India introduces a ban on all single-use plastics at 129 airports across the country. This is the first step to reaching the higher goal- make all airports plastic-free. India is one of the top four global plastic polluters. The economy of the country got quite a boost over the last years, bypassing the UK in 2018. Unfortunately, this did come at a price and the environment was the first one to suffer. However, it is true, and I can personally vouch for this, that Indian people are very smart. These guys know how to identify issues, and if they decide to solve them, no one can stand in their way. Luckily for all of us, the airport authority of India (AAI) has quite a number of exactly this kind of guys. In a statement issued earlier this week, AAI made very clear that 129 of the major airports in the country, will become plastic-free. AAI introduced a ban on all single-use plastics at airports, including plastic plates, cups, cutlery, straws, bags, and so on. There is already an ongoing campaign to assess the performance of these airports. An independent authority, the Quality Council of India, is currently assessing the performance and progress. They declared 16 airports “Single-Use Plastic Free”, aiming to assess additional 18 airports before the end of this month. The ultimate aim of AAI is to remove single-use plastics from all airports across India. It is a long shot, but the guys definitely mean business. The initiative is moving incredibly fast, and I cannot see a reason to why it could fail. The reputation of the country, especially when it comes to plastic pollution, is not very good. The country is responsible for about 60% of all plastics dumped into the oceans on annual basis. The government has already made quite some progress, for example banning disposable plastics in the Delhi-National Region, but there is still a long way to go. However, we have to give them credit for all efforts. Let’s also hope that other countries follow this example. One ban at a time, and we can solve the global issue. I truly believe that. Image (c) Reuters (Visited 380 times, 1 visits today)
A ban on all single-use plastics is being implemented across India's 129 airports. Covering items including bags, cups and straws, the Airport Authority of India’s (the Quality Council of India) decision comes amid a government push to reduce the country’s contributions to plastic pollution. The the Quality Council of India’s efforts will be monitored by AAI. So far, the Council has declared 16 airports free of single-use plastics and it is planning to assess 18 more before the end of January.