Velocity MR, a leading market research and analysis company announced the results of their recent study, conducted to understand the current usage of Plastic and the effects of its ban in India. With a sample size of 3,600, the study covered most of the Indian cities, including key metropolises like Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Pune.
The study reflected that while over 85% of the respondents were aware of the plastic usage ban and the harmful effects of plastic on the environment; the usage of plastic was still rampant in the country due to lack of alternatives. 44% of respondents claimed that they faced problems due to the plastic usage ban, primarily due to lack of or costly alternatives available when shopping or disposing of garbage. However, 8 out of 10 respondents were open to the idea of reusable bags and alternatives for the plastic bags. The study also revealed that 7 out of 10 respondents believed that the ban is only on the usage of plastic carry bags and not on other variants of plastic like pouches, garbage bags, containers, etc.
Jasal Shah, Managing Director & CEO of Velocity MR, shares “Usage of plastic is one of the major reasons for environmental pollution in India and this is wreaking havoc on the flora and fauna reserves across the globe. As the global host of this year’s World Environment Day theme ‘Beat the Plastic Pollution’, it is our duty to educate both the citizens and the authorities of this country on the effects of plastic usage and the effectiveness of its ban in the country. It’s been observed that even with the plastic ban in 25 states of India, 15000 tonnes of plastic is still procured from cities on a daily basis. From our study, we clearly understood that while the people are aware of the adverse effects of plastic, the usage of this environmental poison is high, primarily due to lack of availability of proper alternatives.”
He further adds, “Over the years, plastic has made its way to most of our daily goods and we have become comfortable using these products. These products are also more affordable when compared to its other alternatives. Causing millions of people to leave their comfort and adopt a different way of lifestyle where the alternatives are not just expensive but also do not solve the purpose as well as plastic, is going to be difficult. Authorities will need to take initiatives to provide decent alternatives acceptable to all and educate the people about these alternatives. Only then can this hazard be clipped from its root. The government can further exchange successful ideas with the authorities across the globe to help curb this issue on a global level.”
Highlights of the Study
- Even with the ban on the plastic bags in most of the states, all the respondents use plastic bags for some or the other use.
- 7 out of 10 respondents use 2 or more plastic bags on a daily basis.
- Plastic bags are mostly used for buying groceries, shopping in supermarkets and disposing of garbage.
- 85% of respondents are aware of the ban on plastic bags and 7 out of 10 believe that the ban is only on carry bags.
- 90% of respondents are aware of the harmful effects of using plastic bags but still use it.
- 50% of the respondents have faced difficulties with the ban on plastic bags.
- Major difficulties faced by the respondents include, shopkeepers not providing the bags for carrying items, inconvenience caused due to carrying bags from home while shopping, alternatives not easily available, extra cost for the carry bags, etc.
- 7 out of 10 respondents reuse plastic bags, whereas, 3 out of 10 respondents dump it after a single use.
8 out of 10 people are open to the idea of reusable bags or alternatives to plastic bags.
