Cities across India, which have a population of 1.3 billion people, are struggling to deal with plastic waste. Plastic makes up about 8% of the total solid waste in India.
About half of the plastics in India are used for packaging and much of it is for single-use plastics such as cutlery, bags, and straws.
Many states in India have banned plastic bags, and a few corporations, like Amazon India, have agreed to help by agreeing to eventually ditch the single-use plastic.
Lachun, a small Himalayan village, in the northeastern state of Sikkim has actually banned single-use plastic and has focused on eco-friendly alternatives.
The people of the Valley of Flowers noticed over a period of three years that there were a lot of plastics which was being bought by tourists who would litter in the rivers and streams. So people of the village along with the village elders decided to create a law banning single-use plastics.
Not only did they ban plastic but they also highlighted better alternatives, such as bottles made from bamboo, shopping baskets made from bamboo, or items used like they were in the Stone Age — old school mortar and pestles.
When they do confiscate plastic bottles, they don’t throw them away, but instead reuse them. The village imposes a fine on people who insist on bringing in plastic bottles or other types of single-use plastics.
Lachun has taken a holistic approach and has set an example for cities across the world on how to help create a better way of eliminating single-use plastic around the world.
Reference- BBC website, Google Maps, Clean Technica