Understanding the stakes ....
involved in any kind of effort to establish a major economic or environmental or social change is very necessary for the success of the campaign. 

Who are the people who would get affected by a ban on plastic  bags? Positive and negatively? In our second discussion on a ban on plastic bags we looked analysed the concerns that various stakeholders may have in such a change. We also looked at the verbal and visual messages we would need to put out there in a consistent manner across these stakeholder groups. Lastly we discussed what kind of systems we need to establish to collect the large quantities of plastic bags that get thrown out every day.
Stakeholder Analysis:
Who would be affected by a ban on plastic bags and how?
Presented by : Akshay Singh
 
Banning plastic bags gives rise to both environmental and economical concerns and it is important to understand the stakeholders involved in order to take steps accordingly. A successful ban would involve addressing and solving these concerns to make it sustainable in the long term.
 
Some of the stakeholders include,
  1. Consumers
  2. NGOs
  3. Vegetable Vendors
  4. Small Stores
  5. Large Stores
  6. Waste Pickers
  7. Government
  8. Stray Animals
(The notes included our assumptions and data from previous studies and can be defined better with on-field surveys for an Indian context.)
 
Consumers
 
Concern: For an Indian customer it is more appealing to buy a plastic bag at little or no cost that guarantees hygiene and versatility rather than a cloth bag that will need to be reused and washed.
 
Possible Action: It is important to increase monetary fines and as a novel step, also impose fines for consumption of single use plastic bags, to bring the onus of accountability onto consumers.
It is important to highlight the decrease in costs in the switch from plastic, by raising awareness of reuse habits. At the same time, myths about non-woven bags and bin liners must be dispelled and their real impact be revealed to consumers.
 
Vegetable Vendors
 
Concern: Their operations are mobile in nature and the customer base may or may not be fixed. Also, they are quite distant from legal aspects and hence tend to use low micron limit bags, the penalties of which can be easily dodged or self compensated by them in various ways. It is to these people that the penalties and incentives can affect the most and hence must be well thought of.
 
Possible Action: For example,Sus Road initiative has sold upcycled sari bags for Rs.4 to these vendors who can sell it to the customers at Rs.5,thus ensuring a profit of Rs.1 with every sale.
 
Small stores
 
Concern: Their operation has a fixed location and the customer base is quite well defined in many cases. A level of trust and personal interaction is shared by the customer and the store. An attitude of reluctance on both sides may have reasons of increased costs and a lack of knowledge and cooperation.
 
Possible action: In such cases it is imperative to work with trade unions and associations that are the grassroots of change for all trade and commerce. This would also ensure a practice of mass sourcing of alternate bags and consequently a decrease in their costs. The incentive in this case can be innovative branding and advertisement of the bags such that the benefit is to the bag vendor as well as the shopkeeper
 
Large stores
 
Concern: This includes supermarkets and megastores. Although they levy an additional charge on the use of plastic carry bags and also do not violate the norms of micron limits, yet the impact of their sales cannot be overlooked.
While some stores like Decathlon opt for cloth bags in all their chains at a surplus charge, the customers are equally emphatic and obliging. However other players like Big Bazaar and D-Mart might assumingly be more concerned with saving on operation costs rather than the indirect incentive of public liking and environmental stewardship.
 
Possible action: It is very easy to bring about change in their practices if it starts with an imposition or regulation by the government. Customer cooperation is more guaranteed and efficient this way. The stores aware of the costs of violations seldom disobey the rules. In an Indian scenario, it is quite impractical to expect that the desired transition will be a voluntary action on their part rather than an effect of directives or laws.
 
NGOs

Concern: Non-governmental organisations work on an array of troubling issues pertaining to plastic from its awareness to its implementation. This includes upcycling of plastic waste, waste collection drives and new enterprises also include use of plastic for making polyfuel or laying roads. However the ban on manufacture of plastic bags is something that should be incorporated in their efforts, in terms of training communities as well as on the legal front by prohibiton or by development of waste collection infrastructure.
 
Possible action: With a collective aim,it is possible to collaborate with many organizations in the process and design an efficient revenue model in the process.
 
Stray Animals
 
Concern: Plastic never degrades and it is safe to assume that the infrastructure fix of waste collection or the technological solutions as of now are far less competent to address the problem at hand. The material contaminates all niches of the ecosystem that includes soil and water and the organisms in it.
 
When open dumping of packed food and vegetable waste takes place, the domesticated animals including cows, dogs, goats and sheep consume them in quantities that slowly kills them or chokes them at once. It is a horrifying aspect that needs to be considered and addressed for their safety and health.
 
Possible Action: Open dumpsters or dumping should be regulated immediately so that animals don’t have access to them. Also consumers should be educated about the impact of throwing food in plastic bags.
 
