That plastic is harmful for the environment is widely acknowledged but the nationwide ban on single use plastic would be difficult to enforce.
Millions of tonnes of plastic are dumped into landfills or into the oceans where they disintegrate into tiny microplastic that find their way into marine life or terrestrial animals and from there they eventually enter the human food chain.
It is pertinent to note that India generates @ 9200 tonnes of plastic waste daily, most of it from metropolises. Twenty single use plastic items have been banned as a first step but it is a case of too little too late, and is unlike to succeed in a meaningful way.
The problem is that alternatives to everyday plastic items are far more expensive, for instance paper straws cost five times as much as plastic ones.
With such lop sided economics, plastic prohibition will hurt small vendors and manufacturers disproportionately. A better approach would be to work with the plastic industry to foster innovation and boost production of compostable plastics which may initially be an expensive proposition but would tremendously benefit the environment in the long run.
An entirely new waste management system needs to be designed and implemented to fight Mr Plastic Unfantastic. Along with this the citizenry should be sensitized to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic, infact it should be urged to move away from the consumerist culture of 'use and throw' which produces a humungous amount of plastic and other kinds of waste.
Ban diktats have never worked anywhere really.
