Easy to tie and dispose of, the <keyword id="1342661" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="garbage-bags" source="Orion">garbage bags</keyword> are effective to maintain hygiene and keep the surroundings clean. Available in different sizes, you can choose as per the size of your bin, and the amount of waste that collects everyday. Ideal for offices, hotels, homes, malls and almost everywhere, garbage bags are a convenient option to keep garbage managed and it’s also easy to dispose of. <bulletContentEmbed name="B0821PN8L4" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B0821PN8L4_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb><div type="image" title="Medium Size" msid="86633128" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B0821PN8L4</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B0821PN8L4_body"><bulletContentRow name="B0821PN8L4_2184779081235549"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Amazon Brand - Presto Oxo-Biodegradable Garbage Bags, Medium-30 Bags per Roll (Pack Of 6)</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">These biodegradable garbage bags from Presto come in a pack of 6, each having 30 bags. With the detachable string, it becomes convenient to dispose of the garbage without creating any mess. The medium size makes them suitable to fit in any normal dustbin. Ideal for office, mall, home, hotel and other places, they make you keep your surroundings clean.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B0821PN8L4_4389982888368420"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">They are suitable to be fit a normal dustbin.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B06VX8YR6Q" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B06VX8YR6Q_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb><div type="image" title="Prevent Odour" msid="86633169" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B06VX8YR6Q</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B06VX8YR6Q_body"><bulletContentRow name="B06VX8YR6Q_2208897648026974"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Ezee Garbage Bags, Medium-30 Bags per Roll (Pack of 3)</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">These medium-sized garbage bags from Ezee make you collect garbage to prevent odour and keep the surroundings hygienic. The anti-leak material makes them perfect to carry wet and dry waste. The sealed bottom makes them sturdy and durable and ensures convenient carrying of the garbage. For easy disposal, it comes with a string to tie.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B06VX8YR6Q_1005838326099433"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">They are suitable to carry both dry and wet waste.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B077RJ1YMW" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B077RJ1YMW_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb><div type="image" title="Virgin Material" msid="86633183" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B077RJ1YMW</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B077RJ1YMW_body"><bulletContentRow name="B077RJ1YMW_1699733041549968"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">G1 Garbage Bags, Medium-30 Bags per Roll (Pack of 4)</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Pack of 4 with 30 bags each, these garbage bags from G1 are made from virgin material to avoid foul odour. With the tensile strength, it becomes convenient to lift the garbage bag without the fear of tearing. These bags allow you to throw garbage without creating a mess and making the environment clean.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B077RJ1YMW_9254299017117603"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">It is convenient to lift and carry.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B07JG1KL8Q" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B07JG1KL8Q_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb><div type="image" title="Recyclable Material" msid="86633211" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B07JG1KL8Q</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B07JG1KL8Q_body"><bulletContentRow name="B07JG1KL8Q_9329073628350157"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Prakrutik Garbage Bags Biodegradable, Medium-90 Bags</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">These biodegradable green coloured garbage bags from Prakrutik are suitable to fit dustbins easily. With appropriate thickness and strength, the bag can hold up to 7 kg of weight and ensures no leakage. The bags are suitable for recycling and are easy to decompose.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B07JG1KL8Q_5452232574069493"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The bags are suitable to carry 7kg of weight.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B07KT9Q54M" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B07KT9Q54M_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb><div type="image" title="Detachable Tape" msid="86633245" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B07KT9Q54M</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B07KT9Q54M_body"><bulletContentRow name="B07KT9Q54M_8812262838854494"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Shalimar Premium OXO - Biodegradable Garbage Bags, Medium-30 Bags per Roll (Pack of 4)</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">These biodegradable garbage bags from Shalimar come with detachable tie tape for convenient carrying after use. To provide strength and prevent leakage, it has a star sealed bottom. Ergonomically designed, the bags are suitable to fit in different shapes of dustbins. Their medium size helps you carry and dispose of waste conveniently.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B07KT9Q54M_4895004044487362"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The bags are ergonomically designed.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B07WF2GF5V" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B07WF2GF5V_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb><div type="image" title="Eco-friendly Material" msid="86633274" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B07WF2GF5V</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B07WF2GF5V_body"><bulletContentRow name="B07WF2GF5V_6502663636079127"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Blity Biodegradable Garbage Bags, Medium-30 Bags per Roll (Pack of 8)</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Made from recycled raw and eco-friendly material, these biodegradable garbage bags from Blity are suitable to fit 15-litre size dustbins. Ideal to be used in kitchens, hotels, hospitals, malls and other places, these bags help create a hygienic environment. Their anti-leak material makes it carry both dry and wet waste.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B07WF2GF5V_9799444677364008"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">It keeps the surroundings clean and create a hygienic environment.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed>

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<ul class="summary-list"><li>A few states and some countries are passing laws to combat plastic waste.</li><li><keyword id="11892889" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="california" source="Orion">California</keyword> is the fourth US state that will make companies pay for packaging waste.</li></ul>The first half of 2022 has seen a wave of new policies cracking down on <keyword id="12318689" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="plastic-pollution" source="Orion">plastic pollution</keyword> in the US and countries like <keyword id="6356687" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="canada" source="Orion">Canada</keyword> and <keyword id="11892747" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>. In recent weeks, California became the fourth state that will force companies to pay for cleaning up packaging waste, while Canada and India have banned the production and import of certain <keyword id="14446315" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="single-use-plastic" source="Orion">single-use plastic</keyword> products. Advocates say the momentum feels like a turning point in the global fight to eliminate the eight million metric tons of plastic waste <a href="https://www.unep.org/interactives/beat-plastic-pollution/">that flows into oceans each year</a>. According to the United Nations, this is the equivalent of dumping a garbage truck every minute. The vast majority of plastic never gets recycled and ends up in landfills, in incinerators, or as litter on land and in waterways. The US <a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/26132/chapter/1">is the world's largest contributor</a> to the problem despite representing <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/us-population/">less than 5% of the global population</a>."The public is increasingly making the connection between plastic and so many other issues, which is expanding the coalition of groups and individuals who care deeply about this," Anja Brandon, a US plastics-policy analyst at the nonprofit Ocean Conservancy, said. "That, in turn, is expanding the number of policymakers who recognize plastic pollution as critically important." Brandon said those connections include how plastic is made from the fossil fuels that drive the climate crisis. Local governments in the US often build plastic-manufacturing plants, landfills, and incinerators <a href="https://blogs.newschool.edu/news/2022/05/tishman-environment-and-design-centers-work-reveals-most-incinerators-pollute-low-income-and-communities-of-color-and-worsen-climate-change/">in marginalized communities</a>, which then disproportionately expose these communities to pollution. Researchers are also discovering tiny particles of plastic — known as microplastics — <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/microplastics-detected-in-human-blood-180979826/">in human blood</a> and stool, raising questions about potential health effects.The <keyword id="11896309" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sustainability" source="Orion">sustainability</keyword> push has led some big brands and plastic makers to promise to make more recyclable or compostable packaging and to channel money toward local infrastructure so producers can get their materials back and reuse them. "We're investing in new technology to make sure the percent of recycled content in packaging increases and designing things to be lighter," Jen Ronk, the senior sustainability manager at Dow North America Packaging &amp; Specialty Plastics, said. The company <a href="http://www.businessfor2030.org/dow">also pledged to spend more than $1 billion</a> on efforts to manage plastic waste. Here's a rundown of the latest action: <h2>California</h2>On June 30, California Gov. Gavin Newsom <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB54">signed the most aggressive restrictions</a> on plastic in the country into law. By 2032, producers must use 25% less plastic in packaging for items like shampoo, food containers, and cups. Ocean Conservancy estimates that this provision alone will <a href="https://oceanconservancy.org/news/sb54-california-righting-ship-leading-u-s-ocean-plastic-pollution-crisis/">reduce plastic production by 23 million tons</a>, or 26 times the weight of the Golden Gate Bridge. By the same date, at least 65% of plastic must be recycled, a major jump from the <a href="https://sd26.senate.ca.gov/index.php/news/press-release/senator-allen-introduces-bill-phase-out-unsustainable-single-use-plastics">less than 15% that is recycled today</a>. "We know that to reduce the plastic-pollution crisis, we have to make less in the first place and reuse more through a circular economy," Brandon said, adding that the <keyword id="14446313" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="california-law" source="Orion">California law</keyword> is the first to address both sides of that equation. Plastic makers will pay $5 billion into a state fund to mitigate the environmental and health impacts of pollution from their products, as well. The industry will pay for collecting, sorting, and recycling waste through a fee on packaging, which will shift the burden away from taxpayers who now fund municipal-waste management. That policy, known as extended-producer responsibility, has picked up steam over the last year as Maine, Oregon, and most recently <keyword id="11918419" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="colorado" source="Orion">Colorado</keyword>, passed similar legislation. <h2>Colorado </h2>In June, the state passed its own extended-producer responsibility law that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colorado-to-tax-bottles-and-packaging-for-recycling-2022-6">slaps a fee on packaging such as bottles, food wrappers, and cardboard</a> to help fund recycling and keep waste out of landfills. Colorado's statewide <a href="https://cdphe.colorado.gov/colorado-recycling-totals">recycling rate for all materials is 15%</a>, less than half the national average of 32%. The law itself doesn't set mandatory recycling targets, but brands and packaging makers have to develop some for 2030 after they form a nonprofit to run the new recycling program.The law got rare public endorsements from big business, including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Walmart. They joined forces with environmental groups like Recycle Colorado, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Sierra Club. <h2>Canada</h2><a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/managing-reducing-waste/reduce-plastic-waste/single-use-plastic-guidance.html">On June 22, the government announced</a> it would ban companies from making and importing certain single-use plastics by the end of the year as part of a sweeping effort to fight pollution and the climate crisis.Most plastic grocery bags, silverware, and straws fall under the ban, with a few exceptions for medical needs. According to the government, Canadians throw away more than 3 million tons of plastic waste every year and the country only recycles about 9% of it. "Companies don't make Canada-specific packaging or US-state specific packaging," Brandon said. "They are trying to maximize efficiency in a globalized supply chain, so these policies will have far-reaching ripple effects."<h2>India </h2>On July 1, India's government announced a ban on single-use plastics covering 19 items that are most likely to wind up as litter, such as straws, cups, and some disposable bags. The ban makes it illegal to make or import these products.According to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/07/01/1109476072/india-plastics-ban-begins">the Associated Press</a>, thousands of other plastic items aren't covered, though the federal government has set recycling targets for manufacturers. According to its federal pollution watchdog, India generated more than 4.1 million metric tons of plastic waste in 2020. This decade the country is also trying to reduce the amount of greenhouse-gas emissions per unit of gross domestic product — known as carbon intensity — by 45%. Curbing plastic manufacturing can help India meet that target, said advocates of the ban.

