A Call for a Complete Ban on Single-Use Plastic at the Source

Mysuru is a city of heritage, culture, cleanliness and civic pride. It is a city that belongs not only to us, but also to the generations that will inherit it. If we wish to preserve its beauty, protect its environment and uphold its reputation as one of Karnataka’s most cherished cities, we must take a decisive step towards eliminating single-use plastic — not merely from our streets, but from its very source.

The problem must be stopped before it begins

Every day, single-use plastic enters our lives through shopping bags, food packaging, takeaway containers, disposable cups, cutlery, straws and countless other items designed to be used briefly and discarded. Much of this waste is difficult to collect, recycle or process effectively. It can clog drains, pollute water bodies, harm animals and remain in the environment for decades.

Cleaning up plastic after it has been discarded is necessary, but it is not a permanent solution. Collection drives, awareness campaigns and fines can help, yet they address only part of the problem. The most effective way to prevent plastic waste is to stop unnecessary single-use plastic from entering the supply chain in the first place.

Mysuru needs a policy that moves beyond managing plastic waste towards preventing its generation.

Our appeal to the Mysuru District Administration

We respectfully urge the District Administration, Mysuru City Corporation, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and other relevant authorities to work together towards a comprehensive, enforceable phase-out of unnecessary single-use plastics across Mysuru district.

We propose the following measures:

1. Stop plastic at the source. Establish a clear roadmap to eliminate the manufacture, distribution, stocking and sale of prohibited and avoidable single-use plastic items within the applicable legal framework. Work with manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, hotels, restaurants, event organisers and delivery platforms to prevent such products from entering the local market.

2. Make sustainable alternatives accessible. Encourage affordable, reusable and environmentally responsible alternatives, including cloth bags, durable containers and suitable paper or other verified lower-impact packaging. Support local businesses and small vendors through transition periods, practical guidance and access to alternatives.

3. Strengthen enforcement and accountability. Conduct regular inspections of commercial establishments, wholesale markets, packaging suppliers and other relevant points in the supply chain. Enforce existing laws consistently, with proportionate penalties for violations and clear procedures for reporting non-compliance.

4. Bring businesses into the solution. Engage manufacturers, distributors, supermarkets, street vendors, restaurants, hotels and e-commerce operators in a coordinated transition. Encourage reusable packaging, refill systems, deposit-return schemes and responsible procurement wherever practical.

5. Set measurable public targets. Publish a district-level action plan with timelines, baseline data, periodic progress reports and transparent measures of success. Track the reduction in single-use plastic entering the market, not merely the quantity of waste collected afterwards.

6. Lead by example. Make government offices, public events, official meetings and public facilities models of responsible consumption, eliminating avoidable disposable plastics wherever feasible and lawful.

7. Create a citizen-led monitoring system. Establish accessible channels through which residents can report violations, suggest improvements and participate in local initiatives. Publish responses and progress so that citizens can see the results of collective action.

A complete ban must be comprehensive in ambition, practical in implementation and consistent with applicable state and national law. Mysuru should work towards eliminating avoidable single-use plastic while ensuring that essential medical, public-health and other legally exempt uses remain protected.

An appeal to the people of Mysuru

The responsibility for a cleaner Mysuru does not rest with the government alone. Every resident, household, shopkeeper, student, institution and business has a role to play.

We urge the people of Mysuru to:

• Carry reusable bags and water bottles.
• Refuse unnecessary disposable cups, cutlery, straws and packaging.
• Choose reusable products and refill options wherever possible.
• Encourage local shops and restaurants to adopt plastic-free practices.
• Ask manufacturers and businesses to take responsibility for the packaging they introduce into the market.
• Participate in community clean-ups and awareness initiatives.
• Report persistent violations through the appropriate official channels.
• Support businesses making genuine efforts to reduce plastic waste.

Individual action matters, but individual action alone is not enough. Citizens should not be forced to choose between convenience and environmental responsibility when better systems can make sustainable choices accessible to everyone.

Let Mysuru set an example

Mysuru has the opportunity to demonstrate that environmental responsibility is not merely a slogan or a periodic cleanliness campaign. It can become a fundamental principle of how the city conducts business, organises public events, manages markets and protects its natural surroundings.

Imagine a Mysuru where unnecessary plastic packaging is no longer the default, where vendors have access to affordable alternatives, where public spaces are protected from disposable waste, and where children grow up understanding that convenience must not come at the cost of the environment.

This change will require planning, consultation, investment, enforcement and public participation. There may be practical challenges, particularly for small businesses and low-cost food vendors. These challenges should be addressed through phased implementation, support and affordable alternatives — not used as reasons to postpone action indefinitely.

Let us stop treating plastic pollution as a problem to be cleaned up after it happens. Let us prevent it before it begins.

Our demand

We call upon the Mysuru District Administration and Mysuru City Corporation to initiate a formal consultation with citizens, environmental experts, manufacturers, traders and community organisations, and to publish a time-bound action plan for the comprehensive elimination of unnecessary single-use plastic at its source.

We also call upon every citizen of Mysuru to support this initiative and make responsible consumption part of everyday life.

The future of Mysuru is a shared responsibility. The choices we make today will determine the city we leave behind tomorrow.

A cleaner Mysuru begins at the source. A plastic-free Mysuru begins with us.

Let Mysuru lead by example. Let us protect our heritage, our environment and our future.