Based on the statistics published by Govt of India, with growing urbanization, India's Urban population is expected to grow from 38 crores to 60 crores in 2030. Higher incomes and consumption due to increased urbanization will lead to three times the current waste generation from 62 million tones to 165 million tones by 2030.

High consumption of plastic due to its durability, low cost, flexibility, low maintenance etc, combined with its resistance to decomposition is causing severe environmental pollution and health problems.

It is estimated that approximately 70% of plastic packaging products are converted into plastic waste in a short span. Do you know how much we generate plastic waste? Its whopping 9.4 million TPA in this country alone. Although we recycle the plastic waste, most of the plastic waste is either landfilled; ends in polluting streams or groundwater resources. Some of the plastic do not decompose at all, while others take 450 years to breakdown !

Well, this is not just a problem of your local municipal bodies; this is not just your government's problem too to impose stringent policies.
This is a Global problem and is already at serious stage.

One household generates probably three to four sachets or packets of plastic on a daily basis. Compare this with the large-scale use of such packets, a consolidated number of which could be much larger.

Now arriving to the key point, small plastics pieces are not recyclable. If such pieces do not reach the recycling units, it disintegrates into microplastics, that is, less than five millimetres in length, like the size of microbeads used in gels and toothpaste.
Rain and wind carry these smaller fragments into drainage systems, which could lead to clogging. These can even enter water bodies, and as a result, marine life may mistakenly consume and ultimately you are killing them.

Below are the few pointers which I'd request everyone to focus and follow judiciously irrespective at your home or workplace on your everyday routine:

1. When you cut a Milk sachet for your morning coffee, make sure the tiny piece stays attached. Do not cut the entire thing off. If you have already done by mistake, make sure the tiny piece is placed within the milk sachet for the unit to recycle both.

Do this with your green tea sachets at your workplace too or on removal of any sachets before you dig in.

2. Use biodegradable straws while gulping your juice, milk-shakes. Use biodegradable stick to stir the sugar on your coffee cup. Say no to one-time plastic cutleries, coffee cup/milk shakes with lid to cover them. Carry your own metal straw; cotton bags to your supermart.

3. Please do not litter any plastic. Handle them with care and get them re-cycled.

1. On an every day we see cattle around the Indian streets consuming these plastics and are really dying. Aren't we supposed to safeguard them when they are benefited to humankind in many different ways?
2. The plastics which enter the Ocean are being consumed by marine life too. Sooner or later, your finishing nets and hooks would catch plastics than a fish.
3. When plastics are buried in a landfill, toxic chemicals from plastic drain out and seep into groundwater. The seeping of plastic also causes soil pollution and ground water pollution.

4. Separate the plastics from the daily kitchen waste while handing over this to municipal bodies. This will be helpful during the waste segregation and waste treatment.

So we have a big problem but how do we solve all this mess and menace created by humans. Yes, it does sounds too difficult and lengthy process; but if you start working on this now and in tiny pieces believe me we can do this.

#SayNoToPlastic #SayNoToSingleUsePlastic #SaveMyEarthfromPlastic
#SaveMyEarth #SaveMyPlanet #LiveAndLetLive