Fighting our plastic problem: Bans and recycling mandates gain steam in the US and abroad

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<ul><li>Situated in a valley flanked by majestic pine-covered <keyword id="28910" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="mountains">mountains</keyword> with the Beas River meandering through, Manali offers truly idyllic views and a chill atmosphere to boot.</li><li>The thrill-seekers out there also have a plethora of adventure sports activities to choose from, including paragliding, trekking and rafting.</li><li>An excellent option for those seeking out seclusion is a day trip to Sissu village and Keylong.</li></ul>The scorching plains, inevitably, have people craving for an easy trip to a mountainous destination. But if you wish to be nestled amidst snow-clad peaks with a gushing river piercing through the terrain, you will need to travel farther, navigate not-so-great roads and will definitely need more time and patience. No, we are not talking about a trip as arduous as a road trip to Leh; we are talking about a much more manageable road trip to Manali and nearby places. <div type="image" title="Manali mountainscapes" msid="82002884" hostid="261"></div>Situated in a valley flanked by majestic pine-covered mountains with the Beas River meandering through, Manali offers truly idyllic views and a chill atmosphere to boot. With superb panoramas of the Dhauladhar and Pir Panjal ranges from all directions, it is hard not to fall for Manali's evergreen charm. However, with a massive influx of tourists, most of whom have little regard for the environment, the city and most places around have garbage blemishing both the riverside and the mountainside. But the true magic of the place powers through and despite these eyesores, a quick pan up to see the mountains in their majestic glory compensates for the heartache the litter causes. That said, there are plenty of brilliant treks that take you to tiny brooks amidst conifer-clad valleys in and around Manali should you wish some time away from the manic crowds. The thrill-seekers out there also have a plethora of adventure sports activities to choose from, including paragliding, trekking and rafting. But do note that these activities are weather dependent, so it's best to check in advance. In general, rafting takes place all year round excluding the monsoon periods. The months of May, June and September are supposed to be the best time for paragliding. Skiing opens in Solang Valley soon after the first snowfall in January and continues till March. Other popular tourist spots in Manali include the Hadimba Temple dedicated to Bhima's demon wife. Sporting a multi-tiered pagoda, the temple is set amidst towering deodars, and the complex also has a shrine dedicated to their son Ghatotkacha. <div type="image" title="Old Manali" msid="82002929" hostid="261"></div>Apart from a very chill atmosphere, Old Manali also hosts the age-old Manu Temple dedicated to the sage Manu who penned the Manusmriti. Oozing with character and old-world charm, Old Manali is truly a must-visit. Please note, there is nothing much to see here, but the place gives you a laid-back feeling. Walk uphill through the narrow lanes, watch the stray dogs just lay there in absolute bliss, witness the locals tending to their cows, indulge in a bit of shopping at some very kitschy shops lining both sides of the lane and then head straight to the pub to rest those tired feet. <div type="image" title="Jogini Falls" msid="82002970" hostid="261"></div>Those with a religious inclination should also visit the Vashisht Temple and so should those who don't, mainly because this is the starting point of the hike to the spectacular Jogini Falls. The walk to the falls takes around an hour and makes for a great place to picnic while soaking in the views. (Please note: Do take all essentials like water and food with you but more importantly, take an extra bag to dump your garbage in and bring it back with you for proper disposal.) Beyond city limits The 3977-metre high snow-cloaked <keyword id="391219" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rohtang-Pass">Rohtang Pass</keyword> is an obvious choice for those scoping out breathtaking views. However, as is the case with most popular places, the <keyword id="43735" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="pass">Pass</keyword> has been defiled by an endless barrage of tourists, trash and traffic. Thankfully, now, only a small number of vehicles are allowed to visit, and a permit must be obtained to do so. Also, note that the Pass is only open from June to October. <div type="image" title="Manali Leh Road" msid="82002997" hostid="261"></div>An excellent option for those seeking out seclusion is a day trip to Sissu village and Keylong. This epic drive involves crossing the newly-constructed <keyword id="8486907" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="atal-tunnel">Atal Tunnel</keyword> and gasping with disbelief when you see what's in store at the end of the tunnel. The terrain is nothing short of magic. The snowy mountain peaks, the river accompanying it on one side, countered by barren -- but just as majestic -- mountainscapes, on the other. The drive to Keylong should take around 2 hours, from Manali. You can also venture further to Udaipur (3 hours from Manali), a town on Chandrabhaga River bank in Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. But remember that since this is a day trip, you should account for the time it will take to get back. Also, there are not many places to stop for grub or the toilet apart from a few loosely-termed 'hotels' splattered along the way. <div type="image" title="Welcomheritage Urvashi Retreat" msid="82003009" hostid="261"></div>Places to stay From budget no-frills hotels to spectacular heritage properties, the town has a place for everyone. The <a href="https://www.urvashisretreat.com/">Welcomheritage Urvashi Retreat</a> is a fabulous option for those who want gorgeous views along with all the creature comforts. The property is secluded from the hustle and bustle and the staff is delightful and eagerly tell you about the best places to visit nearby. Should you be looking for something more affordable, you can opt to stay at <a href="https://www.sterlingholidays.com/resorts-hotels/manali">Sterling Manali</a>. The rooms have beautiful views, but the upkeep is a little lacking. <div type="image" title="Il Ferno" msid="82003033" hostid="261"></div>Places to eat and drink Manali has a bunch of brilliant places to eat and drink. Serving up various cuisines, Manali also has quite a few resto-pubs with a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Travel and food writer, Pallavi Pasricha, tells us, "I always make it a point to visit Johnson's Cafe to have their legendary trout. On my last trip, I discovered two new places – Il Forno which has excellent pizzas and Rocky's Café, a 10-minute walk from the Old Manali market – both have stunning views of the mountains. Sipping a beer from there will now always be on my agenda whenever I visit Manali next." Old Manali also has the Dylan's Toasted &amp; Roasted Coffee House, where you can soak in the laid-back atmosphere while sipping on excellent coffee accompanied by hot-out-of-the-oven cookies. Another well-known pub in Old Manali is The Lazy Dog. The riverside outdoor seating area here is the perfect place to wind down with a glass of hot toddy and snacks. Another place to check out if you wish to chill by the river is Cafe 1947, which is a slightly pricier option, but the ambience and the food are certainly worth experiencing. <div type="image" title="Jibhi" msid="82003043" hostid="261"></div>Veer off the highway Should you wish for an even more secluded location, Shweta Andrews, who runs a Delhi-based bakery called Bakes Ahoy, recommends a tiny village called Jibhi in Himachal Pradesh. It is just a 3-hour drive from Manali. Andrews says, "This is an off-beat travel destination in its true sense. It's a place for people who are looking to detox -- digitally, physically and mentally." Andrews and friends opted for an Airbnb called <a href="https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/45643018?check_out=2021-05-05&amp;adults=2&amp;check_in=2021-04-30&amp;s=13&amp;unique_share_id=D25340A4-9FFD-44D0-9E7F-2E8486D2DF7D&amp;_branch_match_id=908942267948210284&amp;source_impression_id=p3_1617946965_i%2BsKhQcTG4duws7Y">Sunny Cottage Near The River</a>, situated on a farm right by the river. "The hosts truly went out of their way to make our stay most enjoyable. Bonfires by night and picnics on the banks by day are things that one cannot enjoy in crowded or commercial holiday destinations. Plus the food was genuinely a farm-to-plate experience as well," Andrews adds. A must-visit from here is the Jalori Pass, where one can experience incredible views of the <keyword id="52569" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="himalayas">Himalayas</keyword>. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/nokia-x20-specifications-nokia-new-phones-price-in-india/articleshow/81981039.cms">SIx new Nokia smartphones announced – price, specifications and availability details you should know</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/founders-take-note-heres-why-most-startups-fail/articleshow/81981138.cms">Founders, take note: here’s why most startups fail</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/google-phone-app-now-lets-you-record-calls-automatically-from-unknown-numbers/articleshow/81982791.cms">Google Phone app now lets you record calls automatically from unknown numbers</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/adar-poonawalla-serum-institute-of-india-has-bought-stake-policybazaar/articleshow/81985425.cms">Serum Institute of India buys into IPO-bound insurance unicorn PolicyBazaar, as True North sells part stake in secondary sale</a>