Waste Pickers
 
This is a seemingly marginal segment whose contributions are often tended to be overlooked. The state of plastic they are left with is at their own discretion of disposing off to landfills or recycling it. Soiled plastic leaves them with little or no income whereas plastic bags of very low micron limits are of least economic value to them since they are hard to reuse or recycle. They are also the victims to a society that considers source segregation of waste a time consuming and trivial aspect.
 
Possible Action: In Pune however Swachh lays out a reasonable model of doorstep collection and source segregation for a small waste management fee. Lately several other commercial organisations have ventured into the sphere of waste collection and are working towards improving the employment opportunities and conditions within which waste pickers operate.
 
We need to work more closely with all these groups and articulate their concerns clearly into the guidelines on the ban on plastic bags.
 
Industry
 
Concern: A ban on plastic bags would affect some portion of the income stream of plastic manufacturers. Certain authorities in India are associations or unions that base a lot of their employment and revenue solely on the basis of plastic bag manufacture.
One such example is The All India Plastic Industries Association(AIPMA).
Possible action: Explore the promotion bioplastics and such eco-friendly alternatives that would not compromise on the motive of mass manufacture and could be replaced against plastic in their production and distribution networks that are already existent and well established. This change may affect many interests on all sides and hence it is important for the government to enforce and the consumers to demand with the same objective. Reaching this consensus would demand effort, but may result in changes that would be implemented top to bottom and change the whole scenario of plastic bag manufacture.
Points raised in Q&A session:
  1. It is difficult to categorise waste plastic during collection – the thinner plastic which has no resale value does not get picked up by waste pickers and therefore is left out of the raddiwallah system.
  2. Higher penalties usually lead to more corruption in India. There is an expectation that paying a penalty should take care of disposal but this doesn’t happen. In some countries abroad, the penalty is a specified percentage of the value of plastic bags confiscated and so it discourages beyond a certain point. However this doesn’t really work in India.
  3. Penalties could be considered on the consumer to put the onus on the consumers rather than just expecting vendors and industry to be accountable.
  4. Use RTI to find out more information about criteria by which fines are collected and what rates are being charged.
  5. Regarding the laws and regulations around plastic bags, the current discussion about firecrackers could give us some clues.
  6. The Retailers Association of India could be approached to create buy in from small and large retailers. Companies like Tatas and Tesco could be approached to involve them in the campaign.
  7. Extended Producer Responsibility does not apply to manufacturers of plastic bags – this needs to be addressed.
  8. A clear definition of ‘Plastic Bag’ as per the law exists – need to pull it out and have to available for reference for the group.
  9. Look into the GST applicable to plastic bags – GST doesn’t apply to small manufacturers.
  10. Connect with the Indian Institute of Packaging to learn more about situation with plastic bags.
  11. Look into the various government departments that are responsible for the manufacture of plastic bags in one way or another – eg. Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Environment and Forests etc
  12. Explore ways to connect the raddi wallah systems with the recent more commercial systems to cooperate in the collection of thin plastic bags – for eg raddiwallahs could collect from rag pickers and supply to Rudra
  13. Consider organising awareness raising at events as a way to reach out to public – have stalls at various events and talk about the issue. Physical presence and creative tools such as story telling can be very powerful too. Tell the story of the ‘Journey of a plastic bag’.
  14. Watch and explore existing films such as Bag it – and use them for awareness raising
  15. Explore idea of getting government to compel plastic bag manufacturers to print in large the impact of plastic bags on the bags themselves – similar to the Tobacco Kills messages on cigarette packets.
  16. The Recyclable symbol on plastic confuses people – as they are not clear whether it is Recycled already or can be recycled in the future. Find a way to clarify this.
  17. Poornam Eco vision has done a survey of ten vendors to understand their concerns – share with the group.
Messaging for effective campaigning
Khushbu Kapadia and Manisha G
 
Intention: Creating clear and consistent visual and verbal messaging for the ban and reduction of plastic bag usage.
 
Issues to address
  • Lack of information about plastic – myths eg Non Woven is plastic / all plastic can be recycled
  • Health concerns
  • Costs involved
  • Enforcement challenges
  • Best alternatives
  • Environment – Water, Air , Soil
  • Animals
 
Speaking about
  • REFUSAL
  • REUSE
  • COLLECTION
  • DISPOSAL
 
Call to action
Stop use of plastic bags for all purpose by choosing only sustainable alternatives.
 
Tools for messaging
  • IMAGES
  • STATISTICS
  • INTELLIGENT WORDING
  • COLOUR
  • RECOGNITION VALUE
  • CONSISTENCY OF LOOK
  • INDIAN LANGUAGES
 
 
USER FLOW
 
In an effective campaign users flow from one media to the next and each platform can connect with the other creating a city wide consistent recognition
 
1. Social Media
Virtual Social platforms are the first point of contact with the audience and start the conversation and element of mystery and curiosity. People want to be a part of the next trend and have the chance to be featured on the popular site or merchandise.
 
2. Print media
The posters help the users make the connection to the cause and gain a further understanding of the campaign. They lead the users to the website.
 
