A litter free Maharashtra: Possible without banning of plastic bags

In the process of "find the guilty" BMC has come out with a decision of banning plastic bags across the board. Six years back they banned all carry bags under 20 micron thickness. The attempt is similar to "burning the building for eradicating the rats". It's alarming to see that BMC makes the proverbial statement true. It is true that the plastic carry bags, being thrown recklessly creates nuisance value in the civic life. Being lighter it easily flies and gets into wrong places and create problems. Being lighter the littered bags do not motivate rag pickers to collect, since it has no proportionate economic value. In this whole scenario who is to be blamed? Littering is the stigma of our society. The habit of littering is the culprit. The innocent plastic bag is not to be blamed. In fact the plastic bag, per say plastics is the most eco friendly, nay, eco-saviour. Alternate packaging materials are really not the answer. Paper, glass and metal (alternate packaging materials) are all requiring high energy levels and have direct impact on the environment. Paper packaging would result deforestation, resulting ecological imbalance and metal and glass calls for additional power plants (being energy intensive) causing greater environmental pollution. The most convenient, user friendly, eco friendly and sustainably economical packaging through plastics is the only total solution. I am not suggesting the present scenario of littered carry bags all around causing various civic hazards to continue. Contrary, the suggestion is to continue use of scientifically advanced right material of packaging namely plastic packaging in an intelligent manner with accrued benefits. The main cause of littering needs to be addressed to find a total solution and not Banning of plastic bags. Towards this I would call upon the total stakeholders of the industry and the civic authority to make a common programme to find a total solution. Would like to recommend the following model: · To create an on going corpus for meeting the expenses of resolving littering. · Every stakeholder in the industry, be it raw material supplier, converter or the user industry is suggested to contribute towards this corpus. (Say 10 NP per kilo of plastics which goes for packaging, which are mainly littered. The contribution would be limited to the usage level in Maharashtra). · This corpus has to be administered by the civic body (BMC designated account). · Unorganized rag pickers to be mobilized and pay them for collection of these stray plastic carry bags littered around. · Provide them proper collection bags and get the collections paid for in designated centres. · BMC garbage vehicles will collect from these centres and take it to dumping grounds for incinerating along with solid waste. · The collected plastic bags would become the fuel for burning/ incineration of the solid waste. · Suggestion for recycling of the collected bags can be considered when the entire community become aware and get educated against littering and on segregation of waste. Until then recommended disposal is through incineration. · BMC to enforce rules, laws and impose fines for littering. This effort is towards improving the health and hygiene. · Local public bodies like ALM are also invited to join the movement. · This process would result in a self reliant solution. · It would be really heartening to see this city of Mumbai, which our government wants to change to levels of Shanghai or Singapore, is not deprived of the most eco friendly and economic solution of packaging through plastics, including carry bags. · A litter free Mumbai and Maharashtra is not a dream. Possibly this is going to become a reality through the plastics people. Contributed b y Mr. A. R. PARASURAMAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR, Marigold International Pvt. Ltd.