Mountains, rivers, trout and toddy — Manali offers you all these and more

This World Environment Day the United Nations had only one directive - reject single-use plastic. Hosted by <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>, the internet was in an uproar to #BeatPlasticPollution and to reduce humanity’s over-reliance on disposable plastic. It may be the need of the hour, but there’s a sizable economic cost attached to it as well that seems to be getting sidelined in the name of environment preservation. Banning plastic is definitely a boon for the environment. For starters, it reduces the amount of non-biodegradable litter that clogs up storm drains and piles up in landfills. Even the ocean has islands that are made of solid waste that consist mostly of plastic garbage. Indirectly, since disposable plastics are derived from crude oil refining, when their manufacturing reduces, it also reduces the contribution of polypropylene to climate change. But then, there’s flip-side to a ban. Businesses that manufacture disposable plastic, firms using plastics for packaging and even the consumer - all have to bear the cost. The burden of a ban isn’t just limited to the plastics industry. Horizontal and vertical dependants like the petroleum industry, food delivery outlets and even the road-side juice vendor will feel the impact. In India, Sikkim was the first state to implement a ban on plastic bags in 1996. It was also one of the first states to apply a ban on single-use plastics. The state’s been fairly successful in its implementation considering that there’s a very limited space for garbage dumps within their territory. But then again, that’s not always the case. States like Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh that have significant plastic waste generation have only been marginally successful in implementing partial bans. Taking the most recent case of the <keyword id="6360810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Plastic-ban">plastic ban</keyword> in <keyword id="13126" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maharashtra">Maharashtra</keyword>, the All India Plastics Manufacturers’ Association (AIPLMA) claims that while this initiative may help the environment, it will also result in a <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/plastic-ban-india-stares-at-loss-of-rs-15000-crore-3-lakh-jobs/articleshow/64721810.cms">loss of up to ₹15 billion</a> ($220 million) and nearly 300,000 jobs. The snowball effect One assumes that the direct effect of banning plastic use is that plastic wastage decreases, but the reality is broader than that. Plastics is an industry of its own that makes a significant contribution to key sectors in India like textiles and healthcare. That being said, one sector that will be hit the hardest by the plastic ban is the packaging sector. 
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 1. <keyword id="6369865" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="job-loss">Job loss</keyword> So, it’s a fairly straightforward correlation that when there’s unemployment in one sector then the supply of labour will increase. In this case, it will affect polymer manufacturers, plastic processors and recycling players. Especially those that work in extrusion, which would include the manufacture of plastic bags and blow moulding which is how bottles and containers are made. It should be noted that the plastics industry is highly labour intensive and largely unorganised. In Maharashtra, specifically, AIPMA <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/policy/plastic-ban-may-shave-800-cr-off-maharashtras-gst-revenues-says-lobby/article23375711.ece">claims</a> that the ban will result in the shut down of 2,150 industrial units. In India, there’s already a surplus of low wage labourers, which will be further impacted by such a move. The extent of the impact will be determined by the skill set and specialisation that distills into the market. 2. Gross Domestic Product (<keyword id="35050" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="gdp">GDP</keyword>) will be affected As of 2017, the Indian plastic industry <a href="http://www.plastindia.org/pdf/indian-plastics-industry-report2014.pdf">contributes</a> around 7.1% to the country’s GDP. It’s also complementary to the petrochemical industry that works in tandem. But, the ban itself hits the ‘end user market’ where plastic products are primarily used for domestic purposes. Additionally, the packaging industry is one of the key drivers of demand for plastics. It’s one the fastest growing industries with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15% over the last five years. It has received major impetus from retail growth, changes in lifestyle, and growth of smaller packaging. The implementation of a strict ban would be a fairly large obstacle for the plastics industry to compensate. In Maharashtra itself, the plastics industry is fairly big. In fact, plastics <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/policy/plastic-ban-may-shave-800-cr-off-maharashtras-gst-revenues-says-lobby/article23375711.ece">contribute</a> to around 35% of the state’s GDP with a turnover of ₹50,000 crore. It’s also one of the reasons why the state contributes to nearly <a href="http://cpcb.nic.in/displaypdf.php?id=cGxhc3RpY3dhc3RlL0FubnVhbF9SZXBvcnRfMjAxNS0xNl9QV00ucGRm">one-third</a> of India’s plastic waste. Placing a ban on plastic use will retract the demand for plastics overall, thus leading to decreased sales and decreased revenue. As a result, whatever stocks of single-use plastics are left with manufacturers of plastic products, and companies that use them, will basically be a sunk cost after 23 June, as per the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/articles/maharashtra-extends-deadline-for-disposal-of-existing-plastic-stock-to-3-months/19313179">government directive</a>. AIPMA estimates that the banned products would results in a loss of up to ₹15 billion. 3. <keyword id="142154" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="bad-loans">Bad loans</keyword> in the banking sector will increase As the demand for plastics falls, assuming the ban is implemented effectively, a lot of micro, small and medium units (<a href="http://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/plastic-ban-chokes-maharashtras-msme-industriy/1246368">MSMEs</a>) in the plastics industry, could default on loans and the proportion of bad loans could increase. This is especially true as one analyses the <a href="http://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/plastic-ban-chokes-maharashtras-msme-industriy/1246368">downstream supply chain</a> of plastics. While polymer manufacturing is dominated by large industrial groups, plastic processors and recycling players are largely MSMEs. 4. Fines on small and micro retailers will affect their P&amp;L statements As with any new law or directive, there’s an implementation curve. There will always be a few defaulters who won’t comply immediately, and the heavy fines could send their <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/retailers-to-move-hc-to-exempt-pp-bags-from-ban/article24213766.ece">profit and loss</a> (P&amp;L) statements for a spin. Large corporations won’t feel the pinch of a ₹5,000, ₹10,000 or ₹25,000 fine, but <a href="https://localpress.co.in/2018/03/plastic-ban-maharashtra-developments-ban-till-date/">roadside vendors, food vendors and delivery kitchens</a> have to be wary. Some vendors have reported that they’ve had to temporarily stall their services as they come up alternative methods of packaging. 5. Cost of going green to consumers More than the plastics sector, industries that depend on plastic for packaging will have to find alternative green methods of presenting their commodities in the market. Nonetheless, there’s <a href="http://ladpw.org/epd/aboutthebag/PDF/SocioEconomicImpactStudy_final.pdf">evidence</a> to support the fact that firms generally pass on this cost onto their consumers where they can purchase a paper/reusable bag at nominal rates. There’s the crux of the issue. More than the repercussions of the plastic ban, what matters is how the ban is embraced by the public. The use of paper bags is only effective if they are reused, otherwise the problem shifts from <keyword id="1820144" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="plastic-pollution">plastic pollution</keyword> to deforestation. And, if climate change is the primary concern, banning plastics might not even necessarily be the right solution.

Banning plastics is necessary, but here’s what that might cost India

<ul><li><keyword id="9332781" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="beco" source="Orion">Beco</keyword> claims to be one of the most affordable and sustainable home products companies in India. </li><li>India overall generates 25,940 tonnes of plastic waste every day, according to State of India’s Environment 2022 report. </li><li>The startup claims that it uses cornstarch, bamboo, sugarcane, coconut and other natural alternatives of single-use plastic.</li><li>D2C companies like Forest Essentials, Godrej Consumer, Colgate-Palmolive and Hindustan Unilever have also been coming up with <keyword id="49089" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sustainability" source="Orion">sustainability</keyword> initiatives.</li></ul>Three friends Aditya, Anuj and Akshay, who graduated together from BITS Pilani, were regular participants in beach clean-ups in Mumbai. During one of their rounds, they found an orange wrapper of a chocolate bar Marathon, which was discontinued in the 1990s. Surprisingly, that plastic wrapper was well preserved and was still on the beach. That chocolate wrapper stuck in their minds and that’s how the sustainable home products company Beco was born in 2018. Beco captured the markets of Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai with its plant-based products like tearable <keyword id="15683675" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="laundry-sheets" source="Orion">laundry sheets</keyword> (that work like soap strips), floor cleaners, reusable kitchen towel rolls, bamboo-based facial tissues, bamboo tissue roll and compostable garbage bags. Fast forward to 2022, their company Beco is now one of the most affordable and sustainable home products companies, they claim. Their mantra is simple – make products more sustainable and affordable; make sustainability a household habit. “The problem that we're trying to solve is to help make sustainability convenient. As a businessman, I look at myself as a consumer. Just making smarter, leaner choices today is actually not burning a hole in your pocket,” said Aditya Ruia, co-founder of Beco, in a conversation with Business Insider India. Almost everyone in day-to-day lives uses products that are made out of plastic or are not good for the environment and these small products become a larger plastic waste nightmare. The country overall generates 25,940 tonnes of plastic waste every day, according to State of India’s Environment 2022 <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/690-tonnes-added-daily-to-plastic-waste-mess/articleshow/90001711.cms">report </a>by Centre for Science and Environment. But since the pandemic, the awareness for sustainability and related products among people has risen as people have grown more environmentally conscious and are gradually shifting to sustainable products. “After the pandemic, I think home became the center of people's lives. Many ended up spending a lot of time at home. General awareness of what they were using at homes increased,” said Ruia. The startup claims it uses cornstarch, bamboo, sugarcane, coconut and other natural alternatives in place of single-use plastic. “Our <keyword id="15683677" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bamboo-laundry-sheets" source="Orion">bamboo laundry sheets</keyword> (that work like soap strips) challenge the usage of <keyword id="15683676" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="plastic-detergent-bottles" source="Orion">plastic detergent bottles</keyword>. They use 70% water and only 30% formula, which is also chemical based,” Ruia added. And by using these alternatives and adopting sustainable production and manufacturing practices, the company has been able to <a href="https://yourstory.com/2022/10/becos-growth-journey-celeb-investors-sustainability-startup">save</a> over 500 tonnes of plastic waste.The maximum cost of the 53 different home products it makes is under ₹1800. “You are using those garbage bags when throwing your trash in your kitchen or in your common spaces. There is a compostable garbage bag available for that. Today, there are solutions for using eco-friendly bamboo toothbrushes, instead of a plastic one,” said Ruia. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Celebrity investors, expanding partnerships" comment="subhead" text="Celebrity investors, expanding partnerships">Celebrity investors, expanding partnerships</cmsannotation> Bollywood celebrities like Ranbir Kapoor, Aamir Khan, Dia Mirza and Bhumi Pednekar are already Beco’s investors. Beco was also one of the vendors for actress <keyword id="15683678" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dia-Mirzas-eco-friendly-wedding" source="Orion">Dia Mirza’s eco-friendly wedding</keyword> in 2021. It is also partnering with various big brands – We Work, BBlunt salon, Taj Hotel, Radisson – for increasing their sustainability practices. “So, when we are working with all of these partners, they have so much consumption in- house, whether it's in their salons, or in their co-working spaces, or in the hotels. We want to give an ESG (environmental, social, governance) push internally and promote sustainability,” Ruia said. D2C companies like Forest Essentials, Godrej Consumer, Colgate-Palmolive and Hindustan Unilever have also been coming up with similar sustainability initiatives. For instance, cosmetics and skincare company Forest Essentials has been using recyclable air-filled paper pouches or paper cushions for the products inside the cartons and for orders placed online via the company’s website, instead of plastic bubble wrap. Similarly, <a href="https://www.hul.co.in/news/2022/ways-were-helping-tackle-plastic-waste/">Hindustan Unilever</a> has initiated the usage of rHDPE, which is a plastic made from recycled High Density Polythene (25% recycled HDPE), in their personal care product bottles like TRESemmé, Sunsilk,Vaseline lotions, Surf excel laundry liquid and comfort fabric conditioner; and rPET (80% recycled PET) in blister packs for personal care brands such as Pepsodent toothbrushes and Vaseline lip care products. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Funds usage" comment="subhead" text="Funds usage">Funds usage</cmsannotation> Beco recently raised $3 million in a series A round that saw participation from Rukum Capital, Priyavrata Mafatlal, Better Capital, Prashant Pittie, Titan Capital and others. It plans to use these funds for research and development and product innovation, to build visibility and marketing, and for driving customer acquisition. “In terms of growth for the business, I think the funds are being deployed to grow. And we feel that to grow, we need to innovate on products. And we also need to spend on customer acquisition and help tell the customer, share that story. If they relate, they can make that switch,” Ruia added. Beco, like any other company, is also facing challenges in hiring the right talent and from rising costs in the digital marketing space. “Overall, I think it's a very common challenge. I don't think we are in the FMCG space. So, you know, obviously, building a retail presence becomes a tad bit more challenging, but I think we're getting there,” he added. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/oldest-and-youngest-companies-of-india-as-per-hurun-2022-report-check-out-the-list/articleshow/95926624.cms">234-year-old company EID Parry is only a tad more valuable than year-old unicorn GlobalBees</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/bahamas-taiwan-malta-among-10-countries-offering-digital-nomad-visa/articleshow/95941533.cms">Bahamas, Taiwan, Malta &amp; more: Here are 10 countries offering digital nomad visa</a>

