Picturing plastic problems

CHENNAI: The nation-wide ban on single-use plastics imposed last year has been a big step in educating people to switch over to eco-friendly alternatives, paving the way for sustainability and minimising non-biodegradable waste to an extent. For city-based architect Vishnu Priya, the ban was an inspiration to pen Plastic Kaalam — The Age of Plastics, in July 2019. In under a year, she’s written a second book on the same topic — Into My World of Non-Plastics.

The first book focussed on how plastic was accidentally discovered, how it came into mainstream use and its disastrous impact on the environment. “I wanted Plastic Kaalam to reach the hands of children. I touched upon nuances like micro and macro plastics, manufacture of plastics and the different kinds of pollution it contributed to. If we want to bring about a change, it’s easy to start with children. Adults are accustomed to a practice and tend to slip away the minute there’s a little leverage,” says Vishnu Priya, who has also been working on a documentary on domestic waste titled Meel, since 2016.

This recent book is an illustrated picture book for children. She has shortlisted 25 plastic products and given sustainable alternatives for each. “Children will easily be able to connect with the idea. Even when I give talks, I focus on women and children, who can be the change-makers if guided properly. I’m working on two more books of which one is on the lifecycle of a product — its making from scratch to its final stage when it reaches our shelves,” says the architect.

Apart from children, architects are also Vishnu Priya’s target audience. Her areas of interest have always been domestic waste management, urban planning, and sanitation — all of which are related to city planning and have architects as stakeholders. “Plastic will always be a relevant topic. There are two kinds of people — those who understand the ban and adapt consistently, and others who blindly follow the rules and tend to bounce back after a while. Most of us are environmentally illiterate. That’s the reason we haven’t been able to come up with a holistic solution. Self-change is crucial and I hope this book will make you think,” she says. The book will be launched after the lockdown.