Plastic was once a marvel—light, durable, life-saving. Yet, our obsession with convenience turned it into a pollutant. Single-use plastics now choke our oceans and clog our landfills. This World Environment Day let’s reflect: if we created the problem through careless consumption, we can solve it with conscious choices.
BY Biju Dharmapalan
In the past few decades, plastic has been blamed for a significant portion of the global
environmental crisis. Visuals depicting marine creatures ensnared in plastic waste and heaps
of abandoned packaging have ignited a significant wave of indignation. In the fervent quest
to vilify plastic, we often overlook a crucial question: Is plastic truly the villain, or have we,
as a society, merely failed to use it with care.
Plastic, by its very nature, is not inherently evil. This material stands as a testament to human
ingenuity and innovation, marking a significant shift in our capabilities. Originating in the
19th century, plastic has transformed into a groundbreaking material that has significantly
impacted various industries. Its lightweight nature, durability, flexibility, and cost-
effectiveness have rendered it essential to contemporary society.
Medical equipment, including syringes, IV tubes, artificial heart valves, and sterile
packaging, depends on plastic to maintain hygiene and contribute to saving lives. The food
sector employs this method to minimise spoilage and extend shelf life. In the realm of space
exploration, the use of plastic-based composites plays a crucial role in ensuring safety and
enhancing design. Plastic is not inherently evil. Indeed, it stands as one of the most
groundbreaking materials ever developed by humanity. What led to the missteps?
World marks the 5th of June as the #WorldEnvironmentDay
The theme that the #UN selected for this year – #BeatPlasticPollution
The #Plastic was created in 1907. Soon many more variants evolved out from this petrochemical, especially as #polymers. The electronic device on which… pic.twitter.com/VCS87UCaBe
— Paul Koshy (@Paul_Koshy) June 4, 2025
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The real villain is our “use and throw” mentality. Half of the 300 million tonnes of plastic
produced annually is intended for single-use—wrappers, bags, cups, and straws—that are
discarded within minutes of use. Nevertheless, these materials remain in the ecosystem for
centuries. Globally, fewer than 10% of plastic materials are recycled. The remainder ends up
in landfills, oceans, or incinerators, exacerbating pollution and contributing to increased
greenhouse gas emissions. Plastic didn’t become a problem overnight. Rather than treating
plastic as a valuable resource, we turned it into garbage.
\Interestingly, some simple, old-fashioned habits could help mitigate the plastic crisis. Take,
for example, the fountain pen culture. Once upon a time, the art of writing was graced by
refillable pens—elegant tools that endured through the years. In contemporary times, the
majority of individuals rely on disposable ballpoint pens, which are predominantly crafted
from plastic materials. Returning to the use of fountain pens or refillable pens may appear
trivial, yet when considered on a large scale, it could lead to a significant reduction in plastic
waste each year.
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In a similar vein, reflect on the packaging of milk and sweet treats. In the past, milk was
provided in reusable glass bottles or stainless steel containers. Currently, the majority of
homes purchase milk in plastic pouches that are thrown away after just one use. Indian
sweets, which were traditionally presented in eco-friendly paper boxes or wrapped in banana
leaves, are now encased in several layers of plastic under the guise of “hygiene.” Even essential provision items—such as rice, sugar, lentils, and spices—once wrapped in cloth or paper —are now found in plastic packaging that is neither biodegradable nor easily recyclable.
Plastic once hailed as a miracle of modern science, has become a scapegoat for
environmental degradation. However, the fault lies not in the material itself—it is in the way
we have chosen to use and discard it. The culture of disposability, convenience, and apathy is
the real devil.
My grandmother used to say, “If you sweep only your room and leave the compound dirty, don’t be surprised when the dirt finds its way back inside.”
That’s exactly how our environment works.
You can’t live well in a broken place.
You can’t dream big with polluted air.
You can’t… pic.twitter.com/SYZCnzP6pC— Dr. Richard Munang (@RichardMunang) June 5, 2025
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Rather than vilify plastic, we must ask: Can we change how we use it? Can we adopt
sustainable habits, such as using refillable pens, reusing containers, purchasing from bulk
stores, and switching to biodegradable packaging for everyday items?
We do not need to declare war on plastic. We need to wage a war on our unsustainable
choices.
(Dr.Biju Dharmapalan is the Dean -Academic Affairs, Garden City University,
Bangalore and an adjunct faculty at the National Institute of Advanced Studies,
Bangalore, E-mail: bijudharmapalan@gmail.com)