This Mumbai startup is making tearable laundry sheets, bamboo-based facial tissues and more to replace plastic

<ul><li>The <keyword id="7914197" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Akshar-Forum-School-in-Guwahati">Akshar Forum School in Guwahati</keyword> is giving admission on a condition that the students will have to collect and submit 200 plastic waste items every month.</li><li>Guwahati in Assam produces nearly 3,700 kg of plastic garbage on a daily basis.</li><li>The school students recycle waste products to form ecological bricks.</li></ul> The Akshar Forum School in Guwahati is giving admission on a condition that the students will have to collect and submit <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/bring-plastic-study-in-this-assam-school-for-free/articleshow/70387895.cms">200 plastic waste items every month</a>. "In order to stop the widespread burning of plastic in these villages, we decide to educate the community on the health hazards of burning plastic,” Parmita Sarma, founder of the school and a social worker at Tata Institute of Social Sciences told The Times of India. Guwahati in Assam produces nearly <a href="https://www.sentinelassam.com/top-headlines/plastic-ban-turns-into-a-farce-in-assam/">3,700 kg of plastic garbage</a> on a daily basis. And this certainly calls for the need to aware people on the impacts of using plastic. Established in 2016 by a couple — Mazin Mukhtar and Parmita Sarma — the school aims to recycle the waste plastic products and use it to develop their building. In fact, the school has its own recycling unit and students process the waste items to produce environment-friendly ecological bricks. Akshar Forum School has nearly 110 students, all from the nearby slums. The government too intends to spread awareness against plastic from schools. “Banning bottles, wrappers, packaging, bags, cups, plates, tumblers made of plastic or polystyrene on school premises and in school canteen, and encouraging the use of alternative biodegradable products will help sensitize students about the ills of using plastic,” noted a Central Board of Secondary Education <a href="https://www.sentinelassam.com/top-headlines/plastic-ban-turns-into-a-farce-in-assam/">(CBSE) circular</a> from 2018. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/amazon-alexa-is-being-used-in-maharashtra-schools-for-teaching-assistance/articleshow/70156968.cms">Good Morning Alexa: Students of Maharashtra village are taught by Amazon's virtual assistant</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/rajmal-meena-jnu-guard-help-from-neo-stencil-to-become-ias/articleshow/70275974.cms">Meet Rajmal Meena, a security guard from JNU who cleared university’s entrance examination, and is now aiming to become an IAS officer</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/ias-officers-helping-at-government-schools-as-part-time-teachers-in-india/articleshow/70161000.cms">This Indian state’s IAS officers have turned part-time government school teachers to improve the quality of education</a>

Plastic waste as school fees: A school in Assam adopts a novel idea

New Delhi, Dec 8 () Amid a growing debate over impact of single use plastics on environment, paper offers a sustainable option and can capture a fourth of the Rs 80,000 crore single use plastics market by 2025, if its use is totally banned by the government, a new study said.
India generated 26,000 tonnes per day of plastic waste in 2017-18, of that only 60 per cent was recycled and the rest ended up as litter on roads, in landfills or streams. Single use plastic industry is close to Rs 80,000 crore right now and growing. Packaging accounts for a third of India's plastic consumption, and 70 per cent of plastic packaging is turned into waste in a short span.
While uncollected plastic waste poses a huge threat to species on land and in water, single-use plastic bags and styrofoam containers can take up to 1,000 years to decompose, said the study released at the world's largest paper fair, PAPEREX organized by Hyve India, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Hyve Group Plc, London, last week.
Paper, on the other hand, is eco-friendly green product and bio-degradable, it said, adding it was a myth that the paper industries cut trees for production, and consumption of water and energy is high. Paper industry plants more trees than harvested and primary raw material are 100 per cent renewable like wood and agro-residues.
The study said about a third of new paper comes from recycled paper and an equivalent amount from waste such as sawdust and scrap from lumber mills.
"In India, companies use 46 per cent raw material from recovered paper, 29 per cent from agro residue like bagasse, straw etc and 29 per cent from plantation wood," it said, adding paper promotes literacy, hygiene and reduce pollution by using bagasse.
For production of one tonne paper, 2.1 tonne of wood is required but "no forest wood is being utilised for paper manufacturing," it said. "All (paper) mills are fulfilling their requirement through social forestry plantation on its own or through farmers."
More importantly, average cost of recycling of paper is Rs 32 per kg -- Rs 20 for cost of collecting paper trash and Rs 12 conversion cost. In comparison, the cost to collection of plastic waste is Rs 30 to 36 per kg and recycling is Rs 22 to Rs 35 per kg, it said, adding transporting one tonne of paper costs Rs 4.5 per kilometer as compared to Rs 6.2 in case of plastic.
Energy consumption for paper production is 0.59 to 1.19 tonne of oil equivalent per tonne as opposed to 1.48 to 2.58 a tonne in plastic, the study said, adding 55-60 per cent energy can be saved if paper is used in place of plastic.
According to Sanjeev Batra, Director, Hyve India, due to the fundamental and technological revolution, 100 per cent paper produced is recyclable and biodegradable.
"Paperex 2019 impressed upon the common man to save the environment and how this essential commodity use in our everyday life can reduce pollution and promote recycling," he said.
"Paper industry is going through the transformation phase and now the paper industry uses less power and water due to technological changes. Cost of production of recycled paper is at least 30 to 40 per cent cheaper depending upon the location than the recycled plastic," J P Narain, VP, Indian Paper &amp; Manufacturers Association and CEO of Century Paper said.
The requirement of better quality packaging products and the demand for other products, such as tissue paper, filter paper, tea bags and cardboard are expected to drive the paper and paper products market in India in the coming years, he said.
"There is a big opportunity for paper industry as single-use plastic market in India is close to Rs 80,000 crore. Paper industry is ready to take 25 per cent market share of single-use plastic by 2025 if totally banned by the government," he said.
Of the 9.1 billion tonnes of plastic that the world has produced since 1950, 6.9 billion tons has become waste, and only 9 per cent of that has been recycled, the rest ends up in landfills and in the world's oceans, the study said.
India's plastic consumption at 11 kg per capita is less than half of global average of 28 per kg. The US has per capita consumption of 109 kg, while it is 65 kg in Europe and 38 kg in China.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants India to eliminate single-use plastics by 2022, following on the footsteps of major nations around the world that are waging a war on them.
The study said chips and confectionery packets account for the largest share of plastic waste in India - 12 per cent of total plastic waste is bottle caps and lids, 19 per cent are chips and confectionery packets, 10 per cent are pet bottles, 8 per cent garbage bags and 8 per cent is packaging. ANZ DP
BAL

Paper industry to capture 25 pc market share of Rs 80,000 cr single use plastics by 2025

