In India, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) records that Maharashtra generated as much as 4,09,630 tonnes of plastic waste in 2018-19. Mumbai is estimated to dump approximately 80-110 metric tonnes of plastic into its waters. Photo: AFP
Local residents take part in a beach clean-up effort to remove waste and garbage at Mahim beach in Mumbai on June 26, 2021. This is one of the many beach cleanups conducted in the city over the years. Most notably, Afroz Shah, a city-based lawyer and UN's 2016 Champion of Earth has been actively involved in beach cleanups since 2015 when he started the biggest one at Versova beach. Photo: AFP
Zero Waste Europe states that there are at least 1 million plastic bags being used around the world every minute and almost 80 per cent of it ends up polluting the waters. In Mumbai, after the regular cleanup at Versova beach, many others have conducted beach cleanups at Dadar, Mahim, Juhu and Vasai too. Photo: AFP
According to Zero Waste Europe, plastic bags are used only for 25 minutes but take between 100-500 years to disintegrate entirely. According to an IIT-B study called ‘This Report is an Alarm For All Of Us', Mumbai's waters will have more plastic than fish by 2050. Photo: AFP
Some of the most commonly used bags are of single-use plastic which include high density and low density polyethylene bags used in supermarkets, food outlets and other department stores. Photo: AFP
Most of the plastic that enters the oceans also ends up getting into the food chain as most fish consume them and it remains in them till they are caught. Photo: AFP
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