Reducing single-use plastic need of the hour: MoS Mahesh Sharma at WED-2018 celebrations

Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma today stressed on the need to create awareness, especially among the youth, on reducing single-use plastic and its reuse.

The menace of plastic cannot be tackled till a win-win situation is reached for all stakeholders, the minister said in a special address on the inaugural day of the global celebrations of World Environment Day (WED) 2018.

The event is being hosted by India from June 1 to June 5.

"The need of the hour is to create social awareness, particularly among the youth, on reducing single-use of plastic and its reuse. The menace of plastic cannot be tackled till a win-win situation is created for all stakeholders with regard to the use of plastic," he said.

Emphasising the importance of Extended Producer Responsibility in reducing use of plastic, Sharma said the organised sector should be roped in to retrieve, recycle and reuse plastic.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Environment Secretary C K Mishra highlighted the need to introspect on what could be done individually, as well as collectively to reduce the use of plastic.

The need of the hour is to launch a strong campaign to say no to single-use plastic, he said.

Durga Shankar Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, said that single-use plastics are a matter of concern as they are non-biodegradable. "The total plastic produced in the last decade is more than that generated in the whole century," he said.

European Union (EU) ambassador to India Tomasz Kozlowski praised India's leadership role on environmental issues and highlighted the concept of 'plogging' (a combination of picking up plastic waste and jogging)