Despite the quantity of waste generated in Coonoor town coming down substantially ever since the lockdown due to COVID-19, plastic waste generated during the same period has remained constant, mirroring pre-lockdown levels.
According to Clean Coonoor, an non-governmental organisation that handles the waste generated in the town, this shows that households account for most of the plastic waste generated.
The analysis of the waste generated within the town over the last five weeks has shown that the total waste generated has almost halved from 20,000 kg a week to a little over 10,000 kg.
Meanwhile, paper waste has reduced by 62 % and non-recyclable waste from 11,500 kg a week to 6,150 kg. However, the amount of plastic generated during the same period has remained almost constant, averaging between 2,600 kg to 3,000 kg each week.
The composition of the garbage that has been making its way to the waste management park in Coonoor is indicative that apart from plastic bags and bottles, which have been outlawed in the Nilgiris for the last year, the significant portion of the plastic waste is from food packaging.
Household level
P.J. Vasanthan, trustee of Clean Coonoor, said in a statement, “It is presumed that in the absence of the commercial component, most of the plastic is generated at the household level since the lockdown.”
“The analysis supports the view that the ban on single-use plastics has gone a long way in helping to reduce the generation of plastics in commercial establishments. Perhaps the next logical step would be to promote awareness among the public to try and avoid purchasing products that come wrapped in attractive, albeit unnecessary plastic packaging,” he added.