The Government of India has issued a notification to further reduce single use disposable plastics in our country. Following up on the ban on single use plastic bags which was issued in 2018, the Central Pollution Control Board is making an effort to make the Plastic Waste Management Rules more stringent ... but will this work?

Making our country plastic free is easier said than done. eCoexist has been studying and speaking about the issue since 2010 through the UseMeAgain campaign that aims to bring reuse back into habit, in a society that has been spoilt into a throwaway culture by industry. 

To replace our addiction to plastics we will need to attack the problem at several levels and using different approaches. The most recent notification from the government comes as a result of a study done by an expert committee constituted by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC), under the direction of the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

As per this recent update here is what they will be phasing out:

And this is what they wont phase out:

Source: Down to Earth

Product designers and material engineers hold the key to solving the issue at the level of design. The material is where it all begins and unless a material is designed for reabsorption into the eco system it generates waste at a scale that cannot be humanly handled. This principle is now entering the field of materials design and biomimicry is leading the way in engineering the materials of the future, which will defy Nature when in use and yet be reabsorbed into the natural cycle at the end of life. 

Product designers are the ones that shape these materials into usable products. usually they work on briefs given to them by industry and mostly these briefs are dominated by the need to generate profits. Problem solving is the basic element of product design , however products that do not respect the laws of Nature end up becoming the problem themselves. 

Consider the design of a plastic bag. The idea may have seemed totally novel at the time plastic was invented and it offered so many possibilities to human society. however the application of this new material into a product as simple as a bag and then the conversion of that product into a disposable one, created massive problems. 

The use of these man made products by humans is also a huge part of what is creating the problem : the throwaway culture is based in a disrespect for natural resource and human labour. 

This is why Reuse is critical to bring back circularity in our world. Why do we resist Reuse? In a study on the effectiveness of the Plastic Bag ban in 2018, a study conducted by eCoexist revealed that there were several reasons to why people did not want to reuse their bags. Convenience featured as the main aspiration, and laziness and forgetfulness as the main challenge.

People simply did not care enough to make an effort to reuse the bags.

Is it because they did not know and understand the impact of plastic bags? Was it because they did not have the time and energy to think about it ? Or is it because our entire urban life has been structured in a way that makes it nearly impossible to eliminate plastics? 

Currently the eCoexist team is gearing up for another occassion which generates tons of plastic and thermocole waste - the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. For several years as part of our Eco Ganesh campaign we have been encouraging the replacement of plastic and thermocole decorations with fabrics paper and other natural materials. These products are hand made by under privileged groups trained and coordinated by eCoexist.

One of the critiques of the recent notification is that most of the products slated to be phased out are produced by small or medium enterprises . This could be countered by offering them ideas and designs for new and artisanal products made of natural and biodegradable materials. Our products are handmade by the women of Ahwalwadi village near Pune. This activity helps them earn an income from home.

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