3. Website
The website secures the complete understanding of the campaign and educates the user about the issue and what they can do to help.
 
4. Merchandise
The merchandise is the last point of contact in the campaign and the most long term solution. The tote bags have all the information and the T-shirts also sustain the conversation about the cause.
 
5. Change
Consumers are now more aware of the impact they have on the state of plastic proliferation and the environment and feel encouraged and informed about making sustainable choices.
We conducted a brainstorming session among those present to tap into their creativity asking them the following questions:
 
  • What are the key issues you feel the communications should address?
  • What language would you like to see it in?
  • Can you think of a catchy phrase in your language?
  • What kind of images make YOU stop and think? Would these work for a common man?
 
Clues for brainstorming
Make sure that you create…
  • Inspiration without guilt
  • Information in small bites
  • Play of words
  • Eye catching visual
Results from the brainstorming session
 
Group 1:
 
Paryaaya aapla gharaat – pishvi aapla haataat
(The solution is in your own home – the reusable bag is in your own hands)
 
Group 2:
 
Kyaa aapke namak mein plastic hai?
(Highlighting the widespread presence of micro plastics now also going into our foods.)
 
Love is not plastic
(A satirical way to make people question plastic)

Sunday ho ya Monday don’t give me plastic bag mein ande ( Playing on a popular tune)
 
I am a haunted bag | I am a wanted bag
(Contrasting a plastic bag with a reusable bag)
 
Group 3:
 
Peraal te Ugwel – (what you sow is what you get )
With a possible visual of a plastic being buried to grow into a landfill as opposed to a seed that grows into a tree
 
Kal Aaj aur Kal
( Taking people into the past when healthy foods were available to current contamination of foods and the future when foods will have entered our bodies – visual of a child made of plastic ?)
 
Group 4:
 
I am here to stay forever
( Talking about the permanence of plastic )
 
My Plastic My Responsibility
( Reference to My karma )
 
ANIMATIONS
GIF animation showing a plastic bag morphing into the symbol of cancer which is a crab
 
Animation of the RK Laxman common man trekking up on a landfill mountain as the future of eco tourism
Collaborative collection of plastic waste
Amita Deshpande
 
The current waste management industry in Pune comprises of diverse players that work towards diverse goals
  • Rural upliftment
  • Public Health
  • Resource Utilization
  • Ecological Restoration
 
Some of these are
  1. Swach
  2. Poornam EcoVision
  3. Rudra Environment Solutions
  4. Pune Municipal Corporation
  5. Adar Poonawallah Clean City
  6. Sagar Mitra / Clean Garbage
  7. Studio Alternatives
  8. Scrap Cash
  9. Aarohana
The collection of non biodegradable waste can be roughly outlined as following the process below…
 
The approach of waste management can be summarized in 6 steps and applies to plastic bags as well.
  • Source Segregation
  • Collection
  • Transportation
  • Further Segregation
  • Processing
  • Landfilling
Other than the municipal corporation it is the small enterprises that rely on waste through upcycling, composting, energy production and services alike.
 
Challenges in Waste Collection:
 
In their vast array of operations they face problems of
 
Segregation-Under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, source segregation of waste has been undertaken as a core defining action, however enforcement and information still lacks and as a result much of the workforce in the industry faces challenges to extract value from waste. The contamination or mixing of dry waste(in this case plastic bags, wrappers etc) with organic matter reduces its value since time and resources have to be dedicated to clear the contamination. As a result, it is either totally ignored or less reaped in value.
 
Collection and Transport-This aspect should be well defined by collaboration of citizens and municipal authorities and must be functional all year round.
 
Storage-Although the availability of plastic is almost everywhere through collection drives or through waste pickers, there isn’t enough space available to store it. Since plastic takes plenty of time and resources to upcycle or convert, storage always needs to be more and accommodating for small scale enterprises to store it.
 
Cost of Transportation / Public cooperation-Consumers expect doorstep collection of the plastic they wish to donate. The enterprises that work with small self help groups however find it expensive. The demand and supply can be coordinated by an interaction with resident associations with the decision and its implementation being a top to bottom process.
 
Non-Recyclables-The plastic collected may be soiled or too bad in shape to be efficiently recycled. Wrappers and bags may be smeared with chocolate, gravy or even packed moisture. The percentage of plastic recovered is always lower than what it was and in the process generates some other kind of waste as well.
 
Sustainability of process-The plastic that is collected is converted into roads or used as polyfuel or simple upcycled items such as bags, coasters etc. A well planned and coordinated system is desired after studying the efficiency and relevance of a process to the situation.
 
Action points:
  1. Explore a reverse supply chain with producers to see how they can collect their own non biodegradable waste
  2. Explore cooperation network of various players to see if waste collection can be done collectively
  3. Need to do more at individual citizens level for segregation at source – can plastic bags be collected separately?
  4. Find a solution to cleaning of soiled plastic
See notes from session 1 here
See a directory of alternatives to plastic bags in Pune here