Nagaland University observed BRICS Sustainable Lifestyle Week with a programme on reducing single-use plastics at the Department of Environmental Science on November 5.
Dr Latonglila Jamir, Head of the Department and member of the university’s Mission LiFE committee, highlighted the environmental impact of plastic production, consumption and disposal, noting that products used for only a few minutes can persist in the environment for centuries.
She said the world generates around 400 million metric tonnes of plastic waste annually, half of which comprises single-use items, while only about 9% is recycled. Citing 2019 data, she said India generated 9.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with single-use plastics accounting for 43%.
Dr Jamir attributed low recycling rates to difficulties in separating multilayered packaging, food contamination and the high cost of recycling compared with producing new plastic. She called for greater use of alternatives such as jute, cotton, glass, bamboo and stainless steel, and urged people to practise the four Rs: refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle.
She stressed that individual action must be supported by effective policies and industrial innovation, adding that preventing waste at source was easier than managing it after disposal.
The programme, organised as part of the BRICS Sustainable Lifestyle Week observed from November 1 to 7, was attended by university faculty, staff, research scholars and students. It concluded with a plastic collection drive around the Department of Environmental Science.