The Social Life of Plastic in India
P
icture a mound of litter fragments of food containers, empty water bottles, and scraps of to-go wrappers. Maybe you envision this plastic accumulation on a beach or along a coastline. However, while we typically associate plastic waste with the degradation of marine ecosystems, the global plastic problem is not a distant phenomenon occurring in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Rather, the hazardous effect of plastic pollution extends beyond sea turtles, coastal birds, and other marine life; it is also happening to humans right before our eyes. Plastic is seeping into every part of our lives - our politics, our health, and quite literally our own backyards. In a recent article titled ''The Anthropology of Plastics: An Agenda for Local Studies of Global Matter of Concern,'' published by Gauri Pathak of Aarhus University and Mark Nichter of the University
by Vivian Goller Wisconsin, USA
of Arizona, the scientists analyze the effects of the Indian plastic industry since it began in the mid 1900’s to modern times. Based on their fieldwork and interviews, Pathak and Nichter note both the immense amount of good that plastic products have brought to India as well as the trail of waste that plastic has left behind over the years. Moreover, the researchers also explored the “social life of plastics” by examining the cultural and societal norms of India to understand why life almost seems to revolve around plastic. Their findings point towards the convenience and efficiency of plastic, which fuels its appeal to consumers. An easy and safe solution to water contamination, a problem that plagues many rural Indian communities, plastic water bottles help provide clean drinking water. Likewise, disposable plastic menstrual products, such as sanitary pads, ensure the safety of women’s reproductive health since these products are single-use. While plastic alleviated problem
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