Carpool, Single-Use Plastics: Poll Body Calls For "Sustainable Elections"

The commission has instructed to avoid single-use plastic completely, ensure separate collection bins and proper signage and adequate disposal facility for each type of waste.

Avoiding single-use plastics, keeping paper use to the minimum, using eco-friendly vehicles and carpooling are part of the Election Commission's directions to the poll machinery and political parties ahead of the Lok Sabha polls to ensure a "sustainable election".

According to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is sensitive to environmentally sustainable elections. "In a step towards sustainable or eco-friendly elections, we are making efforts to minimise single-use plastic and encourage eco-friendly practices in the election process. A set of instructions has been issued to the poll machinery and political parties for waste management, minimisation of paper and reducing carbon footprint," Mr Kumar said during a press conference on Saturday when he announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls.

The commission has instructed to avoid single-use plastic completely, ensure separate collection bins and proper signage and adequate disposal facility for each type of waste, partner with local waste management and recycling facilities, minimise the use of paper for voter lists and electoral materials, ensure double-side printing and layout optimisation and encourage electronic mode of communication.It has also urged officials and political parties to reduce the carbon footprint by encouraging carpooling and using public transport during campaigning and the election process, utilising renewable energy for campaign events and consolidating polling locations to cut the distance travelled by officials and voters.