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Environment

India’s Fight Against Plastic

Aligned with this year’s theme, HDFC Bank Parivartan unveiled a unique 26-foot by 6-foot wall mural created by young students in partnership with the Waste Warriors Society in Barwala, Dharamshala. ..reports Asian Lite News

One needs an annual reminder about the need to stop exploiting the precious natural resources. This year’s The World Earth Day theme was ‘Planet vs Plastics’, which conveys the need to urgently rein in on the plastic menace.  

The consumption of plastic in India is increasing by a compounded annual growth rate of 10 percent every year. This prioritises the importance of recycling and recovery of the plastic waste in the overall economy of plastics.

Aligned with this year’s theme, HDFC Bank Parivartan unveiled a unique 26-foot by 6-foot wall mural created by young students in partnership with the Waste Warriors Society in Barwala, Dharamshala. 

“HDFC Bank Parivartan has taken a decisive stance against plastic pollution. Our initiatives align well with the theme of this year’s Earth Day, Plastic vs. Planet. We are dedicated to our commitment to drive positive change in rural communities by supporting sustainable waste management initiatives. Through our waste management initiatives, we reaffirm our dedication to cultivating a plastic-free future and enhancing the well-being of communities in ecologically sensitive regions,” said Nusrat Pathan, Head CSR, HDFC Bank.  

It is the young generation which holds the key to uphold the values of mankind and recognising the influence children wield within households, UFlex used school workshops to spread awareness.

Taking a major step towards that goal, UFlex has tied up with NGO Say Earth and engaged with 13 schools and educated more than 4000 students on ecological balance and environmental sustainability.

“Our collaboration with Say Earth highlights our commitment to environmental stewardship and community engagement. We believe educating young minds about sustainability is vital to securing a greener future for our planet. We are proud to support initiatives that promote responsible waste management and ecological balance, paving the way for a sustainable tomorrow,” said Apoorvshree Chaturvedi, Director – Global Operations, UFlex Group.  



Meanwhile, taking the plastic usage menace head-on, ITC Hotels has managed to successfully mitigate single-use plastic at nearly 150 touch points, leading to a reduction of approximately 2.5 lakh kg of plastic waste annually. The brand’s plastic substitution efforts are founded on the reduce, reuse, recycle policy, and include a special packaging made from compostable material, installed glass-bottling plants on its premises to do away with plastic water bottles, trading plastic drinking straws and stirrers and other basic amenities with paper and wooden alternatives.

Other corporate houses too have started implementing programmes which help in preserving the planet’s core natural offerings.
 
For instance, the Hyundai Motor India Foundation’s initiative of creating and donating bench and desk sets to schools utilising factory waste showcases a potential blueprint for waste recycling initiatives while McDonald’s India- North and East has repurposed its out-of-home marketing material into school bags for kids. 

Leena Dandekar, Founder, Raintree Foundation, however, feels the task is cut out in the battle to eradicate plastic usage. 

“As one of the largest and fastest-growing economies globally, India stands at the cusp of leading transformative change towards climate action and sustainable growth. However, among the key challenges that we face, plastic pollution has seeped its way from urban landscapes into our natural ecological and biodiversity systems. Despite being among the lowest per capita plastic waste producers globally, India faces significant challenges in managing its plastic waste, primarily due to lack of understanding and ownership of waste disposal, segregation, and management,” said Dandekar.

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Abu Dhabi Arab News UAE News

Abu Dhabi to ban single-use plastic bags from June

Abu Dhabi’s ban on the use of single-use plastic bags will be effective from June 2022, based on its integrated single-use plastic policy that was introduced in 2020…reports Asian Lite News

Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) plans to gradually reduce the amount of single-use plastic products consumed across Abu Dhabi, and encourage the use of reusable products. In this context, it is planning to implement measures to reduce demand for about 16 single-use plastic products that include cups, stirrers, lids and cutlery.

Additionally, EAD is also heading towards phasing out single-use styrofoam cups, plates and food containers by 2024.

Since the launch of the policy in March 2020, the Agency has coordinated extensively with its strategic partners concerned with implementing the policy, especially plastics producers and retailers, to ensure effective implementation, as new technical standards for multi-use bags have been set. In support of this drive, a large-scale awareness campaign will be carried out across the emirate to educate the public on the new procedures, helping to activate the ban on single-use plastic bags from June.

Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of EAD, said, “By launching and implementing the integrated single-use plastic policy, EAD seeks to continue the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed, whose deep passion for preserving the environment inspires us in our sustainability journey. We are extremely eager to continue on our path of reducing the consumption of single-use plastics in Abu Dhabi.”

She added, “As part of our plan to completely curb the use of single-use plastics, we are encouraging Abu Dhabi citizens to use more multipurpose and re-usable materials to reduce their environmental footprint. Today, we are introducing a ban on single-use plastic bags in the capital in light of their harmful impacts on the environment and biodiversity.”

She elaborated, “We have taken great strides toward realising the policy’s targets, and have built the regulatory framework to ensure the policy’s successful implementation.”

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Under the single-use plastic policy, EAD has organised clean up events and awareness campaigns encouraging community members to play a role in protecting the environment while educating people on the damage done by the amounts of single-use plastics and litter and their impact on beaches and marine habitats. The Agency is also targeting private sector companies, providing them with tools to effectively plan for the policy’s implementation.

The Agency has re-engineered its internal procedures to implement the policy and reduce the use of single-use plastics within its scope. Several agency partners from the government sector have also implemented initiatives to support the policy, while many restaurants are also launching initiatives to reduce the consumption of single-use plastics, and some major retailers are encouraging shoppers to use reusable shopping bags.

Furthermore, EAD is conducting a detailed and holistic study for the introduction of an incentive-based, single-use plastic water bottle return scheme in Abu Dhabi, in partnership with more than 30 private and public entities.

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-Top News Environment India News

India constructed 703 km of highways using plastic waste

Use of plastic waste in construction of road protects the environment from adverse impact of waste plastic….reports Asian Lite News

So far 703 km of National Highways have been constructed with use of waste plastic in “wearing coat of flexible pavement”, the Parliament was told on Thursday.

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari told the Lok Sabha, in a written reply, that the ministry has issued guidelines for mandatory use of waste plastic in periodic renewal with hot mixes and in wearing coat of service road on national highways within 50km periphery of an urban area having population of more than 5 lakhs.

Use of plastic waste in construction of road protects the environment from adverse impact of waste plastic.

Plastic roads consist of 6-8 per cent plastic, while 92-94 per cent is bitumen.

In 2016, Gadkari had announced the usage of plastic waste in road construction in 2016. Since then, plastic waste has been used in constructing roads in 11 states.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report, as much as 3.3 million metric tonnes of plastic waste was generated in India, which is approximately 9,200 tonnes a day (TPD), in 2018-19.

The report stated that the total municipal solid waste generation is 55-65 million tonnes and out of it, plastic waste is approximately 5-6 per cent.

To regulate use of plastic, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change came up with draft Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2021, which proposes a ban on the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of specific single-use plastic from January 1, 2022.

Specific single-use of plastic include plastic sticks for balloons, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, plastic flags, and thermocol.

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