Plastic Waste Management Project Plan: What can India learn from other countries

Plastic Recycling and Sustainability, Plastic Waste Management Project, Sustainable Plastic Waste  Management Plan- Take a moment and look around, you will realise how dependent we are on plastics. It has become an unavoidable part of our lives in the past three decades or so. According to the recent United Nations Environment Programme report, the world produces 400 million ton single-use plastic (SUP) waste annually (47 per cent of the total plastic waste). It is estimated that only 9 per cent of the plastic is getting recycled worldwide.

Like any other country, waste management is a pressing issue in India, especially with the unceasing growth of consumerism throughout the nation. Interestingly, almost 60 per cent of the total plastic waste generated in India gets recycled while the remaining escapes into the environment. However, most of this plastic is down-cycled. At this juncture, India needs robust and stringent waste management tools to substantially improve the situation. Plastic Recycling and Sustainability, Plastic Waste Management Project, Sustainable Plastic Waste Management Plan.

Emerging shift

Since the 1980s, many global north countries have predicted the inexorable unintended consequences of using plastics in the long run and began to address the matter at a slow pace by adopting legal measures, instruments or punitive actions to dwindle the distribution and consumption of plastics across these countries.

Subsequently, countries such as Rwanda, Kenya, Indonesia and many other global south nations followed the lead. In 2008, Rwanda became a pioneer in banning disposal plastic among the developing nations and has transformed into one of the cleanest nations on the globe, in spite of its financial constraints. Plastic Recycling and Sustainability, Plastic Waste Management Project, Sustainable Plastic Waste  Management Plan.

Conversely, Ethiopia’s ban on importation and production of carry bags thicker than 330 microns, plateaued out in a short period. This is the matter with many developing countries including India, despite strengthening their stance against packaging plastics, they fail to effectively implement it due to the dearth of infrastructure, enforcement, and availability of affordable alternatives.

Besides this, most policies cease to exist due to impracticality and the absence of penalties to bring a long-lasting change. A form of punitive punishment binds citizens from illegal activities. For example, in the case of Kenya, about 500 people have been imprisoned for the offence of distributing or manufacturing plastics and some were fined between Kenya Shillings 50,000 and 150,000. 

Plastic Recycling and Sustainability, Plastic Waste Management Project, Sustainable Plastic Waste  Management Plan. Currently, about 25 African countries have taken legal initiatives to curb the consumption of SUPs and Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda are exploring sustainable disposal methods for their plastics waste. If these bills are diligently implemented, then they are one step ahead in fulfilling six targets of Sustainable Development Goals:

• Good health and well-being
• Clean water and sanitation
• Sustainable cities and communities
• Responsible consumption and production
• Life below water
• Life on land.

Plastic Recycling and Sustainability, Plastic Waste Management Project, Sustainable Plastic Waste  Management Plan. Apparently, various governments across the world have come up with creative policies to mitigate the plastic threat for instance, a new policy was introduced in one of the cities of Indonesia to collect used plastic bottles in exchange for free bus rides across the city. Whereas, the UK government passed a policy (which is yet to come into effect from 2022) that encourages the use of recycled package products among the producers by imposing plastic packaging tax on production and importation. 

Other special attempts pushed by South Africa is a memorandum of understanding, signed by actors in the plastic sector with the government to monitor efficiencies of various stakeholders viz, manufacturers; the Ministry of Tourism; packaging industries and the Department of Environmental Affairs to reduce the usage of disposable plastics.

Plastic Recycling and Sustainability, Plastic Waste Management Project, Sustainable Plastic Waste  Management Plan. It’s quite similar in Singapore, which includes a broader set of actors from the private sector, companies, shopping mall managers who are committed to reduce packaging waste by five years. This approach thrusts the actors to use other sustainable alternatives instead of SUPs in the value chain system. Additionally, an emerging practice, “precycling” (bringing own mugs and reusable bags), in South Korea’s supermarkets, grocery stores and cafes is curbing the consumption of disposables.

Preventing single-use plastics

It’s time to rethink the way we manufacture, use and dispose of plastic items in the most favourable way. While banning plastics in some countries such as Rwanda and Zanzibar (in Tanzania) has effectively countered main challenges. Plastic Recycling and Sustainability, Plastic Waste Management Project, Sustainable Plastic Waste  Management Plan.

However, long-term impacts and overall problem of the issue can be addressed only by establishing better waste management systems viz, by improving source segregation; designing an effective municipal solid waste (MSW) plans; ensuring collection and transportation of segregated waste and encouraging the country to identify and use affordable plastic alternative products. 

Plastic Recycling and Sustainability, Plastic Waste Management Project, Sustainable Plastic Waste  Management Plan. Besides national level bans on SUPs, there are regional leaders such as, January Makamba (Union and Environment Minister of Tanzania), Paul Kagame (the then President of Rwanda), Li Ganjie (Chinese Minister for Environmental Protection) among others who have raised their voices to address the issue and signed agreements to prevent the movement and production of single-use plastics across borders.