Plastic-Free Future: A Necessity

The present world has reached a point where plastic pervasiveness has crossed borders which have made something that was once a source of thrills to an entire generation an environmental curse. The very hazardous implications of plastics, especially in the single use variety have shown the necessity of doing away with the single-used plastics on ecosystems and fauna and human health. In other words, far from a choice or luxury, transition becomes an ecological and social imperative. Such a future requires sweeping changes in policies, technologies, corporate practices, and consumer behavior.

Plastics changed the world of industry and commerce and everyday life because of their robustness, their low cost, and their versatility. But at the same time, such qualities make them an environmental hazard. Single-use plastics are things like bags, bottles, straws, and packing materials. Such materials stay in the environment for hundreds of years. Annual plastic waste production has recently exceeded 300 million tones in a year around, most of which contaminate the oceans and environment. This is, especially with marine ecosystems, which absorb the impact of the crisis because millions of marine organisms are affected or killed through ingestion or entanglement with plastic waste. The famous "Great Pacific Garbage Patch," a floating sea of plastic debris, gives an impression of the scale of pollution it communicates to the public.

Other than the more obviously destructive one, the more dangerous one is the invisible, microscopic plastic fragment produced as a result of the fragmentation of larger pieces of plastic. Such micro-plastics have been found to seep into soil, water, air, and bodies, therefore entering food and harming wildlife and mankind equally. Studies have shown that exposure to micro-plastics and their chemical in relation has been found to be associated with hormonal imbalance, breathing problems, and cancer diseases. Their stealthiness close to impossible to bring back once they are let loose in the environment provides an explanation to the clamor for reduction of plastics at the source.

Recycling concept does not improve the prospects of curbing plastic waste. In the world, only 10% of plastic waste is recycled and the remaining is dumped in landfills, incinerators, and the environment. The systems of recycling are plagued with challenges of economic unviability of how to process most of the plastic materials, contamination in recyclable ones, and the lack of infrastructure in many places. More to this, virgin plastic is still being produced at a cheaper cost of producing than recycling, and because of government subsidies for the extraction of fossil fuels, the development of plastic waste continues.

Awareness needs to shift from the management of waste to its prevention in order to address this crisis. The basic principle of a plastic-free world is to abolish single-use plastics and adopt plastic-free alternatives. Governments around the world are now taking action. Such drastic steps are required around the world, like the European Union banning any product that contains a plastic straw and/or cutlery, to ban single-use plastics in certain parts of India or making efforts in Rwanda for such a ban on plastic bags. Conversely, the actual success depends on the strength of mechanisms for enforcing, coupled with a whole public engagement in this cause.

Technological innovation opens exciting avenues for reducing plastic dependency. Some of the newer alternatives include biodegradable and compostable materials coming from as natural sources as cornstarch, algae, or agricultural wastes. Reusable systems, especially deposit-return schemes and refillable packaging, are other popular innovations. Great promises exist with such solutions but still, scalability and cost-effectiveness remain as critical central problems. Infrastructure becomes essential to support the tremendous scale of adoption of alternatives.

One of the significant contributors to plastic waste is an organization and thus, takes critical responsibilities in encouraging change. Some global corporations have announced different strategies on how to reduce plastic development and adoption of sustainable packaging practices and circular economy models and discovery of new materials. Such efforts are, however, greenwashing companies most of the time. These organizations can be proud of the lip-service declarations of environmental responsibility, but nothing is being done in real practice. Complete accountability demands reportage with clarity, objectives set for completion, and meeting up to the world's bench-marking on the matters of environmental sustainability.

In this evolution, neither should be ignored the part which consumers have to play:. It should be taken into account that though not a final solution, individual choices add up in their contribution towards the reduction in demand of disposable plastics. The upward trends in the demands for reusable bags, bottles, and all other alternatives find their placement in the feasibility of aggregate behavioral change. This would need a decade of public education complemented by incentives for ecologically friendly practices and the transition in culture away from convenience-driven behaviors that drive plastic usage.

Under the environmental benefit of the plastic-free world, a greater human health benefit stands. It will also save the cost of waste management and avoid the economic loss manufacturing industries, fisheries, and the tourism industry are suffering due to pollution with plastic debris. Reducing the use of plastics will have impacts on a public health basis since lesser intakes of toxic chemicals and microplastics will likely take place. This will again create new markets in green industries starting from recyclable package towards waste treatment and materials progression, etc.

In this plastic-free future it is not so easy. Plastics are now an indispensable part of modern living and their removal involves significant economic, technological, and social reorganization. Small businesses, low-income neighborhoods, and many others may not be able to afford or even have access to sustainable alternatives. The policy makers must ensure it is fair, financially as well as technically supporting those who have been most affected. Second, global cooperation is critical. Plastic pollution is a transboundary problem and piecemeal actions will prove to be insufficient. A universal, international framework, like the proposed global plastics treaty, may allow for standardization of policies, establishment of hard limits, and sharing of resources across nations.

No apathy will do as this is too severe a problem. Such a future of no plastics requires the ambition and concerted efforts of every entity in society. Policies in the pursuit of ambitious targets should be made and legislated on all sides from the government, business activity must be innovative and that should be used sustainably, and the consumer will take responsibility over the environment. The cost is too great to tarry. Plastic pollution threatens ecosystems and biodiversity and human health to a scale that requires drastic and sustained intervention.

A plastic-free future is not only an environmental wish but also a survival imperative for our planet, even a prescription for health. Humanity has the power to change plastic pollution by redefining its consumption pattern, improving innovations, and creating responsibility with all. The journey will be difficult, but it will be worthwhile in many ways: healthy ecosystems, clean environments, and a sustainable world. Now is the time to act.?

 (The Writer is Editor in Chief of the Assamese E-Magazine SAMPROTIK. Email: himangshur1989@gmail.com)