World Environment Day: Kartik Aaryan, ‘I stopped using plastic bottles 5 years ago’

This year, India is hosting World Environment Day with ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’ as the theme. Kartik Aaryan, who is popular with the Gen Next thanks to his youth-oriented films like the Pyaar Ka Punchnama series and the blockbuster hit Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, talks about the importance of saving the environment and avoiding the use of plastic, thereby creating awareness for the cause.     

Have you always been eco-conscious?

Yes, I have. First of all, I love having plants in my home — if you come to my house, you’ll find a lot of greenery. Also, I like doing things that reduce pollution and something that will not cause harm in the longer run. In my growing-up years, I was influenced by my parents. My mom and dad were always against using plastic bags and it has been passed on to me. I used either cloth bags or those that can be recycled. Many people have started using paper bags, but you need to be careful because this means more trees are getting cut. So, cloth and jute bags are a good option.

The state government has declared a ban on plastic, despite that we don’t see anyone adhering to it...

(Cuts in) The government has done a good thing by banning it, but the public should also support it totally. There is still a long way to go before people stop using it completely. They are habituated to using plastic bags, so it will take time to change that. But rather than blaming everything on the government, we should voluntarily start reducing the usage of plastic. Avoid using plastic spoons, plates and bottles. In fact, plastic bottles are a major cause of pollution. When I go for a walk or jog early in the morning, it is horrifying to see plastic waste on the beaches. 

I read somewhere that one million plastic bottles are manufactured every minute, which is a disaster. Honestly, at one point even I was guilty of using them. A few years ago, I attended a concert. Once it got over and everybody had left, the whole area was littered with plastic bottles. That’s when I told myself I should stop using them because they not only harm the environment, but can also cancer. Since then I have been using only glass bottles.

What other eco-friendly measures have you adopted?

I see to it that I don't use air-conditioners unnecessarily. I would advocate the same to others — I’m not saying poori tarah band kar do, but I’ve seen people using it even when the weather is cold and pleasant. Just because woh chadar odhkar sona chahte hain, but ACs consume a lot of electricity. I have a few friends who leave the fans and lights on even if they are going out. This is sheer carelessness and waste of electricity. It is a source of energy, which should be conserved. Another important measure is water harvesting. My building does it and I would urge all societies to start adopting it, thereby saving a lot of rainwater that goes waste. Aamir Khan's Paani Foundation is doing great work, and though I haven't volunteered for it yet, I would love to.

Are you doing something special on World Environment Day?

For me, every day is World Environment Day. As a responsible citizen, I am not using plastic. I’ve been planting trees on a regular basis and doing things that reduce pollution.