Your First Toothbrush Is Still on Earth: Leaders Call for Collective Action to Reduce Plastic Pollution

India generates 3.4 million tonnes of plastic waste every year. Of this, 40% eventually ends up in rivers, drains, and underground. Plastic entering rivers and oceans causes severe environmental damage.

Plastic pollution poses risks to fisheries, tourism, and public health. Therefore, it is essential to find proper alternatives to plastic, and every segment of society must contribute to reducing plastic pollution, said Governor Jishnu Dev Varma today.

The Governor was addressing a panel discussion organized in Mumbai by the United Nations Environment Programme on the topic “Environmental Impacts of Plastic Products and Plastic Packaging”.

He emphasised that without clean water and a clean environment, India cannot achieve its development goals. Considering the threat plastic poses to the environment, corporations, industries, and policymakers must take the lead in this effort, while students, youth, and all other segments of society need to be made aware of the issue, the Governor said.

He also stated that development achieved without sustainability cannot truly be called “development,” and urged the government, industries, and citizens to collectively tackle the serious problem of plastic pollution.

“The first toothbrush you used is still underground somewhere”

Just as God is omnipresent, plastic has also become ubiquitous, reaching from the peaks of the Himalayas to the deepest parts of the oceans. The first toothbrush you ever used is still somewhere buried in the Earth. Therefore, reducing pollution caused by plastic items and packaging is an urgent need, said Balakrishna Pashupati, Head of the UN Environment Programme in India.

R. Keshavan, Executive Director of the Reserve Bank of India, highlighted the bank’s sustainable financing initiatives, which provide financial support to environmental protection efforts.

During the event, Governor Varma also released a booklet titled “Work in Progress: Reducing the Plastic Footprint of Products and Packaging.”

The meeting was attended by CEOs and Chief Sustainability Officers of various corporate companies, along with experts in the field.

Also Read: IMD Issues Warning For Unseasonal Rain And Thunderstorms Across Maharashtra