By Santu Das
New Delhi: Single use plastic cutlery including spoons, forks and straws is one of the major contributors to pollution and has a critical impact on the environment.
Pollution due to single use plastic items has an adverse affect on ecosystems in general and marine ecosystems. It has become a challenge for India and all countries as it takes several years to decompose and must be urgently addressed. Around 3.5 million metric tonnes of plastic waste are generated annually in India where the per capita plastic consumption is 11 kg.
In a step towards 'Clean India, Green India', the government has put a ban on manufacturing, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of single use plastic items with low utility and high littering potential since July 1, 2022. The single use items include plastic cutlery like forks, spoons, knives, straws and ear buds with plastic sticks.
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had notified comprehensive guidelines on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in February 2022, while taking forward the clarion call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to eliminate single-use plastics.
The EPR is the responsibility of a producer for ensuring environmentally sound management of the product until the end of its life. The guidelines provide framework to strengthen circular economy of plastic packaging waste, promote development of new alternatives to plastic packaging and provide next steps for moving towards sustainable plastic packaging by businesses, as per the government.
Open burning of plastic waste causes air pollution, resulting in health issues in vulnerable groups such children, elderly and women. Environmental experts have expressed concern over use of single use plastic cutlery while emphasizing on the need to adopt more sustainable alternatives.
Ashish Agarwal, an environmental expert said plastic cutlery may seem convenient, but its environmental cost is extremely high. "In India, the widespread use of single-use plastics like spoons, forks, and straws contributes significantly to urban waste and marine pollution. These items are rarely recycled and often end up in landfills clogging drains. As a nation, we must urgently shift away from this throwaway culture and adopt more sustainable alternatives," he told ETV Bharat.
The environmental expert said ban on certain single-use plastics is a good start, but enforcement and awareness need to be strengthened.
"The government should take a multi-pronged approach. First, strict implementation of the single-use plastic ban must be ensured across all states, including penalizing violators. Second, subsidies or incentives should be provided to MSMEs and local entrepreneurs for manufacturing eco-friendly alternatives. Third, there should be a strong awareness campaign targeting both consumers and vendors about the harms of plastic cutlery and the benefits of alternatives. Finally, improving waste management infrastructure is crucial so that biodegradable alternatives can be effectively processed," Agarwal said.
Suggesting alternative to plastic cutlery, he said, "India has several viable and culturally appropriate alternatives. These include areca palm leaf cutlery, wooden or bamboo utensils, edible cutlery made from wheat or millet and paper-based options (for short use and where disposal is easy). In addition to that, encourage local artisans and startups to scale these alternatives which can not only replace plastic but also generate employment."
On public role, the environmental expert said, "People plays a vital role in the success of any environmental initiative. People must take personal responsibility by saying no to plastic cutlery while ordering food, carrying reusable cutlery or containers when possible and spreading awareness in their communities and social circles. Ultimately, citizen participation is what turns policy into practice."
Kedar Sohoni, another environmental expert told ETV Bharat, "Single use plastic cutlery has two main issues. It creates a lot of waste which is typically difficult to recycle because it usually gets mixed with other waste like food waste and ends up in a dumping ground. This eventually leads to air, water and soil pollution. It also leaches microplastics in food, especially warm food, which can enter the human body and cause health issues. "
He said the government should come up with strict laws to ban single use plastic cutlery and encourage or subsidize use of reusable or compostable materials instead.
"Ideally each commercial establishment using such cutlery should set up a reuse mechanism by which their cutlery can be taken back, sanitized and reused multiple times. At the very least, the plastic cutlery can be replaced with cutlery made from materials like sugarcane bagasse, straw etc. which can be composted. Such material is available as waste from the agriculture sector and should be increasingly used," Sohoni said.
The environmental expert said people should avoid consuming food/ drink in plastic containers like cups and plates and avoid any plastic cutlery to ensure they create less waste and also minimize their chances of ingesting microplastics in the process.
He said they should also try and carry their own water bottle and cutlery like a steel glass/ spoon/ fork, especially when they are traveling and are likely to land up using single use plastics. Also, wherever possible, they should opt for the "no cutlery" option when ordering food online. "For home events like birthday parties etc. people should avoid disposable cutlery and adopt reusable materials like steel/ ceramic instead," Sohoni said.
