Plastic Pens: The War Against Plastic

Posted on May 28, 2020

What You Can Do in the War Against Plastic by Anoopa Ballal

946,00,00,000 kg. That is how much plastic waste India generates per year. Environmental damage is an existential threat and we cannot bury our heads in the sand (mostly because widespread littering has turned our maidans into toxic landfills). There is no point in talking about problems unless we also talk about solutions, so here are our favourite plastic-lessening initiatives:

Plastic bag ban

While many developed nations have struggled to implement bans of a similar nature,

18 Indian states have implemented a ban on plastic bags.

Sikkim was India’s pioneer. It introduced a plastic bag ban in 1998 and has successfully banned several other single-use plastic items. Other, larger, states like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have followed suit, jumping on this bandwagon.

Banning Import of Solid Plastic Waste

India was one of the largest importers of plastic waste. Other countries would pay to have their plastic waste removed (and ostensibly recycled) in India. However due to the limited recycling capacity available, much of the hazardous material remained uncollected, causing environmental damage. In March 2019 India banned the import of solid plastic waste completely.

The Pen Drive

Okay, we may be a little biased but this one really grabbed our attention. It was started by the well-known artist Lakshmi Menon, and is now one of the largest plastic waste management efforts in Kerala. While most people are aware of the problems surrounding plastic bags, packaging, and straws, we either ignore or are unaware of the problems caused by disposable, plastic pens. This initiative focuses on raising awareness around this issue. Unsurprisingly, it has gained momentum in colleges and schools, thereby saving our future through education.

This is not a battle; it’s a long-term war. Plastic is a versatile, durable, inexpensive material and there is no ideal substitute. It won’t be easy and we will encounter setbacks. The much-anticipated, countrywide blanket ban on single-use plastics was shelved due to economic considerations, and there will be other speed bumps along the way.

But we cannot give up. It is time for all of us to take a stand and commit to cutting out single-use plastic wherever we can. If you’re looking to make the switch to sustainable, long-lasting writing instruments, we can help. Call us on 8105889432 or browse through our sustainable pens here.

You can also set up a free consultation on fountain pens with our expert here.