Plastic persuasions

The annual observance of World Environment Day on June 5 goes back to 1973.

- CHINTAN GIRISH MODI

Led by the United Nations Environment Programme, it is a major occasion for governments and corporations to renew their commitment to environmental causes, take meaningful action and bring new people into the ambit of outreach. It is hosted by a different country each year. In 2025, the Republic of Korea will have that honour. This year's theme is #BeatPlasticPollution.

In this context, journalist Saabira Chaudhuri's book Consumed: How Big Brands Got Us Hooked on Plastic assumes tremendous significance, more so because we are just two months away from a meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee in Geneva, where a global treaty will be negotiated to end plastic pollution. An international, legally binding instrument of this kind seems like an ambitious undertaking, but it is the need of the hour.

The author grew up in Bengaluru, obtained an MA in business and economic reporting from New York University, and now lives in London. The book focuses mostly on the United States and India while discussing the history of how plastic became an indispensable part of human life. This historical lens that she adopts is important so that environmental advocacy is grounded in solid facts and not based only on ideology and emotion. We need to have a clear grasp of why plastics became so popular across geographies. They did not emerge out of thin air.