Impact of single-use plastic on local communities in India

Abstract

Single-use plastics are the kind of plastics that are utilised once prior to being disposed of or recycled. Plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles, and the majority of food packaging are examples of such materials. This plastic is then often disposed of in rivers and larger water bodies. Plastic pollution will have a disastrous impact on marine ecosystems and wildlife for many generations to follow. One of the coastal local communities that largely relies on the sea and the coast is the fishing community. Single-use plastic has extremely detrimental effects on the environment, including harm to marine life, a reduction in the quality of seawater, a decline in the livelihood of fishermen, and unfriendly consequences for their possibilities of survival. Henceforth, the need of the hour is to address the issue of the impact of single-use plastic on the local communities. Likewise, the paper intends to break down the issue exhaustively and set forth suggestions to handle the issue at hand.' This paper intends to investigate the manufacture, use, and disposal of single-use plastics, as well as the stakeholders involved in this industry. Further, the paper likewise expects to analyse how these concerns are tackled in different countries, especially those with socioeconomic and geographic similarities to India. Lastly, this research paper suggests certain actionable recommendations that are deemed necessary to help resolve the plastic problem in India.