Mumbai: Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray Saturday called for a central law banning single-use disposable plastic, as had been done by the Maharashtra government. Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address on Independence Day, the young leader acknowledged that a 100 per cent plastic ban was not possible immediately, but could be achieved in five years.
“There is a need to change the mindset to ensure a 100 per cent plastic ban, and to change that, there should be awareness,” said Aaditya, son of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.
He said that the plastic ban imposed by the state government had started showing effects in terms of reduced quantity of waste generated.
The waste generation in Mumbai had been brought down from 10,000 metric tonnes daily to 7,000 metric tonnes. This had further reduced by 500 metric tonnes after the ban on plastic.
“It will take some time before India and the world bans the use of plastic. A complete ban on plastic will have a very positive impact on the environment. There is a need for a law by the Centre to ban plastic as soon as possible,” Aaditya said.
The PM on August 15 urged people to shun single-use plastic and encouraged the use of jute and cloth bags to protect the environment.
Congratulating him for having raised the issue, Aaditya said that 20 states had already banned the use of plastic and that this had led to employment generation for women. “Climate change is a big problem today. At times, there is unseasonal rainfall and the temperature of the world, too, is rising,” he said.
On March 23 last year, the state government had imposed a ban on the manufacture, use, sale, distribution and storage of plastic materials such as one-time-use bags, spoons, plates, PET and PETE bottles, and thermocol items.
