"பிளாஸ்டிக் சாமான், பழைய துணி வாங்குறது…."_ கணீர் கணீர் என்று சின்ன ஒலிபெருக்கியில் கேட்கிறது லட்டுவின் காரமான குரல், சிலர் வீட்டிற்கு அருகில் சென்றால் ஒலிபெருக்கியை ஆஃப் செய்துவிடுவார்; சத்தம் போட்டால் அவர்களுக்குப் பிடிக்காதாம். வடசென்னையின் வீதிகளில் இருபத்தைந்து ஆண்டுகளாக அவரும், அவரது சைக்கிளும், சுழன்று கொண்டிருக்கிறது. ‘மக்கள் அப்படியே தான் இருக்கிறார்கள். எனது சைக்கிள் மற்றும் ஒலிபெருக்கி மட்டும் தான் மாறியுள்ளது’ என்கிறார் லட்டு.
CAG contributed to a global study by IPEN that looked at the chemical contamination in recycled plastic pellets. The study found that recycling plastics carries over the toxins to the new products. Plastics containing toxins should therefore not be recycled; these should in fact, not be considered part of a circular economy at all.
This recent study reveals that the recycling process transfers the toxins in plastic to the recycled plastic; and because recycling typically mixes several types of plastic together, could produce new chemical cocktails in the process.
Plastic pollution is a wicked problem, posing a challenge that currently seems to surpass our ability to tackle it. To tackle it we need collective, and collaborative efforts of producers, citizens, policymakers, and governance systems. At the forefront of such efforts, taking responsibility for the waste they create, should be the producers. However, one cannot think of recycling or tout it as a solution to the plastic litter problem owing to its severe limitations technically and effects on health.
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A CAG study in 5 cities in Tamil Nadu on compliance of plastic packaging used for food products with recycling labelling as required by BIS. The study also seeks to understand if the information provided is accessible and useful to consumers through a perception survey. The study found that recycling labels rarely provide all the information required as per law and that most of them are hard to locate, read, and understand. Consumers cannot make an informed choice unless a standard labelling mechanism is set up that is focussed on providing information in an appropriate manner.
In January 2017, I joined CAG, specifically to work on solid waste management (SWM) projects. I started with the Mapping Waste Trails project, which aims to gain a better understanding of the lives of the informal waste pickers engaged in waste recycling in Chennai. Furthermore, we will be tracking the movements of certain recyclables, to ascertain the routes by which such materials traverse the city-scape, and the value added within each step in the routes.
In January 2017, I joined CAG, where part of my work focuses on their solid waste management (SWM) projects. I started with the Mapping Waste Trails project, which aims to gain a better understanding of the lives of the informal waste pickers engaged in waste recycling in Chennai. Furthermore, we will be tracking the movements of certain recyclables, to ascertain the routes by which such materials traverse the city-scape, and the value added within each step in the routes.