Page 65 - Clean India Journal - Sept 2023 Digital Edition

Waste ManageMent

The state of

plastic waste management

As per the MoEFCC report published in 2015,
India generates about 62 million tonnes of

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) annually; waste
generation in India is increasing at a very high

rate. This increase poses both a concern and an
opportunity, writes Ashish Jain, Director, Indian
Pollution Control Association.

fficient management of waste is their waste separately at the source of
essential to save the environment its generation, the value of waste can be
and health of communities, and to multiplied.
build an economy around waste. There are lots of concerns, issues and
EWaste material as a resource for challenges related to plastic and its waste.
economic activities has gained relevance Considering this, MoEFCC has notified
in recent times. The model of circular Plastic Waste Management Rules in
economy rests on the principle that nothing 2016, which is amended several times
goes to waste; products should be designed to effectively manage the plastic waste
in a way that after primary consumption, generated in the country.
the residue will come back to the system to
Plastic is being consumed across multiple
produce a different range of products. sectors but packaging is the largest end-
Increasing amounts of waste means an use market segment, accounting for just
increase in supply of waste as a resource over 40% of total plastic usage. There are
to recycling industries. However, littering, estimates that around 50% of plastic is used
poor collection and lack of source under Single Use Plastic categories. The
segregation of waste poses a concern in maximum consumption is of the plastic
the concept of circular economy. As mixed carry bag, of which approximately 500
and uncollected waste cannot be treated as billion units are used worldwide.
a raw material or resource by any industry, In August 2022, MoEFCC published
such waste finds its way to dump yards, a notification to ban 19 categories of
landfills, water bodies and open spaces. Single Use Plastic items to reduce the
Hence, collection of segregated waste can consumption of plastic packaging and
help in avoiding this problem. provide an opportunity for alternatives to
In India, on average, only 60% of waste plastic. Many such policies and guidelines
is being collected by different agencies, have been introduced for effective and
out of which only 16% is recovered or efficient waste management and transferred
treated or brought back to the circular responsibility to multiple stakeholders,
economy. This low rate of recovery is including producer, brand and importer
possibly because of high contamination of plastic packaging. MoEFCC has also
of waste; it is mixed with many unwanted introduced a policy to encourage circular
materials like sludge, leading to a higher economy through use of recycled plastic
cost of segregation. In this way, we lose material in packaging. These all are
the value of waste as a resource. However, welcome steps and need to be enforced by
if waste generators are careful in keeping state authorities.

Clean India Journal•SEPTEMBER 2023 65
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