OPEN HOUSE: HOW CAN THE CITY MANAGE ITS PLASTIC POLLUTION? Use of compostable bags, recycled plastic and other alternatives will help tackle plastic pollution Plastic is the major reason for land pollution because it is non-biodegradable. It is the responsibility of both residents and civic body to tackle the problem of plastic pollution. The Municipal Corporation has introduced the concept of separating waste into different-coloured bins. The residents can use alternatives of plastic to reduce plastic waste such as carrying cloth bags when going out for shopping. Saying no to plastic bags should not be a big deal. It is important to understand the impact it has on the environment and hence every one of us should contribute actively to restrict the use of plastic in our lives. Keep a jute or cotton bag handy. Reduce its usage as much as possible. Do not throw old bags carelessly into the trash as one does not know which animal might consume it. Always prefer to recycle used plastic bags. This way, we can preserve the environment. Jasleen Kaur Make youth aware of disadvantages of plastic It is a fact that the coming generation will inherit the mess intentionally or unintentionally created by previous generations. If the younger generation is shown the right means to deal with environmental problems at an early age, they can certainly make a difference and turn it around. Deepantika jain Recycle plastic waste Every year, nearly 13 million ton of plastic waste is added to our oceans. To reduce plastic waste, people should start recycling plastic. One should always bring one’s own reusable shopping bags to markets and pick up thrash in the neighbourhood to aware people. Sneha Use alternatives to plastic The city can manage its plastic pollution by numerous methods. A ban on plastic polythenes is the first step the government can take to reduce plastic waste. People should adopt alternatives to plastic use such as jute or cloth bags and biodegradable siali-leaf-disposable plates. These steps are necessary as plastic use harms human beings, animals and the environment. Niranjan Kaur Follow the 3 Rs to tackle plastic pollution Plastic pollution refers to accumulation of plastic objects such as plastic bottles, polythenes and plastic nets which adversely affects wildlife and humans. Efforts have to be made to reduce plastic pollution. One can bring one’s own reusable shopping bags to markets and avoid using single-use plastic bags. The 3 Rs, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle should be practiced at individual level. To control plastic pollution, one can also bring one’s own reusable coffee cup to workplaces or use paper mugs. Reusable stainless steel, glass or bamboo straws can be used instead of wasteful plastic ones. Another crucial solution is educating the youth and the older generation to increase awareness and behavioural change. Vanshika Sofat Encourage shopkeepers to use bio-plastic bags The city can be made free of plastic waste by adopting steps such as banning its use by all shopkeepers who sell their goods in plastic carry bags. A ban on industries manufacturing single-use plastic bags should also be imposed. The government should encourage shopkeepers to use biodegradable or bio-plastic bags instead of non-biodegradable plastic ones. The police and staff of the Municipal Corporation must keep a strict check and shopkeepers and suppliers who violate the ban. Educate the general public of the demerits of plastic waste. The MC should aware people that they can play an equally important role in making the city plastic-free. Sukhpreet kaur Promote the use of compostable bags There is no doubt that the city can easily manage its plastic pollution. Use of substitute products in place of plastic should be used. Shopping bags made of plastic can be easily replaced by jute or paper bags. People should carry their own bags when they go out for shopping. All items made of plastic should be replaced by environment-friendly substitutes. Plastic containers should also be replaced by containers made up of material such as glass. The substitutes will benefit producers, consumers and the environment because it would not only stop the sale of plastic items, but also improve its quality and make it environment-friendly. In place of plastic bags, compostable bags should be used as these bags are made from plant material that returns to base organic components when processed by specific composition facilities. These bags are readily accessible and certified to be compostable. Navneet kaur Diligent use of social media to address issue Plastic has become an unavoidable part of our lives. There are some necessary measures which need to be taken to overcome this problem. The legal restrictions ought to be imposed on single-use plastic items that consume low-value raw material and widely available but economical impractical to collect and recycle. Legislative actions to restrict single-use plastic are an effective way to reduce plastic pollution. The reality is that litter laws exist but tools such as campaigns, networking applications and social media can help cities to identify plastic pollution to focus and to address in a cost-effective manner. The best strategy to overcome plastic pollution is to use fewer disposable bottles and cans that are only available for single-use consumption. Public water-refill stations are the key to decrease the use of single-use plastic water bottle consumption. Mehak bajaj Plastic beverage bottles should be discouraged Single-use plastic has created the massive problem of garbage. Our beaches and oceans have masses of garbage floating in them. Plastic is cheap and durable but at the same time harmful to the environment and is only getting worse. The best strategy to cut plastic pollution is to make it easy for people to use fewer disposable bottles. Khushboo Singla Promote water-refill stations at public places Plastic creates problems because it is cheap and non-biodegradable. Whatever