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Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

theguardian.com

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Re: Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

#141

Post by bpicolo »

bladecatcher wrote: post #52
majewsky wrote: post #49

Honest question: What will plastic bottles be replaced with that's more environmentally friendly? I can easily see plastic bags being replaced by jute bags, but the only alternative material for bottles that I know of is glass, which does not seem like a good alternative given its weight and fragility (and possibly energy use during production).

http://www.algopack.com/indexgb.php makes bottles out of seaweed (brown algae) and there're other companies trying to make reuseable bioplastic bottles out of sugarcane

> reuseable bioplastic bottles

That's not any better if they still don't degrade, no?

Re: Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

#142

Post by bunderbunder »

icebraining wrote: post #112
kumarvvr wrote: post #107

The offset in reduced plastic use by consumers will be more than compensated with the rapidly growing e-commerce market. I am terrified of the amount of plastic my Amazon purchases bring with their packing. It is a step in the right direction, but the govt. should invest and provide alternatives, perhaps use existing research institutions to come up with new, eco-friendly packing materials, and popularize them.

I don't buy from Amazon, but weren't they pushing for minimal and plastic-free packaging? Has the program been dropped?

I do, and, apparently, coming from Amazon, "minimal and plastic-free" means that, if I order a single item, it will come in retail packaging (plastic tray to immobilize and cushion, inside a cardboard box that is at least 6 times the size of the product - hence the need for that plastic tray - inside shrinkwrap), and then that item will be placed inside another cardboard box that is at least 6 times the volume of the retail packaging for the item I ordered, so, in order to cushion it, I need a huge pile of those plastic air pillows.

It's a pretty huge amount of packaging and cushioning, about the amount you'd need if your package will be handled by drug-crazed chimpanzees (or USPS). But then it just gets loaded into the back seat of the car of whatever gig economy person does the Amazon deliveries in my neighborhood that day. I don't know what Amazon thinks these people are doing to necessitate that volume of packaging, or why they're continuing to employ them given that they think that is the case.

tl;dr, if they really were pushing for minimal packaging, I'd have expected a paper (or _maybe_ Tyvek, to protect against the elements) envelope with my address printed on it around the already-sufficient retail packaging, and nothing more.

Re: Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

#143

Post by kumarvvr »

bunderbunder wrote: post #142
icebraining wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't buy from Amazon, but weren't they pushing for minimal and plastic-free packaging? Has the program been dropped?

I do, and, apparently, coming from Amazon, "minimal and plastic-free" means that, if I order a single item, it will come in retail packaging (plastic tray to immobilize and cushion, inside a cardboard box that is at least 6 times the size of the product - hence the need for that plastic tray - inside shrinkwrap), and then that item will be placed inside another cardboard box that is at least 6 times the volume of the…

Maybe Amazon can alter it's processes so that protection from elements can happen at container, truck and last mile transport level, instead of package level.

At those levels, long lasting solutions can be used which might be far more eco-friendly in the long term.

Re: Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

#144

Post by delecti »

icebraining wrote: post #112
kumarvvr wrote: post #107

The offset in reduced plastic use by consumers will be more than compensated with the rapidly growing e-commerce market. I am terrified of the amount of plastic my Amazon purchases bring with their packing. It is a step in the right direction, but the govt. should invest and provide alternatives, perhaps use existing research institutions to come up with new, eco-friendly packing materials, and popularize them.

I don't buy from Amazon, but weren't they pushing for minimal and plastic-free packaging? Has the program been dropped?

As far as I know that program is still a thing, but it has only ever been on a very limited subset of products. When it's available, they apply the shipping label directly to the product box and ship it like that.

Scroll down on this page for products with it available. It lists over 200,000, which is quite a lot, but is also a relatively small number for their scale: https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Frustration-Free-Packaging/b?i...

Re: Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

#145

Post by gexla »

vishaltelangre wrote: post #105

Instead, government could've imposed ban on the consumer products which are wrapped using plastic material. Almost 50% plastic come directly from such consumer products sold by all FMCG companies. Such plastic material which is used as a wrapper (e.g. mineral bottles, wrappers of chocolates, biscuits, wafers, tobacco, etc.) is often useless and people tend to throw it right away. I agree that "we", the people need to…

I live in the Philippines. The trash you see everywhere, in the streets and in the rivers is plastic bags and bottles. It sees that packaging actually makes its way to the dump.

Re: Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

#146

Post by mrtksn »

vishaltelangre wrote: post #105

Instead, government could've imposed ban on the consumer products which are wrapped using plastic material. Almost 50% plastic come directly from such consumer products sold by all FMCG companies. Such plastic material which is used as a wrapper (e.g. mineral bottles, wrappers of chocolates, biscuits, wafers, tobacco, etc.) is often useless and people tend to throw it right away. I agree that "we", the people need to…

Wouldn't that create fragmentation in production, therefore possibly significant price increases due to the need of retooling of packaging and distribution?

Such measures work when done in the rich world with very large markets, for example, companies increase their standards due to EU regulations because they find that it's cheaper to retool themselves according to the EU and sell everywhere even if EU standards are not imposed everywhere, instead of maintaining two standards or losing the EU market altogether.

Re: Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

#147

Post by godelmachine »

nerdponx wrote: post #135
godelmachine wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please elaborate.

Since I doubt there is actually a law against bringing plastic bags into certain buildings, it sounds like the security guard just misunderstands

In Mumbai, citizens seen to be carrying plastic bags are liable for fine of 5000 INR for first time offenders and up to 3 months prison time.

Re: Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

#148

Post by francisofascii »

alkonaut wrote: post #8
weavie wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

An American family I visited a while ago would use paper plates and plastic forks for every meal at home to save on dishes. I was shocked, but they seemed to think it was standard behaviour in the US. Is it?

> to save on dishes To save what, money or labor? I fail to see how this could be economical in the sense "cheaper"?

Well, if you are comparing to a dishwasher. A cheap paper place costs about 2-3 cents. A dishwasher cycle is "pricy" if you consider the wear and tear, water usage, energy, and detergent.

Re: Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

#149

Post by brianbreslin »

I'm curious how this will affect the economy of the Dharavi slums where a huge portion of their economy is based around recycling goods found throughout the city. [1] It is great for the city to cut down on pollution, and I'm sure Dharavi will adapt, just curious is all.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharavi

Re: Mumbai bans plastic bags, bottles, and single-use plastic containers

#150

Post by fithisux »

sleepychu wrote: post #66
1ba9115454 wrote: post #17

Great. Let's roll this out everywhere. Actually it would be nice to do something about cigeratte butts too.

Just ban cigarettes? They're ridiculous, I don't understand why we allow them.

Smokes are drugs. Make them illegal. Since they take time to cause harm, banning them is more beneficial and altogether different from the war on drugs. Just ban them.
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