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Plastic Waste
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday sought to know why plastic flowers were not included in the list of single-use plastic items banned by the Union government. A division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Bharati Dangre asked if the Centre thought that plastic flowers could be recycled, or are biodegradable. The HC was hearing a petition filed by the Growers' Flower Council of India (GFCI) seeking a direction to the Centre to prohibit the use of plastic flowers. "Is the Union government sure that plastic flowers can be recycled, or that they are biodegradable? They are so flimsy. Can they be recycled?" the court asked, referring to the Centre's affidavit stating that these flowers were not in the list of banned items. The bench referred to a notifications issued by the Union government which stated that single-use plastics which cannot be recycled, or are not biodegradable, are banned. "Are you sure plastic flowers cannot be included in this list?" the bench asked. T
Nearly 40,000 km of rural roads constructed using plastic waste till date with 13,000 km completed in the last two years alone, a senior official said on Tuesday. Speaking at a media interaction, Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Vini Mahajan said over 55 per cent of villages have been declared 'ODF Plus Model' while 5 lakh waste collection vehicles are in operation and there is a significant progress in greywater and plastic waste management. Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, nearly 40,000 km of rural roads have been built using this sustainable technique, with 13,000 km completed in the last two years alone, she said. "These innovations showcase our commitment to sustainability and the future of sanitation in India," she added. She emphasised the invaluable collective support from all Central ministries, states and UTs to the 'Swachhata Hi Seva-2024' campaign. Mahajan highlighted that sanitation is a societal issue that unites us all, drive
India leads the world in generating plastic waste, producing 10.2 million tonnes a year, far more than double the next big-polluting nations, according to a new study. According to researchers at the University of Leeds in the UK, the world creates 57 million tonnes of plastic pollution every year and spreads it from the deepest oceans to the highest mountaintop to the inside of people's bodies. The study also said more than two-thirds of it comes from the Global South. It's enough pollution each year to fill New York City's Central Park with plastic waste as high as the Empire State Building, according to researchers. They examined waste produced on the local level at more than 50,000 cities and towns across the world for a study in Wednesday's journal Nature. The study examined plastic that goes into the open environment, not plastic that goes into landfills or is properly burned. For 15 per cent of the world's population, government fails to collect and dispose of waste, the ...