BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Business Environment consists of all those factors that have a bearing on the business.
Business environment is broadly categorized into two categories:

 INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
Internal environment refers to the factors internal to the firm i.e., factors existing within
business firm. These factors are generally controllable because the company has control
over them and determine the potential of a company to meet the environment challenges

 EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
External environment refers to external aspects of the surroundings of business enterprise,
which have influence on the functioning of business.

INTRODUCTION TO ANTI PLASTIC CAMPAIGN

Plastic is all around us. It forms much of the packaging for our food and drink. For many of
us, it is throughout our home, our workplace, our car, the bus we take to and from work. It
can be in our clothing, eyeglasses, teeth, toothbrush, computers, phones, dishes, utensils,
toys. Excessive use of plastic in our day to life finally led to the starting of Anti Plastic
Campaign.

WHAT IS PLASTIC AND WHERE DOES IT COME FROM

Plastics are Polymers, which are basically substances or molecules made up of many

repeating molecular units, known as monomers. Monomers of hydrogen and carbon are
linked together in long chains to form plastic polymers. The raw hydrocarbon material for
most synthetic plastics is derived from petroleum, natural gas or coal.

EFFECT OF PLASTIC ON ENVIRONMENT

Various effects of plastics on our environment and society are as follows

1. Plastic is pervasive
2. Plastic Pollute
3. Marine life is affected by plastics
4. Environmental Problems
5. Health Problems
USES OF PLASTIC

The versatility of plastic materials comes from the ability to mold, laminate or shape them,
and to tailor them physically and chemically. There is a plastic suitable for almost any
application. Plastics do not corrode, though they can degrade in UV (a component of
sunlight) and can be affected by solvents – for example PVC plastic is soluble in acetone.

PURPOSE OF ANTI PLASTIC CAMPAIGN

 Provide ways for public to make a difference- reduce, reuse, recycle.

 Inform public with most updated information about the anti-plastic issues
 Communicate with the public one-on-one to promote grass root organization

RECOMMENDATION OF ANTI PLASTIC CAMPAIGN

1. Avoid the worst common plastics Polyvinyl Chloride, Polystyrene and

Polycarbonate
2. Refuse plastic bags and bring your own reusable bags wherever you go – REFUSE all
single-use disposable plastics

  PLASTIC RECYCLING IS A MYTH

Plastic cannot be recycled.  More accurately, plastic is merely downcycled. This means that
you can only turn one plastic item into a lower grade plastic product, and NOT in perpetuity
as the classic recycling symbol suggests.  Most often, you just extend the life of the plastic
product for one iteration until it gets trashed.

STATUS OF ANTI PLASTIC CAMPAIGN

In India the use of plastic bags has been banned in the following states:- Bengaluru
/Bangalore (Ban on plastics in Bengaluru was imposed from mid march 2016), Maharashtra,
Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Goa and West Bengal and many states are
under process of implementing the same. India has had a national ban on
plastic bags since 2016. The Environment (Protection) Act 1986,
provides the Central government with the right to take necessary
measures to protect the environment. The government can make
rules to prevent, control and abate environmental pollution, some
of which to control plastic pollution are:
Plastic Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011

Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016

Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2018 

ALTERNATIVES OF PLASTIC BAGS

 Glass
 Reusable shopping bags
 Plastic Additives
 Paper Bags
 Biodegradable plastics

India’s Campaign Against Single-Use Plastic

Environmentalists in India are worried that single-use plastic has made a big
comeback with coronavirus in the country, giving a major blow to Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s initiative to curb its usage. Environmentalist Anoop Nautiyal said
recently that the prolonged lockdown in the country has had a good impact on the
environment and reduced pollution levels, but increased use of masks, gloves, face
shields, PPE kits and sanitiser bottles, made of plastic, to fight the epidemic has led
to new worries. According to Nautiyal, the campaign against the single-use plastic
is now out of people’s minds as the Covid-19 cases continue to surge across the
country. The campaign gained momentum on 15 August, 2019 when Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the nation from the rampart of Red Fort
in New Delhi on the occasion of the country’s 73rd Independence Day, made a call
to shun plastic. Modi urged people to stop using single-use plastic bags so that
India could start phasing them out from October 2, 2019. October 2 is the birthday
of Mahatma Gandhi, considered the Father of the Nation. An atmosphere was built
across the country to end the use of plastic. Soon the movement against plastic
built widespread popular support and a massive drive called “Swachhata Hi Seva”
or “Cleanliness is Service” was started to end plastic use. Nearly 100,000 people
formed a human chain in Dehradun, capital of northern Himalayan state of
Uttarakhand, to extend their support to the campaign.
Environmentalists say that after the pandemic hit the country all this came to a halt
as masks, gloves, face shields and PPE kits are made of plastic for protection
against the virus. Wearing a kit is necessary for doctors and paramedic staff and
right now health and safety have taken precedence over the environment. With
stress on disposable PPE kits, face masks and gloves, a serious climatic catastrophe
is unfolding for the post-Covid-19 era, warn experts.

Experts feel that many laws that prohibit or limit use of single use plastic are now
becoming ineffective in the present challenging circumstances. From 2018
onwards, many state governments had started restricting single-use plastic items
such as disposable cups and plates, along with thin polyethylene bags. By early
2019, more than half of the states in the country had enacted laws to ban or limit
use of single-use plastic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave several speeches in
2019 on the importance of giving up plastic.

