The pandemic has dented the war against plastic in Bengaluru

Nine months into the coronavirus pandemic, citizens across the world are learning to live with COVID-19 and are stepping up attempts to remain hygienic. However, in order to ensure the same, an old enemy of the environment has made a comeback: Plastic. Plastic is undeniably one of the most widely used materials in the world to ensure a sanitised covering for goods, right from medical equipment to perishable goods to disposable wipes to smaller sanitiser bottles. A Bloomberg report showed how the plastic industry has called itself the ‘Hero of Coronavirus,’ insisting that single-use plastic products are the “most sanitary choice” especially in the food industry.

Before the pandemic, in India, avoiding the use of single-use plastic was slowly becoming the norm, with shops and establishments and even state governments like Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and even Delhi making efforts to reduce the amount of single-use plastic. In 2019, the Union government decided that India will see a complete ban on single-use plastic by 2022. The pandemic has postponed this goal indefinitely, as most everyday commodities now come enveloped in plastic for an additional layer of protection. 

The use of single use plastic has also impacted the amount deposited in the waste collection systems of India’s metros. The city of Bengaluru has witnessed a 30 percent increase in the amount of plastic waste generated since the pandemic began. Randeep D, Special Commissioner, Bengaluru Bruhat Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), tells TNM that a lot more plastic, that was earlier banned, has re-entered commercial establishments in the city. 

"We are witnessing a lot more plastic in the garbage. We are also noticing that many shops, commercial establishments and eateries have adopted banned plastic, which is actually dangerous for health, so we have also told our senior and junior health inspectors and even marshals to go around seizing the banned plastic and start levying heavy fines for usage," he says.

The Special Commissioner notes that the civic body is still permitting the use of food grade plastic, which is not banned, and can be reused and recycled. However, single use plastic is being discouraged and the civic body will restart attempts to ask people to move to more sustainable materials.

“Items like plastic cups have credible alternatives, like using steel cups or tumblers, which can be hygienically maintained. So when there are alternatives, single-use plastic should not be used. There are certain plastics which are not banned - containers are not banned, packaging plastic for parcels are not banned. But there too, we are urging and encouraging people to opt for the steel containers and carrying their own containers,” he says. 

Not just the plastic waste, the use of disposable masks and PPEs has also increased. According to a report by the business consulting firm Grand View Research, the global sales of disposable face masks alone are set to skyrocket from an estimated 800 million USD in 2019 to 166 billion USD in 2020. Apart from the 30 per cent increase in the amount of plastic that is being disposed as compared to before the pandemic, sanitary waste has increased by 15-20% since January, the BBMP official says.

“PPEs and disposable masks form sanitary waste,” Randeep says. “That is covered along with wet waste and is taken away by our officials in a separate container. Then we have sanitary waste collectors who have very recently been appointed in each zone and they will take it to the incinerator,” Randeep says.