New Delhi, July 15 (IANSlife) Brands across the world are innovating and reinventing themselves to not only cater to the new normal but also figure out new revenue streams in the tough economic scenario created by the pandemic. Which is you're seeing a surge in the variety masks available; everyone from top designers to fast fashion brands want to capitalise on the demand. Outdoor essentials and lifestyle brand Wildcraft, has pivoted it's business to life essentials. The brand has a two-decade history being "a born in India, by India and for India brand" establishing itself as a pioneer in the outdoor and tactical gear category. It now changes its focus from the outdoors to a new category - protective gear including masks, shields and hazmat suits, with the aim to equip and enable consumers to stay safe and step out with confidence. IANSlife caught up with Mr Gaurav Dublish and Mr Siddharth Sood, founders, Wildcraft India Pvt Ltd, to find out details. Read Excerpts: With the Covid-19 crisis the focus has shifted to sustainability, slow fashion and eco-consciousness. In this environment how does Wildcraft plan to limit its wastage and pollutants in manufacturing and packaging process? Dublish: Wildcraft India has the philosophy 'Leave No Trace' embedded into its DNA and has followed on this path for the past 22 years. As the company subscribed to the view that nature should not be tampered with, it has always been a big believer of reusability and has encouraged its consumers to use their products for as long as they last - which can be a lifetime. In the current context, we already are in the middle of a health and economic crisis and the next one will soon be an environmental crisis. Considering if all of us consume disposable masks every day and throw it out then this would become a huge burden on the environment, with red flags around garbage collection and increasing impact of the virus. In such a scenario a mask such as the one offered by our brand with 95 percent filtration levels is reusable for up to 30 days; this would facilitate in reducing environmental impact significantly. Pivoting the business to making masks / PPE/ HYPASHIELD is a financial decision in order to capitalise on the current demand. Comment Sood: Covid-19 has brought forth a new normal. This new world has compelled people to relook at their ways, their beliefs, and attitude. Wildcraft India is a brand that uses its passion as a fuel to propel itself to embrace the uncertain. Our foray into the PPE category was not a business pivoting decision but rather an extension of our tactical gear category. The brand's core philosophy has always been driven by functionality and performance. It is positioned not as a fashion brand but as a brand that offers functionality with style. Our portfolio already includes tents, sleeping bags, rainwear and rucksacks in the tactical gear category and with the on-set of the pandemic a versatile, functionally engineered, head-to-toe product line of personal protective gear was an ideal extension of the category. There is a shift from glocal to local, do you think consumers should support high-street brands like yours which are Indian instead of the international brands? Dublish: As part of our commitment to enable people to rekindle the explorer within, we are an Indian-born head to toe outfitter, that pursues Make in India truly in spirit, is equipping Atma-Nirbhar Bharat to set the tone for the world. It took all of two weeks to shift your focus from engineered for outdoors to engineered for life. Is it business over the environment at Wildcraft? Sood: As mentioned earlier it is a natural extension of our tactical gear category without shifting our core ethos. Tell us more about your collaboration with Ministry of Textile, Ministry of Health Dublish: With the advent of the virus into India, there was a huge surge in demand for respirators and hazmat suits, especially for medical professionals who stood at the frontlines, battling the pandemic day in and day out. It was at this time that we were approached by the Ministry of Textiles with an urgent requirement to assist medical professionals and provide them with the necessary gear as they combat Covid-19. This motivated and encouraged us to take the baton and produce a product that comes with 95 percent particulate filtration efficiency at 0.3 microns and is reusable for up to 30 washes, differentiating the Wildcraft SUPERMASKTM different from any other reusable mask. Lastly, there are winners and losers in every situation, your advice for those who manage businesses to get on the winning side of this crisis? Sood: The pandemic has had a dramatic impact on all our lives and has compelled us to relook at our beliefs, our ways and attitudes. With a new normal in front of us, there are a lot of challenges and uncertainties that would come our way, however, Wildcraft has always believed in the philosophy of embracing the uncertain. This is the time when one needs to step out with confidence and get ready to face this new world equipped and enabled to explore any uncertainty that might come their way. And that would be our advice to every entrepreneur out there, to not let these adversities bog them down and to embrace any challenge that might come their way. (IANSlife Features can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) --IANS Ianslife/tb

Keeping up with the new normal

If you’re still in a leading business school in India, you’re in luck. <keyword id="6369697" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Godrej">Godrej</keyword> has a program that since 2012 has given 35 students a chance to intern at their company and get rewarded INR 1.5 Lakhs while they’re at it. While it sounds too good to be true, this money is not awarded towards scholarship purposes but Godrej LOUD helps young and talented B-school students realise their personal dreams with these resources. 

 

 

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 Last year the company received 1500 dream applications and sponsored 7 students. The winning ideas ranged from publishing an engaging kids’ novel, learning to be the best flute boxer in India, creating an automated machine that sorts through garbage to avoid cattle from eating poly bag and training with the best in archery to win an Olympics medal for India. 

 

 

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 How to apply Godrej LOUD launch sessions are organised at the campus of each participating B-school, led by campus teams, which involve a mix of senior Godrej leaders and alumni from different schools. <div type="embedgroup"> <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="59577789" title="Indians get the maximum spam calls according to Truecaller" rank="1.0" kind="RELATED" publishDate="Jul 13, 2017, 4:30 PM" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div></div>
 <ul><li>Students make their applications on the Godrej LOUD website within 7 days of our visit to their campus </li> <li><keyword id="4761351" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="team-godrej">Team Godrej</keyword> LOUD reviews each dream application and then creates a shortlist of finalists who are subsequently invited to present their dreams before a panel of senior leaders at the Godrej headquarters in <keyword id="6358070" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mumbai">Mumbai</keyword> </li> <li>Instead of standard application documents, they ask students to send in applications in a format which best showcases their dreams. Instances of people recording songs, making videos and even creating comic strips aren’t rare. </li></ul>

