In this article, we will discuss India Plastics Pact (Need for Plastics Pact). So, let’s get started.
Need for Plastic Pacts:
Indian Scenario:
- India generates 9.46 million tonnes of plastic waste annually.
- 40% plastic waste goes uncollected.
- 43% of all plastics produced in India are used for packaging, majority of them being single-use.
- However, viewed from the angle of livelihoods, post-consumer segregation, collection and disposal of plastics make up about half of the income of 1.5- 4 million waste-pickers in India.
Global Scenario:
- Mismanagement of more than 7.7 billion metric tonnes of plastic waste globally over the next 20 years is expected, which is equivalent to 16-times the weight of the human population.
- Among the many applications of plastic, plastic packaging is the largest.
- A 2019 report by the Center for International Environmental Law suggests that by 2050, greenhouse gas emissions from plastic could reach over 56 gigatonnes, 10-13% of the remaining carbon budget.
Expected Outcome:
- It can be expected to boost demand for recycled content, investments in recycling infrastructure, jobs in the waste sector, and beyond.
- The Pact will support the Extended Producer Responsibility framework of the government and improve solid waste management as envisioned in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
- Integral to the Pact’s framework is the involvement of the informal waste sector crucial to post-consumer segregation, collection and processing of plastic waste.
- Apart from benefits to society and economy, delivering the targets will drive circularity of plastics and help tackle pollution.
- They will lead to significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
