Harshada Rege (DNA; March 26, 2018)

Dia Mirza, who is United Nations Environment Goodwill Ambassador for India, has been championing the cause of raising awareness about the need to conserve nature and be environmentally conscious. The actress feels that the Maharashtra government’s plan to levy a ban on plastic bags, water bottles, and disposable single-use plastic items is a step in the right direction to reverse the harm that humans have caused to the ecosystem. The ban has kick-started with the issuance of the Maharashtra Plastic and Thermocol Products (Manufacture, Usage, Sale, Transport, Handling and Storage) Notification, 2018. She tells After Hrs why such a move is the need of the hour. 

'IT WILL HELP SIGNIFICANTLY'
Firstly, it’s a welcome move by the state government. Every one of us who has been mobilising awareness about it for the last few years is deeply grateful. Interestingly, in 2016, a ban on plastic had been announced, but unfortunately, it wasn’t implemented successfully on the ground. This time, when the ban on single-use plastic was being drafted, I think the government has made a sincere effort to analyse the situation, assess what were the factors for failure in the past, and develop a framework within the policy that may significantly help implement the plan.

'A VERY SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION'
One of the biggest contributors to ocean pollution is milk packets. While the policy was being drafted this time, the authorities were aware that there’s a certain diaspora and economic strata that consumes milk packaged in these plastic packets. And, it will be non-viable for the ban to extend to milk packets. The ban may be successful because they’ve taken note of this fact and haven’t banned these packets. Instead, they’ve worked out a policy that asks for buyback. So, people will get a certain amount of money to deposit the milk packets back. I think it’s a very sustainable solution in terms of managing the plastic waste. The manufacturers then become more responsible for the waste that they generate through the packaging of their item of consumption.

'BE RESPONSIBLE'
When we speak of plastic bags, straws, and cutlery, these are three items that we, as citizens, can absolutely get rid of. There are enough alternatives available. They may not be as convenient, but if one considers the impact of plastic on the environment and our health, it should compel us to make wiser and responsible choices. I personally, and successfully, implemented this change in my life around one-and-a-half to two years ago. Every single one of us, especially homemakers, has to realize the fact that plastic is also a serious cause of illness. 

'NO PLASTIC BAGS FOR ME'
You have to keep reminding the people who work with you why it’s important to follow such practices. Whether it’s the people who supply FMCG goods to my home or the kirana shop or the medical store, they know that they can’t deliver the products in a plastic bag or else they will go back to them... (laughs). They use jute or cloth bags. It will be possible to implement this kind of a ban only if there’s a collective will on the part of citizens — those who own restaurants, run establishments, enterprises, and the service industries. Of course, the BMC will also have to heighten their vigilance and be more proactive in reminding vendors to follow the law. If we manage this, we’ll have achieved a significant and much-needed change. But our long-term goal should be to keep the pressure on FMCG companies to make them accountable for the waste that they generate. It takes a combination of personal will along with a systemic change in the policy, and a strong collaboration between government and industries to ensure that even they adopt more responsible practices for packaging and management of waste.

DIA'S PASSION FOR ENVIRONMENT
The kind of schooling which I had, ensured that we were deeply aware of the reality of climate change. My school was very proactive in initiating conversations in schools and helping us understand our responsibilities as individuals. We were asked to realise that plastic was not biodegradable and make responsible choices. None of us carried pencil boxes or school bags made of synthetic plastic. My father was also well-aligned with environmental realities and I saw that reflect in his choices.

As years went by, my involvement increased in the areas of conservation and animal protection. When I travelled through the interiors of India, the problem with plastic waste became starkly visible to me. I saw it in places where electricity had not reached, on roads, in rivers, and on the mountainside. I realised there is no management system to deal with that waste. I saw people burn the plastic to get rid of it. You realise the amount of waste that all the states must be generating, and it has nowhere to go. It’s just mingling in the air if it’s burnt, or going into our rivers or the sea. It really heightened my urgency to focus on the need for action for waste management, particularly plastic.