By Dr Himmat Singh
Plastics play a crucial role in today’s economy, helping meet essential human needs. However, plastic pollution has rapidly become one of the most urgent environmental challenges. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates that the world generated 353 million tons of plastic waste in 2019 alone. Almost 50% of this waste ended up in landfills, 19% was incinerated, and 22% was disposed of in dumpsites, openly burned or leaked into the environment. Only 9% was recycled. As plastic pollution grows, its harmful effects are felt worldwide, from clogged waterways to degraded marine ecosystems, impacting both the environment and human health. But this challenge also brings an opportunity to transform how we produce, use, and manage plastics to build a circular economy for a sustainable future.
Addressing plastic pollution is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN Agenda 2030, and to safeguarding the future of our planet. The urgency to tackle plastic pollution has never been clearer. Governments are stepping up by advancing negotiations for a historic global instrument to end plastic pollution facilitated by an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) with support from the UN Environment Program (UNEP). This anticipated global instrument aims to address plastic pollution using a lifecycle approach to plastics, covering sustainable production and consumption, product design, reuse, recycling and sound management of chemicals and waste. As nations seek solutions addressing the root causes of plastic pollution, not just treating its symptoms, sharing hands-on experiences and lessons learned is critical to informing the discourse. UNDP is assisting countries worldwide in developing targeted solutions to combat plastic pollution.
Plastic pollution undermines sustainable development. From jeopardising human health and degrading vital ecosystems to exacerbating social injustices, it undermines the foundations of a sustainable future. Understanding these impacts is essential for developing effective strategies to tackle plastic pollution and create a healthier, more equitable world.
Key strategies to combating plastic pollution. Effective policies and regulations must address the entire lifecycle of plastics and engage all sectors of society to drive systemic change across five key areas:
- Promote sustainable production and consumption
- Eliminate or phase out problematic nonessential single-use plastics
- Restrict harmful chemicals in plastics
- Promote circular solutions through reuse, refill, and eco-design
- Improve waste management system
Plastic pollution in India
The plastics sector in India is a vital part of the economy, contributing around 2% to the country’s gross domestic product. India is the third-largest producer of plastics globally, following China and the United States, with the sector expected to grow around 8-10 % annually over the next few years. However, India faces a significant challenge with approximately 9.46 million tons of plastic waste generated annually, of which about 40% is uncollected and mismanaged. The plastic industry also contributes about 4% to India’s greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting the need for policy interventions to lower emissions and support the informal waste worker sector, which plays a crucial role in managing and recycling plastic waste, thereby helping to reduce emissions.
India has a fairly robust regulatory framework on plastic waste reduction, recycling and reuse. The most recent regulatory move is the launch of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework under the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022. The EPR framework incentivises upstream and midstream interventions for companies (producers, importers, and brand owners), and promotes ambitious targets for collection, recycling, reuse, and use of recycled plastic packaging.
But despite robust regulations, challenges remain, including limited enforcement of existing policies and regulations, lack of incentives for alternative materials, inadequate technology access, subsidies to petrochemical industries, lack of public awareness, and insufficient waste management infrastructure.
Key initiatives addressing plastic pollution in India Launched in 2018, UNDP’s program ‘Plastic Waste Recycling Management – A Partnership’ aims to improve plastic waste management through a socio-technical model aligned with government guidelines. It focuses on three key pillars:
Materials management: Through the establishment of Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), the program supported local governments in the adoption of closed loop systems by enhancing the reuse, recovery and recycling of materials from municipal solid waste streams. By setting up systems, processes and infrastructure, the program enabled material separation, processing, and recycling of plastic waste, built capacities of the local governments and practitioners, created green jobs, and supported cities in meeting waste diversion targets.
Addressing informality: Informal waste workers, aggregators, and recyclers are established actors in the local waste markets, and make recycling happen. The program aims to enable different models for the integration of informal waste workers into the formal sector, including working on their economic empowerment and improving their living and working conditions. To achieve this, the program focused on their recognition and social inclusion, facilitated access to social protection programs, and provided protective gear and equipment to reduce the health risks associated with handling plastic waste, ensuring safer working conditions. It also facilitated fair wages, provided access to financial resources, and offered opportunities for skill development, thereby enhancing their economic stability and overall quality of life.
Raising awareness and boosting advocacy: The program focuses on driving behaviour change among different stakeholders by promoting greater understanding and engagement among consumers, government partners and waste workers and other stakeholders, encouraging a shift towards responsible consumption and facilitating the adoption of best practices. Through education, incentives, policy support, capacity building and collaboration, the program creates a more sustainable and efficient approach to managing plastic waste, benefiting the environment and public health.
RESULTS
Through proper collection, recycling, and the establishment of 34 MRFs, the program has processed 125,264 tons of plastic waste, effectively preventing it from ending up in landfills or leaking into the environment. Beyond the environmental impact, the program has had profound socioeconomic benefits, particularly in terms of social inclusion, empowerment, and economic improvement for marginalised communities. More than 11,000 waste workers have been integrated into the program, gaining livelihoods and employment opportunities that foster greater economic resilience.
(Dr Himmat Singh is ex-Scientist “G” CSIR-IIP Dehradun & ex-Advisor R&D, BPCL, Mumbai.)
