EATING CHICKEN IN SCHOOL PUTS OFFICIAL IN SPOT
BHUBANESWAR: An education department officer in Odisha’s Sundergarh district had been placed under suspension for eating chicken curry in a school while the children were served rice and dal only under mid-daymeal scheme, officials said on Saturday. Sundergarh District Collector Nikhil Pavan Kalyan suspended Binay Prakash Soy, Block Education Officer (BEO), Bonai, after a video of the BEO eating chicken curry brought from outside alongside the school children went viral. “Soy is hereby put under suspension with immediate effect...,” the order issued by the Collector said. NEWDELHI: The phasing out of single-use plastic bags may be feasible, but doing away with plastic packaging is a challenge as there is lower acceptability of alternatives and higher carbon footprint involved in large-scale manufacturing, use and disposal of alternatives like glass, cloth and paper, experts say.
A Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report last year on the life-cycle assessment of plastic packaging products showed the total energy consumed and carbon emissions from plastic packaging products in comparison with alternatives. For example, the carbon dioxide equivalent emissions during the entire life cycle (extraction of raw material, manufacturing, transportation, use and disposal) of one tonne of glass bottles is 9905.6 kg compared to 8034.6 kg for a tonne of PET bottles and 4099.4 kg for a tonne of milk pouches. Similarly, the CO2 emissions from life cycle of a tonne of polypropylene (PP woven) sacks is 3871.2 kg compared to 5865.8 kg for a ton of jute sacks.
“Most alternatives for plastic packaging, including paper and glass, have a higher energy and carbon footprint. The most important aspect of waste management is to reduce and make choices that will last long. For example, instead of using paper or plastic cups, use a durable mug at work.” said Sourabh Manuja, a fellow at the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
Another challenge is that the plastic industry has not found an