This internship programme offers B-school students INR 1.5L as reward

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5dc08c7e7eece50f200fec12-1200/environmentally sustainable transportation 2x1.png" border="0" alt="environmentally sustainable transportation 2x1" data-mce-source="Samantha Lee/Business Insider" />Samantha Lee/Business Insider</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>People are getting more and more unhappy about <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/plastics">plastics in the ocean</a>.</li><li>Packaging companies say online retailers are feeling the pressure to use paper-based packaging, such as cardboard, over plastics.</li><li>But eliminating plastic packaging in online shopping, like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/amazon">Amazon</a>'s plastic mailers, isn't the answer.</li><li>Research indicates that cardboard and paper packaging produce more carbon-dioxide emissions than plastic. It uses lots of wood too.</li><li>Instead, retailers should look at goods on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes plastic makes more sense, but sometimes paper is the way to go.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/driving-the-future">Read more stories from Business Insider's Driving the Future series</a>.</li></ul>Amazon's tendency to package a tiny product in a big cardboard box has long been a source of <a href="https://twitter.com/alexsavinme/status/945566813190008832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E945566813190008832&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.boston25news.com%2Fnews%2Fbusiness%2Fwhy-amazon-packages-tiny-items-in-huge-boxes%2F674181809">confusion</a>.And last year the <keyword id="6354851" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="retail">retail</keyword> giant's move from cardboard to bubble-wrap-lined plastic mailers invigorated a wave of fury from environmentally conscious customers.<a href="https://www.change.org/p/amazon-amazon-ditch-plastic-please-move-to-all-biodegradable-packaging">Thousands of customers signed a petition</a> pressuring the $1 billion company to go back to more easily recyclable cardboard."Previously our small orders arrived in easily recyclable cardboard packaging, but a few months ago Amazon started using plastic envelopes. I diligently recycle all the packaging but can't these," Adrian Fletcher, an Amazon customer based in Scotland, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/aug/20/amazon-under-fire-for-new-packaging-that-cant-be-recycled">told The Guardian in August</a>.Customers often think of paper versus plastic, but it's not so simple. There are a number of factors to designing a sustainable package, said <a href="https://greenblue.org/author/nina/">Nina Goodrich</a>, director of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and executive director of the sustainability nonprofit GreenBlue.The inks and adhesives have to be recyclable in the same stream as the rest of the package, Goodrich said. If it's plastic, the polymer should be responsibly sourced. Same for the paper used in cardboard. The packaging needs to be resilient enough to ensure that the item inside doesn't get destroyed - which would negate the entire environmental effects of making the product in the first place - but also light enough that it doesn't weigh down the vehicle that's moving the package.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5dbb3cf22f364a418a1a2307-2400/gettyimages-678879643.jpg" border="0" alt="corrugated cardboard" data-mce-source="Robert Kneschke / EyeEm" data-mce-caption="The humbled corrugated cardboard - which online retailers are ditching." />Robert Kneschke / EyeEmThe humble corrugated cardboard.</div></div></div>The outrage over plastics isn't limited to Amazon's packaging. Plastic waste has become a serious pain point for customers in the past year, particularly after shocking reports that humans <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plastic-in-oceans-414-million-pieces-trash-pacific-islands-2019-5">have dumped over 5 trillion pieces of plastic debris into the ocean</a>. About a quarter of that is single-use plastic, which has been connected to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wwf-sounds-alarm-after-48-lbs-of-plastic-found-in-dead-whale-2019-4">the deaths of several whales this year</a>.In fact, <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/06/19/1871135/0/en/Americans-Are-More-Concerned-About-Plastic-in-Oceans-Than-Climate-Change.html">65% of Americans surveyed in June</a> said that they were "very concerned or extremely concerned" about plastic waste in the ocean. Only 58% felt the same about climate change.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ca3749fc6cc50367421baed-2400/dead whale.jpg" border="0" alt="dead whale" data-mce-source="Danish Siddiqui/Reuters" data-mce-caption="People gather around the carcass of a dead whale as it is transported on a truck from a beach along the Arabian Sea in Mumbai, India, January 29, 2016." />Danish Siddiqui/ReutersThe carcass of a dead whale is transported onto a truck from a beach along the Arabian Sea, in Mumbai, India, January 29, 2016.</div></div></div>Steve Voorhees, the CEO of WestRock, a leading packaging company, said more and more of his clients have been asking for paper packaging solutions since early 2018."That's when pictures of plastic in the ocean really made the media," said Voorhees, whose company employs 45,000 globally. "The consumers were disgusted by that. Over the past 18 months, corporations have taken that to heart. And they are coming out with, I believe, aspirational and appropriate objectives to address the sustainability."Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plastic-pollution-microplastics-pervade-surface-deep-ocean-2019-6">More plastic pollution is swirling in the deep ocean than in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It's even showing up in the intestines of sea creatures.</a><blockquote class="pullquote float_right">"Reducing contamination in our recycling is huge. Part of that is getting consumers to take the plastic bags back to the grocery store, as opposed to just throwing them in their bins."</blockquote>A survey from WestRock indicates that consumers prefer paper packaging 38% of the time, corrugated cardboard 33%, and plastic just 9%.Still, despite the customer frenzy <a href="https://oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/plastics-in-the-ocean/">over plastics in the ocean</a>, there are some serious environmental upsides to plastic mailers. And the humble cardboard box, which plastics-abhorring consumers are pushing over plastic, is imperfect too."Why are we creating sustainable packaging? It's really to mitigate climate change," Goodrich said. "And sometimes we forget that in our fight to look at plastic versus paper or to get out of plastics because they're in the ocean."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5dc39e283afd37046e75f752-1024/gettyimages-999384964.jpg" border="0" alt="amazon prime" data-mce-source="Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images" />Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images</div></div></div><h2>The problem with plastic mailers</h2>The plastic mailers certainly have their flaws. The leading one that experts highlighted to Business Insider is they can't be placed in most curbside recycling bins.Instead, customers who wish to recycle them <a href="https://www.plasticfilmrecycling.org/recycling-bags-and-wraps/find-drop-off-location/">must look up</a> where they can drop off the plastic mailers, classified as "plastic film." Retailers like Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/amsc">provide links to recycling information websites</a> on its packaging to help customers make informed decisions."While it is helpful to provide this information, does Amazon actually expect customers to reference this website and follow the steps (sometimes multiple in the case of its Prime Now insulated pouch) to attempt to recycle its packaging?" David Pinsky, a senior plastics campaigner at Greenpeace, <a href="https://mashable.com/article/how-to-recycle-amazon-packaging/">told Mashable in October.</a>Many customers, unaware, put their plastic film materials in curbside recycling bins. That hikes the cost for municipalities to recycle and, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/02/11/why-amazons-new-streamlined-packaging-is-jamming-up-recycling-centers/">according to a Washington Post article in February</a>, sometimes prevents large bundles of otherwise kosher recyclables from being processed."Reducing contamination in our recycling is huge," Goodrich said. "Part of that is getting consumers to take the plastic bags back to the grocery store, as opposed to just throwing them in their bins."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5dbb4378e0ee7e4c33100a9b-797/screen shot 2019-10-31 at 42358 pm.png" border="0" alt="plastics use v recycling" data-mce-source="Environmental Protection Agency" data-mce-caption="Americans are using more and more plastics. They're not recycling them, though." data-link="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-07/documents/smm_2015_tables_and_figures_07252018_fnl_508_0.pdf" /><a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-07/documents/smm_2015_tables_and_figures_07252018_fnl_508_0.pdf">Environmental Protection Agency</a>Americans are using more and more plastics. They're not recycling them, though.</div></div></div>Further, some Amazon packaging is paper and plastic, which can't be recycled together. An Amazon spokesperson told Business Insider that the company was looking to eliminate that type of mixed packaging and switching "to material that is fully compatible in either paper or plastic recycling streams."Thanks to these barriers, <a href="https://blog.aboutamazon.com/sustainability/investing-in-recycling-solutions-to-protect-the-planet">which could be addressed by more investment from municipal governments to offer curbside plastic-film-recycling options</a>, plastic packaging is far less likely to end up getting recycled than traditional cardboard.Consumers recycle just 14.6% of plastics used in containers, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-07/documents/smm_2015_tables_and_figures_07252018_fnl_508_0.pdf">according to a 2018 study from the Environmental Protection Agency</a>. Americans recycle 78.2% of paper products, including corrugated cardboard.<h2>The cost-effective alternative is cardboard, but that's not perfect either</h2>The switch from cardboard to plastic is largely a cost-cutting measure. Retailers can fit more packages into vans, trucks, and planes if they're slender envelopes instead of boxes. And Amazon, for instance, saw its global shipping costs <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-shipping-costs-soar-over-9-billion-one-day-delivery-2019-10">jump by 46% year over year</a> in the third quarter of 2019 - rounding out to a whopping $9.6 billion.But that economic move has some environmental perks. As plastic is lighter than paper, it means the vehicles that move those packages use less gas. The standard corrugated box is 0.7 pounds, compared to .05 pounds for a bubble mailer, <a href="https://www.pac.com/2014/07/paper-vs-plastic-direct-comparison/">according to PAC Worldwide</a>.Some even say the invention of plastic bubble wrap in 1957, which replaced ultraheavy packaging methods like bulks of paper or even rubberized horse hair, helped usher in the era of airfreight from companies like UPS, FedEx, and other small air-cargo companies."Before the invention of bubble wrap, you really didn't have an airfreight dynamic because the packaging was so heavy, so dense that you couldn't cost-effectively move small parcels," Ken Chrisman, a senior vice president of global commercial operations at packaging company Sealed Air Corp., told Business Insider. Sealed Air holds the patent to bubble wrap.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5dc03e442f364a48f00d9378-813/gettyimages-1150744194.jpg" border="0" alt="welsh recycling facility" data-mce-source="Matthew Horwood/Getty Images" data-mce-caption="A Welsh recycling facility." />Matthew Horwood/Getty ImagesA Welsh recycling facility.</div></div></div>"Strictly from a logistics standpoint, reducing the amount of fuel required, because the packaging is lighter, is a societal benefit," Chrisman added.Moreover, from an emissions perspective, producing corrugated cardboard can be more harmful than making a plastic mailer of the same size. Producing 10,000 bubble-lined mailers <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/13/amazon-prime-ships-cardboard-boxes-from-westrock-international-paper.html">produces 3,132 pounds of carbon dioxide</a>. Meanwhile, 10,000 corrugated boxes generate 17,718 pounds of carbon dioxide.There's more research on the difference on plastic versus paper grocery bags, a split that's raged on for many more years than the e-commerce packaging debate. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47027792">One 2011 study says</a> that one paper bag requires four times as much energy as a plastic bag.More than 6,000 pounds of wood is needed to produce 2,000 pounds of cardboard, <a href="https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/cc/protocols/localgov/pubs/recycling_method.pdf">according to the California Environmental Protection Agency</a>.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5dc043d62f364a52914ec107-2400/rtx13pxd.jpg" border="0" alt="Ocean Plastic" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Carlos Jasso" data-mce-caption="Discarded toys are seen amongst trash, on a beach near the high-income Costa del Este neighbourhood in Panama City September 10, 2013." />REUTERS/Carlos JassoPeople are getting more and more unhappy about plastics in the ocean. But eliminating plastic packaging in online shopping isn't the answer.</div></div></div>Because of that increasing public awareness over the issues related to plastic, WestRock's Voorhees said he's expecting more and more consumers to pressure retailers to ditch plastic for paper. Still, he doesn't expect plastic to no longer be a competitor."Paper is very well positioned to increase its relative usage versus all materials used for packaging because of the sustainability characteristics that we regenerate and we recycle," he told Business Insider.The key, experts say, is a customized approach. Moving several goods in one corrugated box makes more sense than packaging an individual order in that one box. But as consumers begin to order more and more items individually, plastic envelopes to move each order can often be more eco-friendly."It's not get out of plastic at any cost because if ultimately the target is climate change, you don't want to be making tradeoffs that significantly increases your carbon footprint," Goodrich said. "It's back to recognizing that this is about a balance and it's about fit for purpose."<h2><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/driving-the-future">Read more stories from Business Insider's Driving the Future series here.</a></h2><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/40-big-tech-predictions-for-2019?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_leadgen&amp;itm_content=amazon&amp;itm_campaign=40-big-tech-predictions-for-2019-3"><img src="https://static.businessinsider.com/image/5d5ecdddad2b472c89086704" alt="Exclusive FREE Slide Deck: 40 Big Tech Predictions for 2019 by Business Insider Intelligence" border="0" style="width: 100% !important" /></a> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-prime-members-spend-more-money-sneaky-ways-2019-9">From free two-day shipping to special Prime member-only deals, here's how Amazon gets you to spend more</a></h3> <div> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/qBds7Wsf-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script> </div> </div>

Viral videos have terrified people into opposing Amazon's plastic packaging. Here's why they're wrong.

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/55581458.cms" /> 
The other day Coldplay’s concert at Mumbai was wrapped up; there were tonnes of leftover plastic bags and bottles at the venue till the next day. After the media reported on the garbage dumped from the evening before, the cleaning process was begun by a handful of volunteers. Interestingly the audiences who attended the fest had pledged to support sanitation, hygiene and malnutrition for which the Global Citizen, the organizers stand for. 
 
Now this is the story of some citizens of India, some of whom won free passes to the musical concert after taking a pledge on sustainable development goals. Now you start worrying about the tourists who never made such pledges and biking on the highest motor able road in the world in Ladakh. For many tourists, who are visiting Leh and Ladakh are littering the place like hell. The pristine water of the lake as shown on the movie 3 idiots is now polluted. 
 
Remember Kareena Kapoor in 3 Idiots? Dressed in bridal saree, Kareena was riding a retro scooter and met Aamir Khan, her estranged lover. This was the climax scene of 2009 blockbuster movie by Raju Hirani. And then it all changed. Having given enough travel goals, tourists started crowding Ladakh like never before. 
 
Before the movie was shot, only 400,000 Indian tourists had visited Ladakh, home to 200,000 people in Jammu and Kashmir. However in 2011, after the movie became a major hit, the number of tourists jumped to 16,00,000, according to <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/arielbardi/what-has-3-idiots-done-to-ladakh?utm_term=.dnn6eE9J9#.tb1bB6YGY">Buzzfeed</a>. 
 
Pangong Lake, where major part of the movie has been shot has gained popularity like never before. But thanks to the crowd of tourists visiting Ladakh, the lake which is connected by several other lakes have plastic bottles, chips packets and other garbage dumped in it. While many volunteers did try to clean it, people clicking selfie and getting drunk on the bank kept littering. And this happens every day. 
 
It’s true that several locals have got a job, thanks to the movie. Anywhere you go, there is one 3 Idiots Cafe or Rancho’s cafe and those are running quite well and supporting the local population. What’s alarming is the callousness of the people. Ladakh is home to some unique floras and faunas. Nature conservationists warn, some rare floras couldn’t be traced since 2 years. If the situation persists, they might need to bring some strict rules in the land like Lakshadweep, where permits are required to visit. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/55581464.cms" /> 
 
Moreover, scarcity of water in Ladakh has always been an alarming issue. And now with tourists crowding the place, there is not much alternative water source that has been traced apart from some recycling plants. 
 
Tourists like any other place need to realize the fact, as enjoyment is important for them, so is the survival of the people living locally.

