Kochi: Crackdown on plastics soon

Overawed by the growing menace of plastic waste, the state government has launched a multi-pronged initiative to raise awareness among people while formulating solutions to address the problem of plastic pollution plaguing the sea and the land.
As a first step, to curb the problem of PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) bottles, the pollution control board (PCB) is proposing a ban on plastic mineral water bottles in all star hotels and restaurants.A government order is likely to be issued soon with suggestions to introduce glass bottles. “We will be issuing the order soon. Hotels can use reverse osmosis process and seal glass bottles for their customers. This will be the first step to reduce the use of PET bottles,” said PCB chairman K Sajeevan. PET bottles are the most commonly seen plastic waste in the state along with plastic kits.

One of the prime concerns before authorities is the lack of initiatives by local bodies to give support to agencies like Kudumbashree which has launched a Haritha Karma Sena to collect and segregate plastics collected from homes.
Now, government has taken up a mission to ensure that green protocol is implemented at all government offices and functions. “Initially, it will begin with small steps like not using plastic kits, avoiding plastic bottles and using steel or paper glasses,” said Suchitwa Mission state director R Ajayakumar Varma.
He said that most government officials have been trained. “Almost 60% of gree n protocol can be met through such measures. We hope that with training, local bodies will come to know how they can reduce and then take the process forward,” he said. Local self-government department along with Clean Kerala and Kudumbashree workers have begun collecting plastic waste from homes and segregating it. “A nominal fee is collected from the public and local bodies that have given land to set up shredding units. There is a change because women are getting income from this,” said N S Niranjana, programme officer, micro-enterprise, Kudumbashree Mission.
But, the main problem is addressing the issue of one-time-use plastic that accounts for 50% of the total waste generated in state. “This cannot be recycled and must be shredded for roads. Local bodies must give a little land for setting up the shredding unit. Many have done so and in those places, the sena is functioning well,” she said.
Many local bodies in Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad, Palakkad, Kannur and Thiruvananthapuram have raced ahead in tackling the issue. “The material recovery facility run by Kudumbashree is functioning well with almost all kinds of plastic being collected and recycled,” said Sajeevan.
Another problem is that most plastic waste is finding its way to rivers through canals and backwaters. Most people don’t acknowledge that it is happening. “We set up a blockade along 200m stretch of a canal in Alappuzha before monsoon. When it rained, the flow was blocked and water overflowed on land. When residents protested, we showed them what they were throwing,” said research assistant, Kerala Institute of Local Administration (Kila) Anoop John. With the help of college students, Kila and IIT, Bombay is conducting surveys and awareness drives to address this issue. “During a sample survey of 1.6km stretch of a canal, we found waste from helmets, TVs, plastic covers, bottles to sanitary napkins,” he said.