plastic we throw remains intact for years to come. The only solution to this problem is to minimise its use and stop throwing it recklessly anywhere we want. Incineration in controlled conditions is the ultimate disposal method for plastic waste. Public can recycle the plastic they use and no longer need. Eliminate plastic grocery bags and use paper bags. Promote water-refill stations at public places to avoid plastic water bottles. Follow the 3Rs —reduce, reuse and recycle. The government should make strict rules to deal with plastic pollution and penalise the guilty. Online portals can use cardboard boxes instead of plastic rings and heavy plastic wraps to ship breakable items. Use newspaper liners for dustbins instead of plastic bags. Refuse plastic straws when going out for a drink. The youth should also educate their family and friends about how they can help to solve the problem of plastic. With co-operation of public, government and various companies, this problem of solid waste can be tackled. Muskan Rehan Hold seminars to make public aware of ill-effects The worst pollution in our environment is the pollution generated by single-use plastic. In our daily life, we make use of plastic which probes a big threat to both human and animal life. Thousand ton of plastic in the form of plastic bags and bottle is thrown in open daily, which chockes our drainage system and lands in the stomach of animals such as cows and dogs. Plastic bags and bottles are also a big threat to marine life. We may overcome the problem of use of plastic bags by putting a complete ban on the use of it. Special seminars should be organised for students in schools and colleges to shun the use of plastic bags and other plastic material. People should come forward and lend their support to local government to control its use. We must also start to use alternatives of plastic bags in particular and other material in general. Factories manufacturing plastic bags should be asked to make biodegradable bags instead of plastic bags. Farzana Khan Adopt the 3 Rs The problem of plastic is increasing at an alarming rate in the city. To overcome this problem, the 3 Rs —Reduce, Reuse and Recycle should be strictly adhered to. Reduce the usage of plastic when there is an alternative to it. Reuse plastic items and recycle the older ones into new products. Sanjna Support initiatives launched by government Ludhiana is an industrial town and like most industrial cities, mostly plastic is used for packaging. Our city can manage its plastic pollution if residents give full support to initiatives launched by the government. People should give up plastic bags and take their own cloth bag whenever they visit grocery stores. People should recycle what they can. Say no to plastic disposable cutlery and avoid excessive food packaging. Small steps taken by all people can help in making a bigger change. Amarpreet Plastic waste should be collected separately It is difficult to ban the use of plastic but alternative measures should be adopted by residents. Instead of using plastic polythenes, traditional cloth or paper made bags should be used to carry things from market. Used plastic bottles can be useful for storing things in kitchen. Plastic waste should be collected weakly from people so that it can be put to use again. A separate dustbin for plastic should be installed in the city so that people will not throw plastic garbage anywhere. Everyone should be encouraged to make the environment plastic-free. Manveer kaur Decrease use of plastic at individual level Polythene bags are non-biodegradable resources and incredibly harmful to the environment. Environmentalists, scientists and visionaries have always given ways to preserve and protect the environment and natural resources. At individual-level, a complete ban on plastics bags should be imposed and anyone violating the ban should be heavily penalised. In place of plastics bags, compostable bags can be used. These are thick bags and unlikely to split when carried for short distances. As aware residents, we should avoid use of plastic as much as possible. We should bring a reusable shopping bag with us and pack our lunch in glass containers instead of plastic. Dr Jasdeep Kaur Award organisations working to shun plastic Nowadays, there is so much chatter about saving the environment by putting ban on the use of plastic bags or single-use plastic. The use of plastic material is increasing at an alarming rate and has started to chocke our sewerages and drainage system. As per an estimate, in 2050, there will be more plastic than fish. We can get rid of from this problem by making people aware of the ill-effects of the use of plastic. We can make people aware by organising seminars, symposiums and other nukkad nataks. Industries should be established to make use of waste plastic. NGOs and other voluntary organisations should come forward to help people to motivate and inspire not to use plastic bags. Waste plastic may be reused to make bricks which may be further used to make wall or floors. Government should put a complete ban on single-use plastic bags and other items. Those who are motivating people to shun plastic should be awarded to encourage others as well. People should come forward and take a pledge not to use plastic bags in particular and other plastic items in general. Dr Mohd Saleem Farooqui Keep a check on industries manufacturing plastic Plastic, the wonder material that we use for everything, pollutes our environment heavily and is the most harmful trash dumped into the sea. A plastic bag looks like a tasty jellyfish to an indiscriminate feeder such as the sea turtle, but is actually indigestible. Nowadays, the most popular plastic pollution is caused is polyvinyl chloride (PVC). One must use reusable plastic bag. Use reusable bottles and cups. The government should put a check on the industries producing plastic products and bags. They should charge high penalities to those who violate anti-plastic