New Delhi: Inside the vast hall of Bharat Mandapam, stalls crafted with eco-friendly materials showcased an array of solutions to counter the ever-present plastic menace — incense sticks made from discarded temple flowers, cutlery made of palm leaves and bagasse, and hand-crocheted flowers in pots.The theme of this year’s World Environment Day — on June 5 — was “Beat Plastic Pollution”. The ministry of environment, forest and climate change has organised a national-level expo on ecologically-friendly alternatives that could help in pushing single-use plastic out of use and lead to better plastic waste management.The expo was organised to educate and showcase alternatives that people can use to cut down their dependence on plastic articles. Apart from 19 single-use plastic items banned in 2022, items made from discarded electronic waste were also on display here.Stalls from different parts of the country exhibited eco-friendly alternatives to plastic cutlery. As plastic cutlery is among banned products, the alternatives are in demand. Despite the ban, many shops and people continue to use the prohibited items. Jayati Chatterjee, who was at one of the stalls, said people opted for items that are easily available in the market. “A person thinks that he alone cannot bring change, but that’s not true,” she said, while showing cutlery and food packaging products made from palm leaves.In another stall, Anirudh Balakrishnan showcased utensils made of bagasse, a dry and fibrous residue left after the extraction of juice from sugarcane. “We are hoping for better enforcement on banned products,” he said.The exhibits included alternatives to plastic items such as toys, key chains, artificial flowers and pouches. Powher, a charitable trust, displayed hand-crocheted soft toys, hand-embroidered gifts, and eco-friendly conference and seminar kits. Similarly, a self-help group showcased eco-friendly puja items, including incense sticks and idols of gods and goddesses made from cow dung and flowers collected from temples. “A group of 15 women collect the flowers from temples and other waste products like fabric. We have been making eco-friendly products for over a year now,” Monika Bansal said.Some stalls displayed products created from recycled plastic. Others exhibited stationery that was made using electronic waste. This included diary covers from cassettes, pen holders from broken calculators, and coasters from floppy disks.The expo also featured a gallery that had paintings by schoolchildren from across the country, highlighting the plastic menace. One striking piece, created by a student of Class VIII, showed the image of a weeping Mother Earth, tears of blue dripping on to the land choked with plastic bottles. Another painting by a student of class XI showed the image of a man’s hand carrying a plastic transparent bag containing images of dead aquatic plants and animals.Speaking on World Environment Day, Justice Prakash Shrivastava, the chairperson of National Green Tribunal, highlighted a plastic threat silently choking the planet. “From single-use plastic bags that clog our drains and pollute our water bodies, to the microplastics that infiltrate our food chain and even our own bodies, the hazards are undeniable,” he said. NGT has emphasised the need to curb plastic pollution, but change begins at the individual level, he said.
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