Webinar on Plastic Pollution amidst COVID-19: Protector or Polluter

COVID-19 has sparked a global arms race for personal protective equipment (PPE) as government scramble to protect frontline workers, and citizens protect themselves with these gears. Gloves, masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) are critical for those fighting the pandemic but are also widely used by the public are mostly made of plastics. Still, because they're not all biomedical wastes and CPCB guidelines stipulate to dispose of these wastes from non-quarantine homes after 72 hours of retention with general waste, a proper management of such huge single-use plastic (SUP) items remains a challenge. Environmentalists fear negative consequences for wildlife at terrestrial and marine ecosystems if such wastes are not handled properly.

Plummeting oil prices globally have led to a dramatic decrease in the value of plastics, and companies are making tough decisions about whether recycling is still an economically viable option. This means many consumer brands, could have difficulty meeting previous commitments to adopt more sustainable practices and replace all or portions of their products with recycled plastic.

We stand at the junction of two diverging paths. One is a stop-gap solution that puts us solidly on track toward a not-so-distant future in which there is more plastic in the ocean than fish. The other is a sustainable model of living and working that will benefit us long into the future – one that will create a healthier, more equitable and more liveable future for all.

Major points of discussions are:

• Is single-use plastic a blessing to modern society or a curse?
• Can plastic pollution get worse after the COVID-19 pandemic?
• Are biodegradable plastics the answer?
• What are the sustainable choices in this pandemic?

Join us at this webinar to get answers to these questions and make yourself aware of plastic pollution during the coronavirus pandemic.

Speakers

• Mr R K Bansal, Director General, Recycling & Environment Industry Association of India, REIAI
• Mr Vaibhav Rathi, Technical Advisor, Climate Change, GIZ India
• Mr Amit Jain, Managing Director, IRG Systems South Asia Pvt. Ltd
• Mr Sourabh Manuja, Fellow, Environment & Waste Management Division,TERI

Moderator

• Dr Suneel Pandey, Senior Fellow, Environment & Waste Management, TERI.