Plastic Pollution
Context:
India has emerged as the world’s largest plastic polluter, releasing 9.3 million tonnes (Mt) of plastic annually, according to a recent study. This accounts for nearly one-fifth of global plastic emissions.
The study defines plastic emissions as materials that have transitioned from a managed or mismanaged system (controlled or contained) to an unmanaged system (uncontrolled or uncontained, such as the environment).
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- The study published in Nature suggests that India’s official waste generation rate of approximately 0.12 kilograms per capita per day is likely underestimated.
- This discrepancy arises because official data often excludes rural areas, uncollected waste that is openly burned, and waste recycled by the informal sector, according to the study.
- Nigeria ranks second, with 3.5 million tonnes (Mt) of plastic emissions, followed by Indonesia with 3.4 Mt and China.
- China has significantly invested in waste collection and processing infrastructure over the past 15 years.
- Approximately 69 percent of the world’s plastic waste emissions—around 35.7 Mt per year—come from just 20 countries.
- Of these, four are low-income, nine are lower-middle-income, and seven are upper-middle-income.
- While high-income countries generate more plastic waste, none rank in the top 90 polluters due to near-complete waste collection coverage and controlled disposal systems.
Global Plastics TreatyIn March 2022, at the fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly, a historic resolution was adopted to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. Formal negotiations for the instrument, also referred to as a UN treaty to end plastic pollution, began in November 2022 with the convening of an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC). The ambition is to complete the negotiations for a UN treaty in November/December 2024 at INC-5. The fourth session (INC-4) took place from 23 to 29 April 2024 in Ottawa, Canada, marking a pivotal point in the negotiations. The fifth and final session (INC-5) is scheduled for 25 November to 1 December 2024 in Busan, Republic of Korea. Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021The Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021 were notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in India, aiming to address the environmental challenges posed by plastic pollution, particularly from single-use plastics. The amendment specifically targets single-use plastic items that have low utility and high littering potential. Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022:The Guidelines establish mandatory targets for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), recycling plastic packaging waste, reusing rigid plastic packaging, and using recycled plastic content. Their goal is to encourage sustainable plastic packaging and minimise the overall plastic footprint. |
