India's Annual Plastic Recycling Efforts: An Overview

India's plastic recycling rate stood at 8% in 2019, with the country generating nearly 26,000 tonnes of plastic waste every day, second only to the United States and the European Union. While the country's recycling capacity has improved, with estimates of 30% of 3.4 million tonnes of annual plastic waste being recycled, challenges remain due to limited waste collection infrastructure and a booming informal recycling sector. India aims to boost its recycling capacity and reduce its environmental impact by embracing circular economy principles.

India's plastic recycling rate was 8% in 2019

India's plastic recycling rate stood at just 8% in 2019. The country generates nearly 26,000 tonnes of plastic waste every day, second only to the waste output of the United States and the European Union. This waste presents a significant opportunity for India to embrace recycling initiatives and transform plastic waste into a valuable resource.

Despite the challenges India faces in plastic recycling, such as limited segregation at the source and a lack of formal waste collection in many areas, the country has made progress. The informal recycling sector in India is estimated to employ 1.5-4 million waste pickers, who manually sort plastics and contribute to the country's recycling efforts.

To build a circular plastics economy, a consortium of Indian and Australian research organisations has developed a roadmap with a comprehensive view of the plastics value chain. The goal is to increase the recycling rate to 67% by 2035, with an annual consumption of 52.9 million tonnes. This ambitious target will require collaboration between the government, finance industry, researchers, and industries.

In the meantime, India has set recycling targets for plastic packaging ranging from 30% to 50% in the fiscal year 2024/25. Additionally, new regulations require consumer brands to use at least 30% recycled plastic content in their packaging starting in 2025. These initiatives aim to address the growing concern of plastic pollution in India and foster a more sustainable future.

The country generates 3.4 million tonnes of plastic waste annually

India generates approximately 3.4 million tonnes of plastic waste per year, with some sources giving a slightly higher estimate of 3.5 million tonnes. This figure has been increasing, with India's plastic consumption rising at a compounded annual growth rate of 9.7% from 14 million tonnes in 2016-17 to 20 million tonnes in 2019-20. India's plastic waste output doubled between 2016 and 2020, and it is now the third-largest generator of plastic waste in the world, behind only the United States and the European Union.

Despite India's fairly high rate of recycling, only about 30% of this waste is recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills or aquatic dumps. This is due in part to the lack of a formal waste collection system in many areas, with about 60% of India's plastic waste being collected by an informal network of 1.5-4 million waste pickers. These informal recycling sectors often "down-cycle" plastic waste into products that cannot be further recycled, and the recycled material is thus limited in its usefulness.

To address this issue, India has set a goal of recycling 67% of plastic waste by 2035, with an annual consumption of 52.9 million tonnes. The country plans to achieve this through various policies, including supportive infrastructure, effective recycling, consistent compliance, sustainable consumption, awareness and readiness, design for circularity, and commercial viability. By 2025, recycling capacity is targeted to reach 35.2 million tonnes, with a complete phase-out of single-use plastics. To meet these targets, India will need to significantly ramp up its recycling capacity and improve the formal waste collection system.

Only 30% of plastic waste is recycled

India generates approximately 3.4 million tonnes of plastic waste per year, with some sources giving a higher estimate of 4 million metric tons. However, only about 30% of this waste is recycled, according to a report. This means that India recycles around 1 million tonnes of plastic waste annually. The rest of the plastic waste is sent to landfills or dumped in aquatic environments, causing severe ecological damage to the surrounding communities and ecosystems.

While India has a relatively high recycling rate, most of the recycled material is processed through fragmented informal networks. These networks "down-cycle" plastic waste into products that cannot be recycled further, leading to the plastic reaching its end of life. The informal recycling sector in India employs an estimated 1.5 to 4 million waste pickers, according to a 2018 report by the International Labour Organization. The work of sorting plastics is often done manually by these waste pickers or workers, who face challenges and health risks due to the nature of their work.