laws. The government should create awareness among people about harmful effects of using platic. Amanpreet Kaur Use glass utensils instead of plastic microwave ware Plastic has become a part and parcel of our lives but is very dangerous for the health of animals and humans. The biggest problem of plastic is its disposal. There are ways to reduce our plastic waste. Residents should be motivated to throw plastic out of the kitchens. Whenever we go for shopping, we should have clear preference for a cloth/jute bag. Bulk shopping can be another method to reduce the use of plastic bags. Even in restaurants, avoid having tea/coffee in plastic cups. We should also stop buying bottled water which is a major contributor to plastic waste. Instead, we must carry refill bottles. Even plastic straws, which are a single-use item, should be ignored. Disposable razors can be replaced with blade razors. These few measures will help fight plastic waste. Bir Devinder Singh Bedi Encourage local business to go plastic-free The city can manage its plastic pollution, if individually, we do our part to reduce our plastic consumption. We will have to explore ways to refuse single-use and ditch disposables in our personal lives. One should carry his/her own bags while shopping, opt for plastic-free periods and beauty products, store food in bowls, pots, and jars of glass, ceramic, wood, or food grade stainless steel. Small but impactful steps will make a difference. Engaging in activism can seem daunting at first but speaking out for what’s right is easy, so encourage your favorite local business to go plastic-free. Reaching out to and connecting with your favorite coffee shop, restaurant, or music venue is a great way to spread the importance of going plastic free. Besides, the legislation would help much for local governments to reduce plastic waste by way of charging a fee for throwing a plastic product here and there. In addition, an urgent need is there to impose a ban on manufacture, storage and supply of plastic products throughout the state. Ravi Chander Garg Do not dispose of plastic in water bodies Plastic surrounds us and cutting down its use seems daunting. It has become an indispensable part of the modern society. In the ‘so-called’ smart city of Ludhiana, where the problem of pollution has risen manifold in past years, plastic, too, has created havoc in the city. Animal and human lives are facing a number of hazardous problems due to plastic pollution. The government, industry, community and residents should come together and explore sustainable alternative to reduce plastic dependency. Production of plastic products should be minimised. Consumers should bring jute or paper bags with them while shopping. Plastic bottles, cans, polythene should not at all be disposed in water bodies by industries as they cause serious damage to marine life. Plastic management rules should be strictly followed by residents. Proper use of biodegradable and non-biodegradable dustbins should be encouraged. The Swachh Bharat Mission should emerge as a platform to address plastic pollution. Cheshta Vohra Ban plates, spoons made of single-use plastic Though it seems difficult but collective efforts of residents can help control plastic pollution. There are various industries in the city which depend on plastic. Many industries purchase their raw material and sell finished goods in plastic packages, effective alternatives of which are still not available. A 100 per cent elimination of plastic is a difficult task. Researchers should invent equally effective and decomposable replacement of plastic. Persons, who engage in manufacturing single-use plastic, should be helped by the government by providing suitable alternative employment. Elimination of plastic should not be done at the cost of employment otherwise it will lead to another major problem of unemployment. To manage plastic pollution, everyone must understand their responsibility towards the environment. We should carry cloth bags while going for shopping. Children must be made aware about the ill-effects of plastic. Even at functions and marriages, disposal crockery, made of plastic and thermocol, should be strictly banned. Ritu Priya OPEN HOUSE COMMENT Limit the production of single-use plastic products Minna Zutshi Around one million disposable plastic bottles are purchased every minute across the world. 50 per cent of the plastic produced is designed to be used only once. This is as per the data available with the World Health Organisation. Single-use plastic products have permeated each and every phase of our life, so much so that these disposable plastic products have become an integral part of our lives. Another worrying trend is that there is a shift from the production of durable plastic towards single-use plastic that is thrown away after using it once. Altogether, not a happy scenario. Adding to the woes are the two most important properties of plastic – durability and resistance to biodegradability. Plastic dust persists for centuries. Plastic particles find their way into water bodies and are ingested by fish and aquatic animals. The plastic particles also find their way into the water used for drinking. Generation of plastic waste has to be managed effectively and efficiently. Banning or at least limiting the production of single-use products, adopting policies to reduce the use of disposable plastic, organizing public awareness campaigns – the plastic pollution can be tackled if each individual makes a sincere effort to stay away from single-use plastic products. Simple actions like refraining from using disposable plastic cutlery, saying ‘no’ to plastic straws, avoiding unnecessary plastic packaging, using cloth carry bags for shopping – all are seemingly small steps but these can go a long way in combating plastic pollution. OPEN HOUSE QUESTION How can the city be made friendly for the elderly? ludhiana.feedback@gmail.com

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