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| Photo from The Guardian |
How can we curb ‘Plastic Pollution's Carbon Footprint’?
Reduce Plastic Use:
Promote reusable alternatives : Invest in reusable shopping bags, water bottles, straws, and containers.
Encourage cafes and restaurants to offer reusable options.
Support refill and bulk stores :
Reduce single-use packaging by buying in bulk or refilling containers.
Implement product bans : Gradually
phase out single-use plastics like bags, straws, and cutlery.
Discourage single-use plastics : Discourage their use by making them more expensive, by adding taxes on them to make them more expensive, by green activities promotion, by awareness campaings amongsts public, citizen, students and Self Help Gropus.
Invest in plastic-free
alternatives : Fund research and development of biodegradable, compostable, or
reusable materials.
Improve Recycling and Waste Management:
Expand recycling infrastructure :
Increase access to recycling bins and educate people on proper sorting.
Develop advanced recycling technologies :
Improve technologies for recycling low-quality plastics and mixed materials.
Incentivize recycling : Implement
deposit-refund schemes or reward systems for recycling.
Compost biodegradable plastics :
Develop standards and infrastructure for composting certified biodegradable
plastics.
Prevent plastic leakage : Improve
waste collection and disposal systems to prevent plastic from entering
landfills and oceans.
Circular Economy Solutions:
Design for disassembly and reuse :
Encourage manufacturers to design products that are easily disassembled and
reassembled.
Promote extended producer
responsibility : Make manufacturers responsible for the end-of-life management
of their products.
Invest in circular economy
businesses : Support businesses that innovate with closed-loop systems and
recycled materials.
Raise awareness and education :
Educate consumers about the environmental impact of plastic and empower them to
make sustainable choices.
Additionally,
Support international
cooperation : Encourage collaboration between countries to share best practices
and tackle plastic pollution globally.
Invest in research and
development : Fund research into the environmental impact of plastics,
alternatives, and mitigation strategies.
India's Contribution to Carbon Footprint:
India is the world's third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs), contributing around 7% of global emissions. The energy sector is the largest contributor (70%), followed by agriculture (20%) and industrial processes (8%). Plastic pollution further exacerbates the issue, with India generating an estimated 9.4 million tonnes of plastic waste annually.
Country-wise List of Plastic
Pollution Generators :
Top 5 Plastic Polluting
Countries : China, United States, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand (source:
Jambeck et al., 2015). Data for other countries : The
Ocean Conservancy publishes annual reports on plastic pollution, including
country-specific data.
Country-wise List of Contributors
to Plastic Pollution : Countries with poor waste management
infrastructure: Many developing countries lack proper waste collection and
disposal systems, leading to significant plastic leakage into the environment.
Countries with high plastic
consumption : Developed countries with high consumption rates also contribute
significantly to plastic pollution, even with better waste management systems.
Countries involved in the global
plastic trade : Countries that import or export large quantities of plastic
products contribute to the problem, either through their own consumption or
mismanagement of imported plastics.
Note : The specific contributions of each country can vary depending on various factors. Please check out from your ends, too.
In conclustion- tackling plastic pollution requires a multi-pronged approach at
individual, community, and global levels.
Click <HERE> to read Part VII
Click <HERE> to read part V.
Click <HERE> to read other contents.
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