To improve the recycling rate and reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste, India needs to address several issues. Firstly, there is limited segregation of plastic waste at the source, and a lack of formal waste collection in many areas. Additionally, the prevalence of multi-layer packaging, which is difficult to recycle, poses a significant hurdle. The Central Pollution Control Board reported that India generated 3.4 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, but the actual figure may be higher due to the booming informal sector and lack of waste collection infrastructure in certain locations.

To embrace recycling initiatives and foster a circular economy, India has set targets for plastic packaging recycling ranging from 30 to 50 percent in the fiscal year 2024/25. By 2030, the recycling capacity should grow to 18.8 million tonnes, and single-use plastics are expected to be phased out completely. To achieve these goals, India needs to focus on supportive infrastructure, effective recycling technologies, consistent compliance, sustainable consumption, awareness, design for circularity, and commercial viability. Innovations and collaborations between the government, finance, research, and industry sectors are crucial to radically improving India's recycling capacity and transforming plastic waste into valuable resources.

The plastic consumption in India grew by 9.7% in 5 years

India's plastic consumption has been on a steep rise in the last few years. Between 2016 and 2020, the country's plastic consumption grew by 9.7% at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR). This increase in plastic consumption has resulted in a corresponding rise in plastic waste output. India generates approximately 3.4 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with only about 30% of it being recycled. The remaining 70% ends up in landfills or aquatic dumps, severely impacting the surrounding local ecologies.

To address this issue, India has set ambitious targets for recycling and waste management. The country aims to recycle 67% of its plastic waste by 2035, with an annual consumption target of 52.9 million tonnes. To achieve this goal, a comprehensive roadmap has been developed, outlining seven key policies: supportive infrastructure, effective recycling, consistent compliance, sustainable consumption, awareness and readiness, design for circularity, and commercial viability.

The Indian government has recognised the importance of collaboration between government, finance, research, and industry sectors to radically improve its recycling capacity. Additionally, the roadmap emphasises the need for recycling and sorting infrastructure to be in place by 2025, with specific targets for recycling capacity and the reduction of landfilled plastics. Digitalisation of the flow chain of polymers is also expected to play a crucial role in achieving these targets.

While India's recycling rate stood at 8% in 2019, the country is taking significant steps towards improving its capacity and meeting its recycling goals. The Indian government has been working on creating a statutory framework to encourage the use of biodegradable plastics and reduce single-use plastic consumption. These efforts are in line with the requirements of the United Nations Global Plastics Treaty, demonstrating India's commitment to addressing the global issue of plastic waste management.

India's plastic waste output doubled in 5 years

India's plastic waste output has doubled in five years, with an average annual increase of 21.8%. In 2019-20, the country generated 3.4 million tonnes of plastic waste, up from 15.89 lakh tons in 2015-16. This rapid increase in plastic waste generation is a significant cause for concern, as it far outpaces the country's capacity to manage and recycle this waste effectively.

According to various reports, India recycles only about 30% of the plastic waste it generates annually. This means that a significant amount of plastic waste ends up in landfills, aquatic dumps, or is incinerated, contributing to environmental pollution and degradation. The Indian government has implemented measures such as a ban on single-use plastics and efforts to promote the use of biodegradable plastics. However, the recycling rate in India was only 8% in 2019, indicating a need for more comprehensive action.

The low recycling rate in India can be attributed to various factors, including a lack of infrastructure, ineffective waste management systems, and insufficient consumer awareness. To address these issues, a consortium of Indian and Australian research organizations has developed a roadmap to increase the recycling rate to 67% by 2035. The roadmap includes recommendations such as supportive infrastructure, effective recycling technologies, and promoting circular economy practices.

India is among the top plastic waste-generating countries globally, and its rapid increase in plastic waste output has significant environmental implications. The country's plastic consumption has risen at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7%, contributing to the growing waste output. Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu are the top three contributing states, together responsible for 38% of the total plastic waste generated in India.

Surat, the economic capital of Gujarat, is a notable example of effective plastic waste management within the country. The city was ranked the second cleanest in India for the third consecutive year in the Swachh Survekshan survey 2022. Surat produces almost 150 metric tonnes of plastic waste daily, and the Surat Municipal Corporation has implemented successful strategies to treat this waste and even generate revenue from it.

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