Indian State an Example of Successful Plastic Ban

 

In India, a nationwide ban on single-use plastic products went into effect this week.

Indian Prime¹ Minister Narendra Modi has said his government’s goal is to make India completely² free of single-use plastics by 2022. Single-use plastics are products designed to be used only once and then thrown away. These include plastic bags and products used for eating and drinking.

As the country prepares for the new rules, one Indian state is looking back on its decision to ban plastic bags 21 years ago.

The state of Sikkim, in India’s northeast, launched³ the ban in 1998. State officials took the action after heavy rain caused several major landslides⁴ in the area. Experts partly blamed plastic waste for blocking systems that carry away rainwater.

People living in the state say major education campaigns⁶ and enforcement⁷ measures got citizens to accept the plastic bag ban.

Priyadarshinee Shrestha is a team leader with the World Wildlife Fund⁸ in Sikkim. She told VOA there was "a lot of policing” during the first days of the ban. “There were fines if people were caught carrying plastic bags," Shrestha said.

Prabha Sherpa sells products in a store in the state capital, Gangtok. She told VOA that major public education campaigns were very helpful in turning people against plastic bag use.

She says she remembers young children explaining to her that they had been taught at school about the environmental⁹ harms of plastic. Dealing¹⁰ with the material is particularly a problem in Sikkim, where Himalayan mountainsides leave limited space for waste dumps¹¹.

"We stopped using it happily because we understood that it is good for us," Prabha Sherpa said. She added¹² that many people have willingly¹³ followed the plastic bag ban.

Most people shopping at the city's main vegetable market bring their own cloth bags to collect their goods. Restaurants in the area serve food on plates made of paper or plant material instead of plastic.

Some believe Sikkim's small size – with just over 600,000 people - helped make the campaign⁵ a success. Studies in recent years by environmental groups found that the bag ban was more successful in Gangtok and nearby towns than in outlying areas.

Environmental groups say that while the state’s plastic bag ban has generally worked well, other plastics remain a problem. Among those still commonly seen are polypropylene bags, which look like cloth but are made of plastic. A lot of plastic material is used in single-use food packaging¹⁴ also. In addition, tens of thousands of visitors to the state leave behind thousands of empty plastic water bottles.

Rajendra Gurung is head of the Ecotourism and Conservation¹⁵ Society of Sikkim. He told VOA it is a difficult problem because "plastic is so omnipresent.” His organization has called on companies to create environment-friendly water containers but he says “that is not happening."

Some communities are taking action. In the northern village of Lachen, visitors are banned from bringing in plastic bottles or leaving plastic waste. Many tourists learn about the ban from local taxi drivers. The community-driven project came about as the result of a cleanup organized by volunteer groups.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

bag – n. a container made of thin material (such as paper, plastic, or cloth) that opens at the top and is used for holding or carrying things

packaging – n. materials objects are wrapped¹⁶ in before they are sold

omnipresent – adj. present or having an effect everywhere at the same time

1 prime   

adj.首要的，主要的；最好的，第一流的

参考例句：

• The prime minister spoke of the general insecurity in the country.总理谈到了全国普遍存在的不安全。
• He met with the Prime Minister of Japan for an hour.他和日本首相会见了一个小时。

2 completely   

adv.完全地，十分地，全然

参考例句：

• She never completely gave up hope.她从不完全放弃希望。
• I feel completely in the dark on this question.这件事使我感到茫然。

3 launched   

v.发射( launch的过去式和过去分词 )；[计算机]开始（应用程序）；发动；开展（活动、计划等）

参考例句：

• He launched a bitter diatribe against the younger generation. 他对年轻一代发起了猛烈的抨击。
• The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide. 这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。

4 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

5 campaign   

n.运动；竞选活动；战役；vi.参加运动；进行竞选；作战

参考例句：

• The election campaign heated up in that state.该州竞选运动激烈起来了。
• The campaign had begun during his absence.在他不在期间运动已经开始了。

6 campaigns   

n.运动( campaign的名词复数 )；竞选运动；战役；季节性竞赛

参考例句：

• Extraneous factors can intervene and cause the shelving of advertising campaigns. 广告活动会因外部因素影响而推迟进行。 来自辞典例句
• The rebels defiantly welcomed new allies and laid plans for unionization campaigns. 造反派热烈欢迎新盟友，并制订组织工会的计划。 来自辞典例句

7 enforcement   

n.实施, 执行

参考例句：

• MPs called for tougher enforcement of the existing laws on drugs. 下院议员呼籲加强现行毒品法律的执行力度。
• The court is ineffective because it lacks the necessary enforcement machinery. 法院效率低是因为缺乏必要的执行机制。

8 fund   

n.基金，资金，存款，财源，贮藏；vt.提供资金，积累

参考例句：

• They decided to set up a fund for this purpose.他们决定为此专立一项基金。
• This fund may not be drawn on without permission.这笔钱非经批准不得动用。

9 environmental   

adj.环境的

参考例句：

• A global environmental meeting is going to be held here.一个全球环境会议将在这里举行。
• We need to cure our environmental problems.我们需要解决环境问题。

10 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

11 dumps   

n.抑郁v.倾倒( dump的第三人称单数 )；丢下；随便堆放；释放

参考例句：

• They eke out a precarious existence foraging in rubbish dumps. 他们靠在垃圾场捡垃圾维持着朝不保夕的生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It's no use letting yourself fall into the dumps. 你听任自己的情绪低沉下去一点用也没有。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 added   

adj.更多的，附加的，额外的

参考例句：

• They have added a new scene at the beginning.在开头他们又增加了一场戏。
• The pop music added to our enjoyment of the film.片中的流行音乐使我们对这部电影更加喜爱。

13 willingly   

adv.愿意地，乐意地

参考例句：

• Love is a sweet tyranny,because the lover endures his torment willingly. 爱情是甜蜜的暴政，情人甘心忍受它的折磨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many people willingly converted to Buddhism. 很多人情愿皈依佛教。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 packaging   

n.包装，包装业，包装术

参考例句：

• The packaging does not conform to EU rules.这种包装不符合欧盟规定。
• These materials can be recycled into other packaging products.可以回收这些材料制成其他包装产品。

15 conservation   

n.保存，保持，守恒

参考例句：

• She is interested in conservation of environment.她对环境保护这个问题十分关心。
• Our community is a leader in the conservation of wildlife.我们社区在野生动物保护方面走在前头。

16 wrapped   

adj.有包装的，预先包装的v.包( wrap的过去式和过去分词 )；覆盖；用…包裹（或包扎、覆盖等）；卷起

参考例句：

• The chocolates are individually wrapped in gold foil. 巧克力用金箔纸一颗颗独立包装。
• Would you like the chocolates gift-wrapped? 你要把巧克力糖打成礼品包吗？