Ladakh’s ecology has been ruined, thanks to Aamir Khan’s ‘3
Idiots’

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/537df2f8eab8ea3e62adca65-852/screen shot 2014-05-22 at 85106 am.png" border="0" alt="Coca-Cola girl drinking from crazy straw glasses" data-mce-source="YouTube/Coca-Cola" />YouTube/Coca-ColaStraw bans alone won't solve anything. But maybe they're a start.</div></div></div><ul><li>Earlier this month, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ap-seattles-ban-on-plastic-straws-and-utensil-now-in-effect-2018-7">Seattle</a> became the first major US city to ban single-use plastic straws and utensils.</li><li>Corporate plastic bans are also quickly gaining momentum: companies like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-replaces-straws-with-sippy-cup-lid-2018-7">Starbucks,</a> Aramark and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ap-american-airlines-says-its-getting-rid-of-plastic-straws-2018-7">American Airlines</a> are vowing to stop offering plastic straws.</li><li>Plastic straw bans alone won't change much. Less than 9% of all of the plastic we use every day gets recycled. Instead, most ends up in landfills or floating out in the ocean.</li><li>That problem won't be fixed by forgoing a straw, but environmentalists say letting go of a single piece of plastic could be a first step in a much-needed larger behavior change.</li></ul><hr /> Plastic straws are quickly becoming a takeout taboo. Starbucks has vowed to get its iconic green sippers completely off store shelves by 2020, while Seattle banned all plastic utensils, including straws, from bars and businesses city-wide earlier this month, in a first-of-its kind rule. <a href="http://www.sfweekly.com/news/s-f-stirs-up-plastic-straw-ban/">San Francisco is</a> expected to be next.But the truth is that straws are just the tip of the trash heap when it comes to plastic waste.In 2015, plastic consumption worldwide totaled <a href="https://blog.euromonitor.com/2018/04/ethical-living-megatrend-briefing-plastic-lose-re-use.html">300 million metric</a> tonnes. That essentially means that for each one of the world's 7.6 billion humans, we're making 25.3 tonnes of plastic a year. The packaging industry is still growing, according to Euromonitor, with <a href="https://blog.euromonitor.com/2017/07/packaging-market-2017.html">flexible plastics</a> leading the pack. It may seem as though the quarter-of-an-inch diameter drinking straw is the least of our worries. But environmentalists say the fight's got to start somewhere. "We look at straws as one of the gateway issues to help people start thinking about the global plastic pollution problem," <a href="http://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/">Plastic Pollution Coalition</a> CEO Dianna Cohen told Business Insider. "They've been designed to be used for a very short amount of time, and then be tossed away." Simply put: we have a plastic problem. And it doesn't end with straws. Cohen is one of many in the environmental crowd that are on a crusade to get people using less plastic, immediately. So if people can't ditch all of their plastic habits, then maybe it's time to start smaller, and forget the straws, right now.People in the US now <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-avoid-gaining-weight-2018-5">spend more money eating out than eating in</a> - often with food coming in plastic or throw-away containers.It's not just food. Most plastic turns to trash after a single use. If you think you're doing Mother Earth a solid by slinging your used plastics into the recycling, think again. More than <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5517107/">79% of all plastic waste ends up in landfills, or gets stuck in the natural world</a>, regardless of which sorting bin you put it in. Another 12% gets burned up in incinerators, adding to particulate matter to the atmosphere. Only a remaining 9% is actually recycled, according to a 2017 report published in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5517107/">Science Advances</a>. "It's wonderful if Starbucks is going to phase out straws, that's a great start," Cohen said. But she says it's clear that the effort can't end there: "Look at how much other single use plastic is at Starbucks. It's a joke." Other companies aren't just cutting back on straws. On Tuesday, food service giant Aramark, a company that operates in schools, prisons, hospitals, and businesses in 19 countries around the world, <a href="https://www.aramark.com/about-us/news/aramark-general/single-use-plastics-announcement-2018">vowed to reduce its straw use 60% by 2020</a>, while still making some straws available to people with disabilities who need an assist getting liquids from cup to mouth. The company also says it'll cut back on plastic cutlery, plastic bags, and "various packaging materials." <h2>The plastic problem</h2>Every piece of plastic that's produced in the world <a href="https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/How-Plastics-Are-Made/">started out as the product</a> of a piece of coal, a slick of oil, or natural gas. There were naturally-derived polymers around long before that, including materials like animal horn and rubber, but the kind of plastic that we package things in today didn't show up until 1907, with the invention of the <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/bakelite.html">first synthetic plastic</a> made from fossil fuels: Bakelite.Because of the way these new, manufactured polymers are heated up and cured, many plastics can't ever truly be recycled. That robust quality once made them a wonderfully remarkable, nearly unbreakable replacement for older, more fragile products like porcelain or glass. But it also means that "plastic might sit in a landfill, or litter a street, for thousands of years without decomposing," <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-27442625">as the BBC</a> put it. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b56a17c1dcdd525008b462b-1405/toc-trawl-plastic-sampling-4.jpg" border="0" alt="the ocean cleanup plastic great pacific garbage patch" data-mce-source="The Ocean Cleanup" />The Ocean Cleanup</div></div></div>The plastics that our straws are made from (usually one like <a href="https://www.amazon.com/GEN-STRAWWFLX-Wrapped-Straws-Polypropylene/dp/B01BHXS8IE/ref=sr_1_10_s_it?s=hpc&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1532378858&amp;sr=1-10&amp;refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_four_browse-bin%3A6146461011">polypropelyne</a>) might be recyclable, at least in theory, but most aren't. They're dumped into landfills or hauled off on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/recycling-system-is-breaking-down-2018-5">big boats over to China</a> - a plastic trade that's in decline.Some straws drift out to sea, becoming just one more piece of the 79 thousand-ton colossal floating iceberg of trash called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Scientists who've studied the patch, a trash heap wider than <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/great-pacific-garbage-patch-view-study-plastic-2018-3">two whole Texases</a> that bobs somewhere between Hawaii and California, have discovered it's essentially a watery pit of litter and illegal dumps that's trapped in the ocean currents, and it is basically all plastic. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-22939-w">A 2018 report</a> based on aerial and water surveys of the patch found that "more than 99.9%" of it is plastic, and it's not just straws in there. Plastic objects identified in the patch included containers, bottles, lids, bottle caps, packaging straps, ropes, and fishing nets. <h2>So why pick on straws?</h2>The anti-straw movement may have first picked up steam because of a viral video that started going around in 2015. Texas A&amp;M graduate student Christine Figgener happened to be out tagging some sea turtles as part of her research in Costa Rica, when she noticed something encrusted in the nose of one of the male turtles.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b569de0d30cd42d008b4629-2400/shutterstock196806134 1.jpg" border="0" alt="Turtle" data-mce-source="nicolas.voisin44/Shutterstock" />nicolas.voisin44/ShutterstockSea creatures are often at the mercy of our plastic trash.</div></div></div>"We thought it might be another parasite, or something living on or in him," Figgener <a href="https://today.tamu.edu/2015/11/18/the-turtle-with-a-straw-in-its-nose-the-story-behind-the-viral-video/">said in a video</a>. The team soon figured out it was actually a "plastic straw stuck in his nose," and removed it, hoping the extraction might help give him some more breathing time on Earth. "In a way, that turtle became a poster child," Cohen, who in addition to heading up the PPC also creates <a href="https://news.psu.edu/story/504767/2018/02/12/sustainability/artist-dianna-cohen-present-lecture-feb-15-palmer-museum">plastic art</a> to raise awareness about the problem, said. "Well, a poster turtle."But there's debate as to whether ditching straws will really lead to more measurable actions. It's possible that people will feel content that they've done their part for Mother Earth, simply by forgoing a single straw, without changing other behaviors. Researchers who've studied these questions have come up with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378014001599">mixed results</a>. Sometimes, doing one good thing for the environment can kickstart people into other Earth-friendly behaviors, but other studies suggest that people might give themselves a pass on changing other behaviors once they've done one good deed - what's called a "single action bias."<h2>It's time to ditch all kinds of plastic</h2>What it really comes down to is living with less plastic, and changing old behaviors. Other countries are aggressively regulating plastics already. Morocco, once a land laden with fields full of drifting plastic bags, <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/green-morocco-bans-plastic-bags-160701141919913.html">banned the production, sale, and import of plastic bags completely in 2016</a>. Rwanda <a href="https://plasticoceans.org/rwanda-plastic-bag-ban/">was one of the first places in the world to ban plastic bags</a>, in 2008, and in the US, both <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-will-be-the-first-state-to-ban-plastic-bags-2014-9">California</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hawaii-plastic-bag-ban-2015-7">Hawaii</a> followed suit, while other states (like Michigan) <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/12/30/yes-this-is-real-michigan-just-banned-banning-plastic-bags/?utm_term=.15830d70a877">rose up against</a> the idea of ever weaning themselves off plastics and banned bans. <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/india-vows-to-ban-all-single-use-plastics-by-2022-world-environment-day-un-environment/">India says</a> all single-use plastic will be banned there by 2022. In England, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/queen-bans-plastic-straws-after-david-attenborough-documentary-2018-2">Queen Elizabeth now insists</a> that no plastic straws or bottles appear on the royal estates. But there is historical evidence that Americans can change their ways, improving the environment while growing the economy. In the 1960s, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-america-before-epa-documerica-2017-10">unregulated pollution was causing all kinds of problems to crop up across the US,</a> from rivers bursting into flames, to offshore oil spills and asthma-inducing car exhaust. We haven't gotten rid of any of these things completely, but after the US started the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970, we began regulating their use, and the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview/progress-cleaning-air-and-improving-peoples-health">economy grew</a> as the health of the entire country improved. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b56a86840b0902f008b45e6-1858/745511776434e1715e01k.jpg" border="0" alt="Documerica epa" data-mce-source="Dick Swanson/Documerica" data-mce-caption="Walt Whitman Bridge Crosses The Delaware River At South Philadelphia, Leads To New Jersey Suburbs, August 1973." />Dick Swanson/DocumericaThe Walt Whitman bridge, which connects Philadelphia and New Jersey, was a smoggy sight in August 1973.</div></div></div>The EPA has also <a href="https://www.epa.gov/recycle">helped promote</a> the simple "reduce, reuse, recycle" mantra. Cohen hopes people can add one more word into the mix in 2018: "refuse." As in, refusing plastic containers wherever they're offered, whether it be at a coffee shop, an ice cream stand, or the grocery store. Behavioral scientists know this kind of habit change is hard, but as social psychologist <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-quit-drinking-stop-bad-habits-psychologist-simple-trick-2018-1">John Bargh previously told Business Insider</a>, "the more you practice doing something, the less effort it takes."Make reuse a habit, and it becomes a lot easier for your brain to handle. Start carrying around your own containers, Cohen said."It's going to sound like something exciting and new," Cohen said. "Really, it's what our parents and our great grandparents did."Cohen admits she loves straws, and now has a whole collection of alternative straws at home: paper, bendable steel, rye wheat, and glass."Plastics seem inexpensive because all of the cost to the environment and ocean and animals have been externalized," she said. "The thing about single-use plastic is it's actually really inconvenient for our health, for the health of the ocean, for the health of wildlife in the ocean, and on land." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/this-reusable-straw-collapses-to-fit-on-your-keyring-finalstraw-plastic-pollution2018-5">This reusable straw collapses to fit on your keyring and 'will last a lifetime'</a></h3> <div> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/bPIRNHaj-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script> </div> </div>

The real reason why so many cities and businesses are banning plastic straws

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47385657.cms" /> The cleanliness of the famous high speed <keyword id="1932907" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shinkansen">Shinkansen</keyword> trains in <keyword id="6355311" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Japan">Japan</keyword> requires a new expression to define it. Adjectives like meticulous and spick and span falls short for it. But the people behind the clean cars of these trains teach the world more than just to clean a train efficiently. They take pride in their work and hold a spirit of hospitality, bowing before the passengers and thanking them for bringing garbage from the train and helping them in their work. 
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rFXi1cM9vO0" width="420"></iframe>

	 With one year of completion of ‘<keyword id="6361202" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Swachh-Bharat">Swachh Bharat</keyword> Mission’ or ‘Clean India’, people only share mixed feelings about its success after seeing the video “7 minute miracle”, which lifts the curtain off the cleaning theatre. <keyword id="154851" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Bindeshwar-Pathak">Bindeshwar Pathak</keyword>, founder of the sanitation movement Sulabh International, thinks we are going in the right direction. 
	 

