The Indian Railways has been using plastic cutlery to provide passengers with food and over the years and awful lot of plastic waste has been generated in the absence of a proper disposable system. In his Independence Day speech Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the citizens and the authorities to eliminate single-use plastic and use sustainable material like cloth and jute bags instead. Mr. Modi talked about his mission of taking the initial steps towards plastic-free India with effect from October 2 this year, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Representational photo of the Indian Railways / Image: Twitter
Indian Railways issued an order in a Press Release on August 21, 2019 to enforce a ban on single-use plastic in its premises, including all the trains. The order was issued a day after the non-reusable plastic products were banned in Parliament House complex. The ministry has released strict orders to ban single-use plastic, with a thickness of less than 50 microns.
Press release of the plastic ban in railways / Image: PIB
All the vendors and railway staff are to eradicate plastic usage in railway premises and trains, and the passengers will be getting food served in eco-friendly plates. The staff is directed to reduce, reuse and refuse the plastic products.
In a tweet, the Ministry of Railways urged the people to join this mission and help India become plastic-free nation.
Plastic water bottle crushing machines to be installed at major railway stations / Image: PIB
The ministry has also taken a step toward the eco-friendly disposal of plastic water bottles at the stations. The orders have been given to the authorities to speed up the process of installation of 1853 plastic water bottle crushing machines at 360 of its major stations.
The Ministry of Railways has also instructed that on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, a pledge can be administered to cut the use of plastic. The ministry says that this initiative will help the environment.
Via: Press Release