Plastic is not only being widely used for relief work, but people in cities are also
using it to keep household items. Many people prefer plastic bags as they are
discarded after single use, while jute and cloth bags are used over and over again
giving rise to the apprehension that they could be helpful in the spread of the virus.
Eateries and other shops are also using plastic for home-delivery. Plastic waste is
being disposed of recklessly across public places in the urban areas.

ALTERNATIVES TO PLASTIC ARE COSTLY

The campaign against the single-use plastic got people’s support before Covid-19
hit the country. As the government banned plastic carry bags, people started using
canvas bags, denim bags and jute bags. But the shop owners usually do not provide
them free of cost to the customers, unlike plastic bags. Many people started taking
steel tiffins to their offices, and when their kids followed the suit by using steel
tiffins and bottles instead of those made of plastic. The managements of schools
also encouraged kids and their guardians to use non-plastic products. But many
families in India found the alternatives to plastic were much costlier. After Prime
Minister Modi announced the government’s intention to phase out plastic, the
Indian Railways also planned to serve tea and other hot beverages in kulhads or
earthen cups instead of those plastic cups and glasses. But the plan never
materialised as earthen cups were found to be both costly and inconvenient.
Similarly, people started using banana leaves and stitched plates made from peepal
tree leaves instead of plastics for serving food at many places especially at
wedding ceremonies, parties and other functions. But such efforts remained very
limited as leaves are not easily available and are expensive. Similarly, steel cutlery
is also expensive and must be cleaned and washed after use adding to the cost.

The government is silent about banning multi-layered packaging in which

refreshments like chips, candies and other snacks are sold, which is not recycled.
As most people are cost sensitive, the alternatives to plastics have not become very
popular as they are expensive compared to single-use plastic.

Effective implementation of law by the local government for correct

use of plastic by the common people needs to address the following
issues
(i) Use of plastic for packaging of household grocery items in wholesale as well as retail
shops, Mall, shopping complex, show room, in public places, various markets, etc should
be banned completely at one go. Strict rule/law declaring use of plastic is punishable
offence should be implemented immediately. Hefty amount of fine against use of plastic in
public places should be imposed effectively.

(ii) In the long term prospect Effective law to stop manufacturing plastic items specially
polythene bags at first hand by the small scale Plastic industries. Besides, in order not to
affect such small scale industries, these industries may be given some buffer time to switch
over to other durable essential plastic items like water tank, wire cables, vantilators,
electrical fitting items, roofing materials, foot duster, pen, comb, button, zip, etc.

(iii) Motivate the general public to substitute plastic bags by used papers, newspaper, recycled paper
bags, cheap and durable shopping bag

plastic effecting economic environment !

Plastics have direct and indirect impact to the environment’s “source and
sink” functions, which are its capability to provide natural resources (source
function), as well as ability to absorb unwanted by-products (sink function).
At the end of its lifespan, plastics pose a huge challenge to the
environment as they do not degrade completely. Even though large pieces
of plastic can be degraded into smaller forms (microplastics), they are
easily swept into the sea as debris where they remain in perpetuity. The
environment is not able to contain and “sink” the sheer volume of plastics
that are discarded every day. This results in the gradual degradation of the
environment as unwanted by-products cannot be absorbed.The presence
of discarded plastics also indirectly affects the environment’s source
function. Unwanted plastics that end up in the ocean deteriorate the natural
ecosystem and entire marine habitat. This in turn, impedes the formation of
finite natural resources and raw materials that help support the economy.

Plastic effecting social environment !

Plastic pollution isn't just a threat to non-human life like turtles and
whales. It's also a major environmental justice problem. "Plastic
pollution is a social justice issue,"  "Current efforts, limited to
managing and decreasing plastic pollution, are inadequate to
address the whole scope of problems plastic creates, especially
the disparate impacts on communities affected by the harmful
effects of plastic at every point from production to waste."
Production: Plastics come from oil, and oil extraction can be a
highly damaging and polluting process. Indigenous communities
are displaced for oil drilling, fracking pollutes drinking water and
oil refineries pose a health risk to the African American
communities along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Use: Women are more likely to be exposed to toxins from the use
of plastic, which is predominant in domestic and feminine
products.

Disposal: Improperly disposed of plastic ends up in marine

ecosystems, where it threatens the livelihood of those who rely
on fishing to survive and threatens the health of those who
consume it by mistake in their seafood. In addition, people who
make a living waste picking are disproportionately exposed to its
toxins.
CONCLUSION AND OPINION

Anti-plastic campaign:
The campaign which is organized to create awareness among the public about the
adverse effect of plastic usage and to make think them about stopping of its usage is
called an anti-plastic campaign.

In this, people used to go for the rally with posters and orations which deals with
harmful effects of plastic. They also used to distribute pamphlet, broachers etc.  

Its main law is to create a ban on plastic usage and to protect the environment from
the harmful effect caused by the plastics. Due to the effort of Anti-plastic campaign
people are now aware of the negative effect caused by plastic usage.

The government has imposed central level order for banning of usage of polythene
carry bag and all the plastic items which are made for one-time use. People have
started to use paper straws, cloth carry bag, neem tree bark pieces, etc, for their
domestic uses.