India will ban single use plastics next year to cut pollution but experts say that's not enough

. About 60% of plastic waste in India is collected — that means the remaining 40% or 10,376 tons remain uncollected, according to Anoop Srivastava, director of Foundation for Campaign Against Plastic Pollution, a non-profit organization advocating for policy changes to tackle plastic waste in India. Independent waste pickers typically collect plastic waste from households or landfills to sell them at recycling centers or plastic manufacturers for a small fee. However, a lot of the plastics used in India have low economic value and are not collected for recycling, according to Suneel Pandey, director of environment and waste management at The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri) in New Delhi. In turn, they become a common source of air and water pollution. Banning plastics is not enough.Countries, including India, are taking steps to reduce plastic use by promoting the use of biodegradable alternatives that are relatively less harmful to the environment. For example, food vendors, restaurant chains and some local businesses have started adopting biodegradable cutlery and cloth or paper bags.About 60% of plastic waste in India is collected — that means the remaining 40% or 10,376 tons remain uncollected, according to Anoop Srivastava, director of Foundation for Campaign Against Plastic Pollution, a non-profit organization advocating for policy changes to tackle plastic waste in India. Independent waste pickers typically collect plastic waste from households or landfills to sell them at recycling centers or plastic manufacturers for a small fee. However, a lot of the plastics used in India have low economic value and are not collected for recycling, according to Suneel Pandey, director of environment and waste management at The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri) in New Delhi. In turn, they become a common source of air and water pollution. Banning plastics is not enough Countries, including India, are taking steps to reduce plastic use by promoting the use of biodegradable alternatives that are relatively less harmful to the environment. For example, food vendors, restaurant chains and some local businesses have started adopting biodegradable cutlery and cloth or paper bags.