Indian Railways to ban ‘single-use’ plastic with nationwide campaign! In a first, a plastic bottle crushing machine has been installed inside a train’s coach, as part of the initiative towards eliminating plastic across the Indian Railways network. This scheme is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Swachh Rail, Swachh Bharat’ initiative. According to a recent update by the Ministry of Railways, a PET bottle crushing machine was installed in an LHB pantry car (Train number 03840 of Western Railways). Some of the unique features of the PET bottle crushing machine which has been installed in a train coach for the first time in Indian Railways are as follows:
- Capacity of the PET bottle crushing machine: The machine can crush as many as 3,000 PET bottles in one day. The machine will also enable the recycling of 90 per cent PET waste plastic bottles ranging from 200 ml-2.5 litres in size.
- Environmentally-sustainable results: This move by the Western Railways zone of installing the bottle crushing machine is expected to reduce 100 per cent recycling and will also avoid littering in landfill from plastic bottle waste.
- Internal Storage of machine: The machine has an internal storage bin of approximately 20 litres, equivalent to 1500 bottles.
- Apart from the plastic bottle crushing machine installed in the train’s coach, some of the other unique green initiatives undertaken by Indian Railways are as follows:
The Railway Ministry shared a 1 minute-41 seconds long short hindi film titled ‘Main Hoon Plastic Hatela’ prepared by the Western Railways zone, in an attempt to create awareness against single-use plastic. The short film depicts the dangers of using plastic through the character of ‘Plastic Hatela’ in an effective and interesting portrayal. - Special selfie points using Plastic Hatela image have been installed at important railway stations of Western Railway’s Mumbai Suburban section, through which the message of boycotting the use of plastic goods is effectively communicated to passengers. One of the stations where the selfie point has been installed is the Churchgate station of Mumbai.
On the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will announce a countrywide ban on ‘Single-Use Plastic’. According to a Ministry of Railways’ official who informed Financial Express Online, the following rules will be implemented for plastic waste management across the Indian Railways network, from October 2, 2019:
- Ban on single use plastic material will be strictly enforced for all zones on the network
- All railway vendors will be encouraged to avoid the use of plastic carry bags
- Staff will be encouraged to reduce, reuse and refuse plastic products and to use inexpensive reusable bags to reduce plastic footprint.
- IRCTC has been directed to implement return of plastic drinking water bottles as part of an extended producer responsibility
- Plastic bottle crushing machines will be provided expeditiously