Another ban on single use plastic : Will it work this time ?
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: April 10, 2025 -

Ban on single use plastic from April 15 :: Pix - TSE

To slightly twist the tongue in cheek comment of Oscar Wilde, ‘Giving up smoking is easy, I have done it a hundred times,’ one may say ‘Banning single use plastic is easy, we can ban it many times in a year or in a couple of years,’ and it is this sentiment that has been echoed by the public.

Manipur, which has been under President’s Rule since February 13, has announced a ban on single use plastic from April 15 and come out with strong warnings against violators.

This is fine and in fact welcome, but the question of greater importance is whether the ban will be effective or not.

And the response from the public is not without reason.

The last ban on single use plastic was announced back in 2022 by the State Government, when there was a popular Government and fast forward to 2025 and there is yet another announcement of a complete ban on all single use plastic from April 15.

This should about sum up the essence of the opening sentence of this commentary and it is interesting to note that far from moving away from the tried and tested approach of the past, the Government seems to be following the same path which had already met with failures.

There is a reason why The Sangai Express came out with the news on the public response to the ban on single use plastic along with the news on how the grand plan of the Government to do away with the plastic bags used for nursery pants has flopped miserably.

Back in 2018, the Government had also announced a ban on the plastics used for nursery plants, but no one now knows what has happened to the grand ban announcement for saplings continue to be nurtured in plastic bags.

The fundamental point is, the Government will need to think out of the box to minimise the use of single use plastic.

It is more than obvious that educating the public on the menace of plastic carry bags has not had its desired impact and the time is now to study if there are other methods that may be followed.

So far there is nothing to suggest that the Government has done anything of this sort and all the people today rely on single use plastic, particularly the plastic carry bags.

And the Government will also have to acknowledge the immense convenience of using the plastic carry bags for it is in these bags that one can easily carry a kilogram of dressed fish or chicken or pork.

It is in these carry bags that one can buy a kilogram of sugar and it is in the single use plastic that milk, dahi or curd, fruits, vegetables, anything you name it, are packed.

What is the way forward ? Tough to say, but this is where the Government would need to study the matter more deeply and not rest easy with just announcing a ban on its use.

The moot point is whether the ban would be effective or not and this question is being raised with the knowledge that the harm that single use plastic has inflicted on the environment is immense.

Is asking for alternatives the next best thing ?

This could be a viable option but has the Government thought of offering any suggestion on the alternatives that may be used ?

So far no such suggestion has come and this is the reason why many have taken the announcement of the Government with a pinch of salt.

The past has also taught the people of Manipur that nothing much may come from the latest announcement.

No alternatives at the moment and as the Principal Secretary of MAHUD clearly laid down, Manipur does not have the facility to segregate plastic wastes or convert them to something more beneficial.

The way forward then should be clear to the people. The least that may be done is judicious use of single use plastic, particularly plastic carry bags.

As far as possible let the people avoid using plastic carry bags.

Given a little more thought, every household may fall back on the carry bags that were in use way before plastic carry bags became the norm.

Simply Known as khaos and made of cloth or jute, people should seriously consider going back to these bags and it should not be taken as taking a step or two back, but reviving a practise that is healthy for everyone.

The Government may also seriously study the possibility of jacking up the price of plastic carry bags so much so that buyers will hesitate to get their purchased goods wrapped in plastic and instead opt to carry them in their jute or cloth bag.

No one wants additional financial burden. In between it will also help tremendously if people do not discard used plastic bottles and plastic carry bags randomly.