India has set out on a rather ambitious journey by declaring a war on plastic and ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the citizens to curb single use plastics, reports are emerging from various parts of the country that people are making it a mass movement.?
But we did not arrive at this horrendous juncture in one day, and therefore the fight against plastic will be a long-battle, a marathon of sorts. Unfortunately, we are treating it like a sprint and that may prove to be more disastrous than the actual use of plastics in the first place.?
Consider for instance the curious case of building plastic roads in India. While it may be a good alternative and make roads more durable alongside providing a good option for reusing plastic waste, there are numerous reasons to worry on this front.?
The authorities building such roads must conduct proper research before setting on this task so that environmental risks are reduced. Toxic elements seeping into the soil and thereafter polluting the ground water as well as causing widespread soil pollution are among other risks that we face in the immediate future. These must also include field-scale testing depending upon the soil and environmental conditions in the given regions.?
For example, the soil and rain is different in different parts of the country and therefore the manner that roads should be built in these regions should also vary upon the surroundings. There cannot be a one-solution fits all and only proper research can pave the way forward.?
Further, the burning of plastic waste releases toxic gases into the atmosphere and these are a part of building roads in many cases. So tackling one problem by creating another is certainly not the solution.?
On the level of the people’s participation the scenario is even worse. For example, apart from government bodies and reputed firms, several people are creating fuel out of plastic waste. Or, they are simply burning plastic and using it for cooking and other purposes.?
They are reportedly collecting plastic waste and turning them into fuel but how much of toxic gases and elements is the process releasing into the atmosphere.?
Alas! We know not so far as there has been no set guidelines or regulations on how to treat plastic waste but everybody seems to be running a blind race in their attempt to join the battle against plastic.?
Without proper regulations and research, we may actually end up doing more harm than good to the environment.?
And we have good examples to lean on too: For instance, researchers have discovered two strains of 'plastic-eating' bacteria from the wetlands of Greater Noida, an advance that may lead to eco-friendly alternative clean-up methods for plastic waste worldwide.?
The bacterial strains discovered by researchers at Shiv Nadar University in Greater Noida have the potential to decompose polystyrene -- a key component in single-use plastic (SUP) items such as disposable cups, cutlery, toys and packaging materials.?
Similar approaches need to be adopted and the government bodies as well as pro-environment groups must come forward to devise a plan that will not only help us tackle plastic waste but also ensure that these do not have an adverse impact on the environment.?
More than anything else, it is significant to note that just like ‘Rome was not built in a day’, things will not turn around overnight and the more we stress on immediate relief by ignoring research and scientific approaches, the more damage we will end up doing to the environment.