India’s plastic waste management to undergo an expansion

The U.N Environment Programme (UNEP) plans to expand plastic waste management in the country

India’s unorganized management of plastic waste has led to problems of excessive pollution and littering.  “In India, although about 60% of plastic is recycled, we are still seeing the damage that plastic pollution is causing,” Nadia Rasheed, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP India, said in an interview at the ‘Reuters Next’ conference broadcast that was held in the first week of December.

UNEP has predicted that plastic pollution is set to triple by 2040 and added that 23-37 million metric tons of waste would end in the world’s oceans each year.  It aims to triple its waste management to 100 cities in India by 2024 to combat the damaging effect of plastic pollution.

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The UNDP is working alongside NITI Aayog and together have developed a handbook model for local municipalities and for the private sector.  There is a need for stricter enforcement on controls around the dumping of plastic waste and there is still a lot more to be accomplished.