Not all plastics bag bans are the same. Uttar Pradesh, a northern state in India, has decided to ban the sale of plastics bags near bodies of water.
The new ordinance also bans the disposal of plastics waste - including biodegradable plastic - in the Ganga River, according to a report from the Indian Express.I can see the intent of preserving the environment, especially scarce water resources in India. But the policy seems to be based on the assumption that people dispose of plastic bags at the same spot or near where they purchase bags. I'm also curious how the ban will be enforced. How will they define and mark "the vicinity" of a water body? If plastics bags can't be sold by shops in the area, can retailers give them away for free? What if people bring plastics bags from other areas?SEARCH
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No sale of plastics bags near rivers
COMMENTS (1)
Max Clark:
Thanks for a wonderful and timely post. This "bag-ban" is understandable and overdue but is generally a political move and has proven pretty much ineffective across India and Africa.
Banning bags "near rivers" in one Province seems bold but is only a small start in a small area. The unfortunate truth is that there is no way to stop the use of these bags. They will find their way to rivers and landscape where they will linger in the environment for many hundreds of years.
The policy is political. An attempt that leaders in emerging countries feel they need to make to ease their populations' frustration caused by plastic waste in their environment.
Reality is that billions of plastic bags(and countless tons of other plastic waste) go right into the world's rivers each year to be deposited somewhere along it's path. Fortunately there is a solution that will truly work.
Additives exist that can be added to everyday plastic grocery bags during manufacturing to render them 100% biodegradable in less than 15 years in both aerobic or anaerobic environments. ENSO Plastics even makes an additive that is organic and renewable.
In short, specific microorganisms found along riverbanks and on the riverbed are attracted to the additive. They feed on it, multiplying and colonizing. As they metabolize the additive they recognize the carbon in the plastic polymer and begin to use that as a food source as well, secreting powerful enzymes which break down the polymer completely. What is left behind is inert humus (soil) and biogases (carbon dioxide and methane) same as an apple core or a banana peel thrown in the river. It also biodegrades 100% in a landfill!
Go to the website and take a look at the information there. Certified test data is publicly available for you skeptics out there like me (3rd party testing using internationally accepted ASTM testing methods). The FAQ page is a great place to start. www.ensoplastics.com
Max Clark