Pay urgent attention to plastic waste crisis
India has the dubious distinction of being the world’s biggest plastic polluter, having taken that position from China. By all indications, we will continue to be at the top of the plastic heap for the foreseeable future. The country releases about 9.3 million tonnes of plastic waste every year, that is about a fifth of the global waste burden, and three times the waste generated by other top polluters. The data comes from the research conducted at the University of Leeds, and agrees with the results of other studies. A 2020-21 report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had said that the country generated four million tonnes of plastic waste annually. All these figures are likely to be underestimated, because it is difficult to get a correct estimate. The Leeds report says that the figures for India do not include burnt uncollected waste and recycled waste in rural areas. New Delhi is among the world’s top plastic polluting cities.
The revelations and the concerns are not new, and the problem of plastic waste keeps growing every year. China, which was the top polluter, has reduced its burden by effectively implementing plans for waste incineration and controlled landfills. India needs to improve its systems for waste disposal, destruction and recycling. It is a matter involving public health, sustainable development and a clean environment. Some recent reports talk about how micro plastics, which arise from improper burning of plastics, enter our organs and pose a threat to health. Compared to the global North, countries in the South are lacking in resources to counter the plastic threat, but the pollution could affect every one and there has to be a coordinated global effort to tackle it.
Rules and regulations exist in India for the collection, disposal and recycling of plastic waste. They include the Plastic Waste Management Rules and the Extended Producer Responsibility Rules, both of which must be followed mandatorily. Elaborate procedures have also been laid down. But implementation is tardy. There is fraud and corruption in their enforcement. More importantly, our collection, disposal and recycling systems are short of resources, reach and efficiency. The government has set up a task force to coordinate efforts to eliminate single use plastics and the CPCB has taken some steps for better enforcement of the rules. The CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) has launched the Mission on Sustainable Packaging Solutions. One major problem is that local self-government bodies, which play a critical role in waste management, are dysfunctional in most states. While India has a high plastic burden, it has a low per capita burden. But that is cold comfort.