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Plastic pollution needs to be curbed: UN Environment head
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SME Times News Bureau | 22 May, 2018
Plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental threats and
countries need better waste management to cope with the sheer quantity
of plastic rubbish that is fouling the waters and environment, says
United Nations Environment head Erik Solheim.
"Plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental threats the planet is facing right now," Solheim emphasised.
Sample
these startling facts about plastic pollution: Every year the world
uses 500 billion plastic bags. Fifty per cent of the plastic we use is
single-use or disposable. Each year, at least eight million tonnes of
plastic end up in the oceans, the equivalent of a full garbage truck
every minute.
In the last decade, the world produced more plastic than in the whole of last century.
"We're
throwing up to 13 million tonnes of plastic waste into the oceans each
year, and in the next decade that could double . We're turning the
oceans into a plastic soup," the UN Under-Secretary-General told IANS in
an exclusive online interview.
"This has to stop, and right now,
because it's harming marine life and ending up in our own food and
water supplies. If it's not resolved, this is a problem that will come
back to bite us. It's also a problem that's difficult to clean up.
"We'd
like to see a mass mobilisation of people around the world and big
clean-ups. These are important because no amount of clean-ups can solve
this issue. We need upstream change, that means a change in the way we
use plastic," Solheim, who is coming to India, a host to UN
Environment-led global event World Environment Day on June 5.
"Beat
Plastic Pollution", the theme for World Environment 2018, urges
governments, industry and individuals to explore sustainable
alternatives and reduce the production and excessive use of single-use
plastic polluting oceans, damaging marine life and threatening human
health.
"We need consumers to pause and examine their
relationship with plastic. If we look at our daily lives, there is so
much single-use and throwaway plastic that can easily be eliminated and
replaced with sustainable alternatives. If enough people do this, it
translates into colossal consumer power!" Solheim said.
For
companies, he says: "Then we want industry to innovate, to find
sustainable alternatives and embrace the idea of extended producer
responsibility -- by which a manufacturer takes responsibility for the
entire lifecycle of their product."
"I strongly believe that the companies that innovate now will be the winners of the future."
"We
also want governments to drive this change through legislation, and
ensure we have strong enforcement. It's about ensuring manufacturers
have the necessary incentives in place to do the right thing."
There's
no single, magic solution to enforce a ban on single-use pet bottles or
straws. Every minute we buy one million plastic bottles globally,
according to the UN Environment.
"It's clear that we need better
waste management to cope with the sheer quantity of plastic rubbish. But
let's not see this as just a litter problem. We need to stop wasteful
practice and to do that bans on certain single-use plastic items are
helpful,' he said.
"Ultimately, though, we need changes in
design. We need to see sustainable alternatives emerge on the market to
replace so much of the wasteful plastic products that we use." Yes, India needs more Afroz Shah, not only for clean-up oceans but also for rivers and mountains.
"Afroz
Shah is a great inspiration, not only for India but for the entire
world. So yes, we do need more people like him! What is important is not
just the quantity of litter that has been collected, but that a
powerful message has been sent around the world and that this message
has been heard!"
Shah, a young lawyer from Mumbai, and his
volunteers have removed around 13 million kg of waste since 2015 in what
the UN has called "the world's largest beach cleanup project".
Solheim is optimistic that India can act as a catalyst for curbing pollution.
"Prime
Minister (Narendra) Modi recently said it would be a crime against
future generations not to take action on climate change.
"India,
therefore, carries a strong moral argument. In addition, India is among
the nations that stand to suffer the biggest impact from climate change;
so it's important that it acts as a powerful voice for action on the
global stage," he said.
"India is also innovating, and that's
what I think will be its biggest act of leadership: showing climate
action can also unlock incredible economic gains," he added.
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Plastic is one of the greatest invention by humans
Bhagawath Prasad | Sat May 26 07:02:28 2018
Sir,I keep arguing at every group i keep meeting , all of us aware of the fact that PLASTIC is one of the greatest human invention , can anyone imagine a world without plastic , it's impossible to imagine a world of that sort today , but the point here is that humans have invented but using it irresponsibly for decades hence the so much of attention on plastic, one need to look at exercising and implementing responsible usage of plastic , it's difficult to teach grown-up-group population but government must start at school level teaching as special subject responsible usage of plastics, secondly government can enforce on large companies to install kiosks for collection of used plastic bottle for recycling , milk supply companies too can add their kiosks to collect used sachets , one must look at mini-recycling plants by funding at 100% interest free and capital-investment free for youth as part of start-up projects , one need to have focus on responsible usage , rather than calling it as plastic is bad.
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