Rwanda and Sweden have effectively implemented ways to manage plastic and waste. Here’s what our government can learn from these models!
Maharashtra was all geared up to embrace a complete ban on plastic. Polythene bags, specific plastic sheets, thermocol etc were among the few key things banned. The violators were liable to pay a fine of ₹ 5,000. Though a few items were exempt from the bank such as milk pouches, packing for processed food, bin liners or PET bottles. However, the ban has been postponed for three months until further notice.
This wasn’t the first time we have banned plastic. Bags below 50 microns were banned after the Mumbai floods of 2005. But that didn’t lead to any change.
In fact, a report by Central Pollution Control Board 2016 indicated that most Indian states have not implemented the plastic waste management rules of 2011, which mandate segregation and disposal of waste.
How can we ensure that such a ban is effective?
The whole frenzy of plastic ban reminded me of an incident a friend once told me. On one of his trips to Rwanda, at Kigali International Airport, he was frisked and his bags were thoroughly checked – not just for narcotics or smuggled gold bars, but for plastic.
The airport has signs reminding people that they are about to enter a plastic-free country and any plastic found will be confiscated.
Source – www.noted.co.nz
So yes, Rwanda, a country still recovering from genocide has environmental issues at the forefront of their development plan. In 2008, the country implemented a strict plastic bag ban.
Authorities in the country encouraged businesses to replace plastic bags with paper ones. They gave tax incentives to plastic manufacturers who recycled plastic bags. More so, the policy ensured a market for environment-friendly bags.
Even the constitution of Rwanda recognizes that “every citizen is entitled to a healthy and satisfying environment.”
A black market for plastic exists in the country; smugglers try to sneak in plastic in the country.
But the mere fact that plastic is perceived as bad as drugs and that people have to smuggle it should make us wonder why we cannot do the same?
These smugglers are liable to fine, jail or are sometimes forced to make public confessions. Shops violating this law have been shut down with owners required to sign apology letters.
Interestingly, such is the impact of this ban that on trip advisor you see travellers asking questions about the plastic ban to avoid a fine –
Recycle, don’t ban
Sweden is another country who we can look up to for environmental lessons.
Fun fact – Sweden recycles its waste so much that it ran out of trash and had to import it in 2014. Here’s why –
The country followed a slightly different path than that of Rwanda. The policy was – ‘No plastic ban, more plastic recycling’.
This system is so strong in Sweden that less than one per cent of Sweden’s household waste goes into the landfill dump.
The two features responsible for a recycling-culture in Sweden are:
- The cohesive recycling policy recommends burning the waste, which creates energy to heat homes in the chilling Sweden winter. Waste is used as a substitute for fossil fuel to generate energy.
- Recycling stations, as a rule, are within 300 metres from residential areas.
As a result, most residents separate the waste in their homes and keep it in special containers outside their homes or take it to the recycling station.
Also, the household waste that is burnt to produce energy at incineration plants consists of 99.9 per cent of non-toxic gases. Waste is the cheapest fuel and Sweden has developed an efficient and profitable system of waste management.
These effective, though not perfect models, show us that outright banning does not help us to achieve the goal of a plastic-free state. It is the enforcement of rules, capacity to spot violators, incentives and alternative to the people and facilities to recycle.
In a country where even basic rules can’t be enforced, shoving a plastic ban in people’s face without gauging the state’s capacity to enforce it will lead to no results.
