India produces an estimated 26,000 tonnes of plastic a day. The majority is packaging material, for everything ranging from takeaway food to online shopping.

Most of it ends up at crowded landfill sites in the city along with other waste. A lot of it finds its way into drains and waterways, and eventually into the oceans. It’s toxic not just for the environment and wildlife, but for human health as well.

The Indian government has started a campaign to rid the country of single-use plastic over the next three years. But plastic is cheap and ubiquitous, and alternative materials aren’t as easily available and are often more expensive.

Are we ready to embrace a life without single-use plastic? Are companies willing to make the change? And what can consumers do to switch to a more eco-friendly lifestyle?

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Dia Mirza, actor, producer, UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador & United Nations Secretary General Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals; Bahar Dutt, environment journalist and conservation biologist; Jayesh Rambhia, managing director, Premsons Plastics and Co-chairman, All India Plastic Manufacturers' Association (AIPMA)

Image: Volunteers of the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Sulabh International hold cloth bags (Credit: Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images)