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Mobilizing World Public Opinion against Use of Plastic Products
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Countries around the world, including India, China, Australia, and parts of the EU and US, are banning single-use plastics like bags, straws, and cutlery, recognizing that plastic pollution is piling up fast and choking oceans and wildlife. This matters for your health because nearly half of all single-use plastics end up in the ocean, where they break down and can enter the food chain, meaning the fish and seafood you eat may carry traces of plastic. This paper reviews these global bans as evidence that public pressure and policy action can help curb plastic waste before it does more harm.
Encouragingly, the Indian government banned the use of single-use plastic products in October 2019.3 The ban prohibits the manufacturing, usage, and import of items such as "plastic bags, cups, plates, small bottles, straws, and certain types of sachets." 4 To allow people to adapt to alternatives, the government imposes penalties for non-compliance with the plastic ban after a six-months grace period.5 The government's adoption of such sweeping measures is understandable because India has one of the world's most polluted cities and villages.Moreover, it is extremely concerning plastic pollution is rising exponentially.Plastic pollution most visibly affects the oceans, where almost "50% of singleuse plastic products end up, thereby killing marine life and entering the human food chain."6 Similarly, "the European Union plans to prohibit single-use plastic items such as straws, forks, knives, and cotton buds by 2021."7 Also, China's commercial capital, Shanghai, began curbing the use of singleuse plastics in catering.8 More significantly, Hainan, an island province of China, decided to eliminate single-use plastic altogether by 2025.9 Australia banned single-use plastics in 2011.10 In September 2014, California became the first state in the United States to ban plastic bags.11 Likewise, the small Devon town of Modbury became the first European city to ban plastic bags in May 2007, followed by over fiftyDere: Mobilizing World Public Opinion against Use of Plastic Products
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