Plastic Pollution: The Solution lies in “Blast from the Past”

As we become more environmentally conscious, we have started discarding plastic. We have become aware of the fact that plastic is causing pollution on the planet and is affecting human as well as animal life both. Plastic bags are getting replaced by cloth bags and plastic bowls by ceramic.

Plastic choked a whale to death — **A Whale Choked to Death**

Recently, a picture of a whale found dead on the shores of the Philippines has shaken everybody’s conscious. This happened in March when a whale suffocated to death as she had consumed around 40 kg of polythene bags. She died of dehydration and starvation after being unable to obtain sufficient water from its food.

On 5th June 2018, India hosted the world Environment day and the theme was “Beat plastic pollution: Learn more about it on the following link:

https://www.unenvironment.org/events/un-environment-event/world-environment-day-2018

P for Plastic, P for Pollution P for Poison

Plastic is not only choking our landfills but also the oceans and the green habitats on earth. It gets into the soil and slowly releases toxic chemicals harmful to health. Exposure to plastic leads to traces of a synthetic chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is added to plastic to create a special form called poly-carbonate plastic, used in making robust, impact-resistant materials for everything from food and drink packaging to medical devices. The US Food and Drug Administration has banned BPA use in baby bottles and infant feeding caps.

Reheating food in the microwave in plastic poly-carbonate containers can speed the transfer of trace amounts of BPA on to the food. Continuous exposure to BPA can result in an alteration in hormonal levels in the human body. This can lead to chronic diseases like increased risk of type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease and many more.

Plastic should be banned as packging material — **Time to Say No to Plastic**

Similarly, another kind of plastic called PVC or polyvinyl chloride is understood to be carcinogenic. Vinyl Chloride is a well-established animal and human carcinogen and is most strongly associated with liver cancer.

Plastic Bottles are not good for health — **Plastic Bottles are Harmful**

No doubt plastic bottles are getting replaced by metallic bottles while food is heated in ceramic bowls in microwaves. Municipal Corporation in all major cities is fining traders for causing pollution through plastic. Plastic bags are being banned not only in cities but also in hill stations.

Blast from the Past!

In our childhood days; I am talking about the ’70s and ’80s, we used to carry cloth bags to the market to get grocery and other items. My mother use to sew cotton bags while father used to carry them to Kotla Subzi Mandi (A vegetable market in South Delhi) to buy the vegetables. There were no qualms about seeing in the social circle carrying those bags as everybody carried it.

The DMS (Delhi Milk Scheme) milk used to come in bottles with an aluminium cap. The rest of the people used to carry their Steel Milk Can to Mother Dairy booths to get milk, dispensed from the coin- inserting machines. Glass bottles were used to store water in the Refrigerator while Cold drinks were available in toughened glass bottles. Plastic was never in play.

Glass Bottles are more safe — **Better to Consume Milk in a Glass Bottle**

In markets and public places, we had water-dispensing carts selling a glass for 10 paise. It was fun watching the vendor filling the glass by pressing the faucet. The roadside tea vendors used to serve tea in earthen pots or Kullads and glasses.

Recycling was a common practice

Recycle in past was very common — **Recycling was a way of Life**

Every household practiced recycling. The school uniform worn by an elder sister was passed on to the younger one. The School bags were of cloth, aluminum or tin and had a shelf life from Class 4th till Class 8th . In other words, we used school bags for at least 3-4 years. The text books were covered properly so that the younger brother could use it when he got promoted to that class. That was the way of life and none of the kids objected to it.

You could exchange your old clothes with steel utensils. Women vendors would visit your home and haggle with your mother for more clothes. The first visit of any new shoe was to the cobbler for a new rubber sole to increase it’s shelf life.

There were no throw-away ball pens as we used Weldon’s dark blue ink bottle to refill our writing pens. It was a separate issue that our hands used to get dirty with the blue ink and the white school shirt also couldn’t escape its wrath.

Life was simple but Fun

Ambassador was everybody's favourite — **The All Time Favourite Ambassador**

“Ambassador” was the car of our times and would easily seat 8-9 passengers (4 in the front and 5 at the back). All the cousins used to get packed like hot-dogs in the car and still used to enjoy the journey with rolled-down windows. AC Cars were non-existent in those days while Cycling to school and offices was common.

Every relative, whether distant or close, was treated just like any other family member. Cotton mattresses (gadde) were spread on the floor and two people had to share one pillow. In the morning hours, 8-10 people used one bathroom and nobody complained.

I don’t remember the mosquito menace at that time. We all used to sleep on cots in the open either in the garden or on the roof-top with one Usha Table fan on a rotating stand.

The solution to plastic pollution lies in the simplicity of the past

We are now digging back in our past to get the solutions to the present. Plastic bags are getting replaced with cloth bags while Glass bottles have made their way back in our refrigerators. The Milk vendors have started door to door supply of milk in glass bottles and the Mineral water companies are exploring dispensing water in other materials rather than plastic bottles.

Cycling is slowly coming back and more and more people are traveling in the metro due to parking scarcity. People are realising that cycling is not only a mode of transport but also has health benefits.

Stop Splurging and Start Saving by Recycling

Somewhere, we all have to look into the past to find out solutions to present-day problems of plastic causing pollution. Splurging has resulted in sheer wastage of natural resources and therefore we can’t choke our planet with plastics anymore. On the other hand we need to reduce the wastage of water to save it for the coming generations. It’s our responsibility to play a greater role in reducing carbon footprint and there is no escape from it.