	“I think like Japan, we can also do this. But more participation is required. We have come a long way from being an importer of food to becoming an exporter of food. Like green revolution, clean revolution will also become a success,” he added. 
	 

	Pathak thinks that lack of motivation among the citizens is pulling this Mission behind. The passengers of the Shinkansen trains also show that values are equally important. They often dispose of left-over food, beverages and papers in the bin bags held by the cleaning staff at the door on arrival of the train at the station. 
	 

	Awareness at a larger scale and change in the mindset of the people are the keys to its success. 
	 

	“Why should we depend on the government to build toilets in our own houses? It should not be a movement of the government alone,” he said. 
	 

	P. Velusami, principal of WASHi (WAter, Sanitation and Hygiene Institute), said the values of cleanliness should be inculcated in the minds of the people since childhood. 
	 

	He too is optimistic about the success of the movement but is apprehensive about the ‘2019 target’ of the Mission. 
	 

	“2019 is an ambitious target. We can try but I think a complete clean Bharat can be achieved by 2025. It is a long way to go. Current investment of the government and the citizens in the mission is clearly not enough,” he said. 
	 

	More than 300 high speed Shinkansen trains, each having 100 seats, are in service in a single day. Not a single seat in a single train is missed out to be cleaned in those seven minutes they get to do their job. But five years seem to be too less a time for a Swachh Bharat. 
	 
	(image credits: inbministry.blogspot.in)

7 minutes to clean a train in Japan! Anyone on team Swachh Bharat up for it?

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/46440815.cms" /> There is variation, colour, and uniqueness in <keyword id="6355784" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="death">death</keyword> that indoor pollution brings with it. Things that you have fallen in love with and think you cannot live without can sometimes enter your <keyword id="6360041" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="life">life</keyword> to take it… and this isn’t a hyperbole. Look at perfumes, hair sprays, furniture polish, glues, air fresheners, moth repellents, wood preservatives synthetic materials for building and furnishing and you’ll know what I am talking about. Then there is use of chemical products, pesticides, and household care products that help you transform your home into a swachch home but certainly not a safe home. These are all modern day symbols of the immortal art of Da Vinci as our print and AV ads would want us to believe, but they inch us closer to death in more than one way. 
 You taste, touch, or inhale and you’ll know what I mean when I call them the <keyword id="2750177" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Da-Vinci-of-death">Da Vinci of death</keyword>. Even the smoke from biofuels emits the four dreaded pollutants like the particulates, carbon monoxide, polycyclic organic matter, and formaldehyde… and these aren’t innocent spirals of smoke lending that unique flavour to chapatis and dal. With architects now recommending relatively airtight houses even in India (as we have begun to afford air conditioners and radiators etc) the pollutant level is bound to increase because of the resultant reduction in ventilation. 
 
As I sat mulling over these grim facts, my thoughts decided to play a little game on me and asked, ‘Any favourite pollutions that you think should be flogged?’ 
 
Without wasting a moment, I said, ‘Noise pollution. Political pollution. Indoor pollution.’ 
 
‘Aha!’ said my thoughts, ‘so you don’t think outdoor pollution is as bad as the three you’ve mentioned.’ 
 
‘I didn’t say that, did I?’ I said, ‘but I must admit that indoor pollution can induce infections, initiate lung cancer, and even pulmonary diseases like asthma.’ My thoughts then asked me to choose five Bollywood icons and guess how they would react to this simple question: ‘Do you fear indoor pollution?’ 
 
So, there I was sitting on an inexpensive chair in my sparsely decorated home and zipping over to people like Alia Bhatt, Amjad Khan or Gabbar, Sunny Leone, SRK, and Amitabh Bachchan to hear the famous actors say something in their own way. 
 
Well, Alia Bhatt asked me to repeat the question and then clapped her hands and said, ‘I don’t fear anything but do send me an invite for the event.’ 
 
‘Event?’ I asked, confused. 
 
‘Well yes, you did mention pollution and indoor… remember?’ said Alia, cocking her head, smiling, and adding, ‘I think you’re talking about an indoor event and if it is like that AIB Roast, it is going to be fun. Such events must be purified by smiles.’ Well, so that was a rather short interview with Alia and she wasn’t really wrong… we need to begin with a confident smile before we take any action against indoor pollution. Right? 
 
Gabbar was in his elements when I met and simply walked up and down the room before asking, ‘Kitne pollution hain?’ 
 
I said, ‘Sardar, ek… sirf indoor pollution hai.’ 
 
‘Toh fir darr kaisa?’ Gabbar roared, ‘mera naam le lo aur phir sau saal tak pollushun kuch nahin karega!’ 
 
I’m sure what Gabbar was really trying to tell me was that no pollutant ever exists without another killer instinct being born. Just search for this solution and indoor pollution will be easy to counter. 
 
I found myself with Sunny Leone and she just fluttered her eye-lids and coo-ed, ‘Well, lots of women call me an indoor pollution, and I know I’m deadly. Fear means nothing if you have your own action plan.’ 
 
That’s it… I murmured and thanked her because she had clearly told me that only a well-defined and technologically sound action plan would help. 
 
So, I then hopped over to SRK who just ‘humph-ed and hurr-ed! me aside and then taking off his shirt to show me some flabby abs, said, ‘I don’t fear no one. Indoor or outdoor. Poll or no poll. I shun them all. I have to rush to make another flop… bye!’ Well, I interpret this scurried answer as a warning that indoor pollution isn’t something that must be allowed to stay on and cause all those headaches, dry eyes, nasal congestion bouts, nausea, and fatigue… just act fast! Speed is of essence. Obviously then, indoor pollution must not be your guest for life… it could be devastating indeed! 
 
When I asked Sr Bachchan the same question, he replied, ‘Babu ji would have quoted these lines from one of his poems.’ And then he recited two lines before leaving me with my thoughts. 
 
ऐसा सुनता, उस पार, प्रिये, 
ये साधन भी छिन जाएँगे; 
तब मानव की चेतनता का 
आधार न जाने क्या होगा! 
इस पार, प्रिये मधु है तुम हो, 
उस पार न जाने क्या होगा! 
 
And Amitabh too had hit the nail in his own special way… and the lines did seem to talk so favourably about the unexpected losses on the other side, that is, if you crossed over to times of severe indoor pollution. The beauty of a great poem is that it interprets every situation the best way. 
 
So yes, indoor pollution is indeed something that even the Bollywood icons acknowledged in a different manner… and we ordinary mortals must not really overlook the hazards that it poses. 
 
We need to be aware of the issues surrounding indoor pollution… and even other forms of pollution, of course. I mention the indoor form because most of us tend to spend a lot of time indoors and so cannot afford to let it destroy our lives. And, by the way, did I mention that pollutants exist in micron sizes so you cannot actually pick them up and put them in a recycle bag. These micro-sized monsters need specialised busters… though you can reduce your exposure to pollutants if you know what to do in certain cases. 
 
It will be helpful to know that broken CFLs releases mercury, a neurotoxin in the air… so the best action is to simply open the windows and let fresh air come and clear the environment. 
 
Your gadgets have plastic parts… and plastics made with polyvinyl chloride emit phthalates that may lead to hormonal abnormalities and reproductive problems. Plastics also release polybrominated diphenyl ethers, which are flame-retardant chemicals known to cause neurobehavioral changes. So what does one do? Simple. Encourage adequate ventilation until the chemical odour goes away. Be regular in vacuuming around computers, printers, and televisions. 
 
Even glues and adhesives aren’t as virtuous as they seem with their relationship with acetone or methyl ethyl ketone that irritates eyes and affects the nervous system. Rubber cement has n-hexane, a neurotoxin and adhesives are known to have toxic formaldehyde. The secret of escaping these hazards is to encourage a fair degree of ventilation in the house. 
 
Kitchen with their platoon of stoves, heaters, and fireplaces can have an abundance of carbon monoxide that can cause headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and even death in the absence of proper ventilation. Nitrogen dioxides and other particulates, doctors say, can cause respiratory disorders and inflammation of the eyes, nose, and throat. 
 
Isn’t all this serious enough? Isn’t it time to realise that pollution is much more than just exhaust fumes on busy traffic congested roads. It is right there inside a home that you have been thinking of as a safe haven all this while. Pollution isn’t just in the Ganges or existing only as garbage piles on the slopes of pristine mountains—it is right under your nose inside your house. Yes, pollution is surely transforming this world into a global garbage can, but if you do not allow your awareness instincts to act right, your home will be a stinking source of illness and disease even before any other form of pollution overwhelms existence. Therefore, it is time to sit up and say: indoor pollution is a reality and I want our think-tanks to serve us a solution. Prevent your home from becoming a Da Vinci of death!

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