forever? A small step could be levying a small redeemable cover charge on all plastic packing. A packet of chips, chocolate or cold drink bottle costing Rs 10 for example, should be sold at Rs 30 by including a Rs 20 refundable cover charge. A person returning the packing to the retailer can redeem the cover charge. Such collected plastic material can be routed back to the company through a wholesaler for recycling.

It is high time we individually as well as jointly, shall take the initiatives to shun plastic from our life. Indian Masterminds, during its three-year existence, has not been tracking such initiatives but has been lauding and supporting them. Whether it was Tamil Nadu’s Meendum Manjapai (Yellow Clothes bags to replace plastic bags) programme or Sikkim’s efforts to be the first plastic-free state in the country or Indore’s efforts to systematically shun single-use plastic usage or even Rameshwaram forest administration’s decision to levy plastic tax from tourists besides giving them cloth bags or Madhya Pradesh’s Satna forest department and Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang selling plastic waste to make money for development, we have always been on the ball.

The journey would continue, maybe more speedily and so would the crusade against plastic. Let us make a start, now.

Happy World Environment Day, 2023.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
NHPC Resized
NHPC Launches Wet Commissioning of Unit-I at Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project, India’s Largest Hydro Power Initiative
NTPC and EIL
NTPC Joins Hands with Engineers India to Develop Coal-to-SNG Facility for Sustainable Energy Production
Airports Authority of India
Leadership Updates: Nivedita Dubey Recommended for Member (HR) at Airports Authority of India (AAI) by PESB
justice-photo
From Paper to Digital: Ministry of Law & Justice Simplifies Advocate Fee Disbursals with LIMBS-PFMS Integration for Faster Legal Payments
Ministry of Mines
Ministry of Mines Recognizes IISc and C-MET as New Centres of Excellence under National Critical Mineral Mission
startup
Haryana Government, SVCL Sign Rs 100 Crore Agreement for Atmanirbhar Startup Venture Fund
Unified-Pension-Scheme-India
Retirement Planning Made Easier: Govt Adds Life Cycle and Balanced Life Cycle Options for Employees under NPS and UPS
sdhjshdjhdja
Indian Coast Guard Launches ICGS Ajit & ICGS Aparajit, Strengthening Maritime Security with GSL's Indigenous Fast Patrol Vessels
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-23 at 10.40
Everybody Needs To Know What Is Transpiring Behind Closed Doors Of Courts
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
UPSC Journey Should Be Enjoyable, Not Cumbersome
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-16 at 15.16
The Many Facets of Former IRS Officer and Author, Giselle Mehta | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Rupal Rana UPSC
How Rupal Rana Cracked UPSC CSE 2023 with AIR 26 After Four Attempts
UPSC Topper Rupal Rana secured AIR 26 in 2023 after four attempts. Learn her preparation strategy, booklist,...
Ankita Parashar RAS 2023
4 Attempts, 1 Dream, 0 Excuses: Meet RAS Topper Ankita Parashar, Who Fulfilled a Daughter’s Promise & Secured Rank 2 | Exclusive Interview
Ankita Parashar, a teacher-turned-officer from Pushkar, fulfilled her late father’s dream by securing...
Kushal Chaudhary RAS
From Lab Assistant’s Grit to Rajasthan Topper: How Kushal Chaudhary Topped RAS 2023 with Self-Study | Preparation, Strategy & Interview
Kushal Chaudhary, a farmer’s son and lab assistant from Ajmer, topped RAS 2023 through self-study, overcoming...
Social Media
IFS Parveen Kaswan
Heartbreak by the River: 15-Day-Old Elephant Calf Rejected by Mother, Rescued by IFS Parveen Kaswan and His Team
Jaldapra, West Bengal: In a moving incident that tugs at the heart, a 15-day-old elephant calf was rescued...
Ashwini Bhide IAS and Anand Mahindra
Who Is IAS Ashwini Bhide, Hailed as a Role Model for Mumbai Metro Transformation by Anand Mahindra?
From heritage to high-tech: Bhide’s leadership in Metro Line 3 earns public praise and admiration
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
NHPC Resized
NHPC Launches Wet Commissioning of Unit-I at Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project, India’s Largest Hydro Power Initiative
NTPC and EIL
NTPC Joins Hands with Engineers India to Develop Coal-to-SNG Facility for Sustainable Energy Production
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-23 at 10.40
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-16 at 15.16
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT