The government’s effort to make Goa plastic-free is indeed welcome. To achieve this goal it is necessary to slowly phase out materials made of plastic since plastic is not biodegradable and remains in the environment for several decades. Proper disposal of garbage, including plastic waste, assumes significance. But ironically the garbage bags used for collecting the thrash is also made of plastic. These plastic garbage bags, are much larger than the carry-bags used in the market and obviously contribute to the plastic pollution. There should be a complete ban on the indiscriminate use of plastic and that includes the use of plastic garbage bags. One important step towards this goal would be to make available garbage bags made of environment-friendly material instead of those made of plastic. The large number of garbage bags made of plastic used in homes and hotels could also be a significant contributing factor to the plastic pollution in the state.
ADELMO FERNANDES, Vasco
