‘Reducing plastic use is only answer, recycling is limited’

Panaji: Although the state is taking steps towards plastic waste management and recycling systems, the consumption has risen to such an extent that the only way to control the problem is to reduce the use of plastics, said experts at a panel discussion ‘Plant vs Plastics: How to Win?’ by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Goa, at its series Miramar Dialogues.
Founder of Zero Posro, Jonah Fernandes, stressed on consumer accountability and asked consumers to question whether the convenience of single-use plastic is worth the ecological damage it causes. He said only a minuscule percentage of plastic can be recycled, and recycling too leaves behind a carbon footprint.
In the last 10 years, the number of players in the waste management system in Goa has significantly increased, but so has the level of plastic consumption and ecological damage, he said.
Panellist Wilma Rodrigues said, “With the rising single-use plastic consumption in the state, the only way forward is to reduce consumption. Plastic waste can be managed and recycled, but without reduction and enforcement of strict laws, the situation is unlikely to get better.”
The panellists said the Goa State Pollution Control Board must be pushed to impose stricter laws, ensure their enforcement, and charge heavy fines. They also asked individuals to impose a ‘plastic quota’ on themselves to reduce harmful plastic waste in our environment.
The panellists also said that food delivery services are adding in a big way to the plastic waste problem. They said such delivery companies falsely claim to offer 100 per cent ‘green delivery services’ to mislead consumers.