India Generates Nearly 26,000 Tonnes Of Plastic Waste Every Day, 40% Remains Uncollected, Says Government

India is the fifteenth biggest plastic waste producer globally, producing a whopping 25,940 tonnes of plastic waste every day. Discarded plastic waste plagues the country¡¯s roads, rivers, open lands, and form garbage dumps as tall as the Qutub Minar in Delhi.

Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar told the Lok Sabha on November 22 that the country¡¯s 60 major cities produce 4,059 tonnes per day of plastic waste, quoting a study of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

¡°The production of plastic in India increased from 1,591 million metric tonnes in 2014-15 to 1,719 million metric tonnes in 2017-18. However, the production for 2018-19 is 1,589 million metric tonnes,¡± Union Minister of State for the environment ministry, Babul Supriyo said, quoting a government report released this year.

The production of plastic has increased in the country except for the year 2018-19.

He also said that the demand of plastic has increased significantly due its increased use in the fast-moving consumer goods sector, which has indirectly resulted into the challenge of plastic waste management.

"With continued economic development, the demand for consumer goods is increasing. Among the various factors driving this growth, one of the most significant factor is increasing use of plastics by the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector."

"Due to its durability, strength, inert behavior and low cost, plastic emerged as one of the most reliable packaging material for the industries. As an outcome, the increase in demand for plastic has indirectly resulted into the challenge of plastic waste management," Javadekar said.

¡°Approximately 15,384 tonnes/day, which is 60 per cent of the total plastic waste, is collected and recycled. This recycled plastic is used is manufacturing of several products. The remaining 10,556 tonnes/day of the plastic waste, which is estimated to be approximately 40 per cent of plastic waste generation, remains uncollected and littered in the environment,¡± he informed the Lok Sabha.

The minister said that finding an alternative to plastic is a challenging task due to its cheap cost.

"Due to various positive factors including cheap cost associated with plastic packaging, finding an ecologically sustainable and green alternative to plastic is a challenging task."

"However, with an objective to ensure the sound management of plastic waste, ministry has already started taking initiatives, for effective management of plastic waste in the country," Javadekar said.

He added that an expert group has been constituted by Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET) with respect to research and development for biodegradable technology on plastic.