1. PLASTICS - Boon or Bane? By Pratima PandeyObjective T o create awareness about Global Warming and (Ab)use of Plastics

2. Plastics - Why so popular?Water-proofHigh tensile strength ascompared to paperLight weightMultipurposeUsually comes free withWhy So Popular? purchased goods2/11/2011 Each one can make a difference!2 3. Familiar Sight..?500 billion plastic bags distributed annually worldwide , andless than 3% of those bags recycled.They are typically made of polyethylene and can take up to1,000 years to biodegrade in landfills that emit harmfulgreenhouse gases. (Time, 2007)2/11/2011 Each one can make a difference! 3 4. How Plastics are Harmful? Clogging of the drainages, a Animals consume plasticscivic menace disposed in landfills and Disposed Plastics result inwaterlittering; an eye-sore 1 million sea creatures killed every year (So:www.green.ndtv.com) No natural Danger to process of animal lifedegradationContd.2/11/2011Each one can make a difference! 4 5. How Plastics are Harmful? Human health hazard Phthalates, a chemical used tomake plastics pliable, may havehormone disrupting effects onunborn baby boys; also linked toobesity and diabetes in men (So:CBC News (2008), URMCPress(2007)) Enters food chain as it is ingestedby sea and land animals For more negative healtheffects, seehttp://www.ecologycenter.org/factsheets/plastichealtheffects.html#plastichealthgridContd.2/11/2011 Each one can make a difference! 5 6. How Plastics are Harmful? Plastics in land fills emit greenhouse gaseswhich trap heat and contribute to GlobalWarming (GW)2/11/2011Each one can make a difference!6 7. Is there a way out?R REDUCE R REUSER RECYCLE 3 R Mantra from Green Peace Contd.2/11/2011 Each one can make a difference! 7 8. Is there a way out?Using refillable containers and reusable bagsBuying in bulkBuying things that dont need muchpackaging, and buying things in recyclable andrecycled packages2/11/2011Each one can make a difference! 8 9. Initiatives round the worldIndia UAE Other countriesEfforts by mega-marts and retail chains in thisdirection can go a long way.2/11/2011 Each one can make a difference! 9 10. India Lalji Tandon, BJP Candidate from Lucknow, for a plastic-less campaign in 2009 elections Delhi to outlaw use of plastic bags implementation to be carried out in phases (So:Guardian (UK), January 2009)2/11/2011Each one can make a difference! 10 11. UAE Geant supermarket putting nominal charge to discourage use of plastic shopper bags (Gulf News,2008) Gulf News No to plastic bags campaign for creating awareness in UAE in March, 20082/11/2011Each one can make a difference! 11 12. Other countriesRwanda, Bhutan and Bangladesh imposed bans on use of plasticbags (So:Guardian (UK), January 2009)7 Supermarkets in UK (including Marks & Spencer, Sainsburys andothers) sign up a voluntary agreement that obliges them to halvethe numbers of single use carrier bags compared with 2006 levels.(Guardian, December 2008)National phase out policy by Australian Govt in 2002 led to areduction of 34% from 2002 to 2005 saving 2 billion bags frombeing producedSay no to plastic bags campaign by Environmental Society ofOman started in March, 2009 seeing enthusiastic response(Khaleej Times, March 2009)2/11/2011Each one can make a difference!12 13. References Australian Retailers Association (2008), http://www.noplasticbags.org.au/home/default.aspx,accessed April 6, 2009. BBC (2004), http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/3666474.stm, accessed April 6, 2009. CBC News (2008), http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/06/04/f-phthalates.html, accessedMarch 17, 2009 Khaleej Times (2009)http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?col=&section=middleeast&xfile=data/middleeast/2009/March/middleeast_March247.xml, accessed April 6, 2009. Guardian (2009) http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/16/plastic-bags-india-delhi-ban, accessed April 6, 2009 National Geographic http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-effects.html, accessed April 6, 2009 Time (2007)http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/environment/article/0,28804,1602354_1603074_1603179,00.html, accessed April 5, 2009 URMC Press Room(2007), http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/PR/news/story.cfm?id=1405, accessed March17, 20092/11/2011Each one can make a difference! 13 14. Thank You2/11/2011 Each one can make a difference! 14