Environment & elections: Dirt, pollution and plastic campaign material

Imagine a political leader's election rally. Once the speeches conclude, the crowd of supporters disperses. But, they leave behind an assortment of election materials, such as masks, bags, and flags, discarded along with other refuse on the ground. Regardless of whether it is a Lok Sabha or an Assembly election, these events exact a significant cost both economically, and environmentally. In an effort to mitigate this impact, the Election Commission issued an appeal on August 18th, 2023, for a shift towards more eco-friendly election campaigns.

Single-use plastic is banned, not the banners!

The single-use plastic was banned by the government from July 1, 2022. That is to say, PVC banners less than 100 microns cannot be used. Therefore, add this to the appeal from the Election Commissioner, it can be understood that, anything that is non-biodegradable shouldn't be used. On March 4, 2019, the Election Commission was also directed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to ban non-biodegradable materials in campaign material. However, the banners are being used extensively in all the states and assemblies including the India's capital.

Nylon T-shirts and laminated caps are in vogue

Shambhunath, an employee at Garg Enterprises based in Bhopal, produces a variety of election campaign merchandise for almost every political party. He informs us that candidates often order T-shirts printed with their names and photographs, using nylon as the preferred fabric for printing. In addition, a novel style of cap has gained popularity in this election season. This cap involves the lamination of jute with polyester. It's vital to mention that this cap is non-biodegradable. Besides these, other non-biodegradable materials like balloons made from different varieties of plastic have also gained popularity in this election.

The method of publicity has changed with time

Anonymously, employees from a firm specialising in campaign material production have observed a significant evolution in election campaigning strategies over time. This shift has notably increased the use of plastic.

"Earlier, promotional materials like banners were created from paper and cloth. However, with the growing prevalence of plastic in every aspect of the market, we have now started manufacturing these materials using a plastic alternative."

However, Shambhu says that in some places the use of plastic has also reduced. Giving an example, he says,

"A thread designed for publicity was originally made of plastic but has now transitioned to being made of paper."

Dirt everywhere in party offices

Every day, hundreds of people flock to the provisional offices established by the party. Here, leadership meetings are conducted on regular basis. Although, the litter generated by these visitors is visible in every corner. Upon our arrival at the Congress office in Kannaud, breakfast plates and discarded disposable water glasses were strewn about the area. There was also evidence of gutkha consumers, with spit in various places. Indeed, such conditions were pervasive.

No data related to disposal is in the public domain

The Election Commission's advisory states that post-elections, the local municipality is tasked with campaign material disposal. Yet, no municipality has publicised data regarding the quantity of such material disposed during the previous elections. Consequently, neither the government nor the Election Commission has record of the fees collected from the candidates for this.

In the 2018 general elections in Bangladesh, approximately 150 million PVC posters were produced for promotional purposes. Intriguingly, similar data is not available in India, despite being larger than Bangladesh and touting itself as the world's most populous democracy. This is notable especially considering that in 2019, the National Green Tribunal was directed to oversee the usage of plastic during elections.

What is the solution?

In one of his letters, former Union Environment Secretary CK Mishra noted that election campaign materials are often not collected post-campaign. Hence, resulting in land and water pollution. He highlighted the potential risk to health when stray animals inadvertently consume these materials. This can sometimes lead to fatal outcomes. Mishra suggested a preference for re-usable posters in future elections to combat these issues.

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