Role of the Municipality in the prevention of ocean plastic
Ocean plastic pollution is one of the most serious challenges faced by our planet alongside climate change. It is alarming that plastic makes up around 80% of ocean debris which is threatening the health of marine species, food safety, human health, coastal tourism, and the marine ecosystem at large. As of 2021, there is at least 363.76 billion pounds of plastic in the world’s oceans — enough to cover each foot of shore on the planet. The main sources of plastic debris are urban runoff, sewer overflows, littering, and inadequate waste collection.
Although ocean plastic is a global problem, local actions at the city level are necessary and most effective to address it. Therefore, the municipalities should contribute to mitigating ocean plastic by taking up the following measures.
- Effective implementation of Single-use plastic (SUP) ban
The maximum chunk of ocean plastic comprises single-use plastic products like carry bags, straws, plates, cutleries, etc. which are most likely littered in the surroundings. Therefore, the SUP ban should be effectively implemented through a robust monitoring mechanism and stringent enforcement by levying fines on the offenders and confiscating the banned plastic items.
- Promoting zero-waste events
Considering the high consumption of plastic items in the events, zero-waste events should be promoted by implementing the SOP of zero-waste events.
- Awareness generation through IEC
Information, Education & Communication (IEC) campaigns should be run to create awareness among the public about the harmful impacts of plastic especially single-use plastic products. Besides, the promotion of sustainable alternatives made from metal or glass and other sustainable materials should be done.
- Regular cleaning of sewers and water bodies
Due to littering, the sewers and water bodies are often choked with discarded plastic items which then flow to the rivers and eventually the sea. Therefore, regular cleaning of sewers and water bodies is crucial.
- Closure of dark spots
The waste accumulated at the dark spots is prone to be blown into the nearby water bodies by wind or rain. Therefore, the dark spots should be closed by conducting clean-up drives, awareness and monitoring in the nearby areas and importantly ensuring 100% waste collection in the area.
Contributed By- Aniruddha Pandav & Isha Bildikar, Social Lab.
Social Lab Environmental Solutions is a waste management consultancy company providing end-to-end consultancy services to the ULBs on solid waste management and plastic waste management. Our core expertise includes capacity building, waste assessment, IEC campaign design & implementation, scheme compliance documentation, GPS collection route designing, and monitoring, and providing technical advisory and market linkages for efficient wet and dry waste management.
To know more about us and the sector updates, please visit our website (www.social-lab.in) and follow us on social media (https://linktr.ee/Social_Lab).
