India's Ocean Pollution: Understanding The Plastic Crisis

India has emerged as one of the world's largest plastic polluters, with a study published in Nature revealing that India has become the world's largest contributor to plastic pollution, accounting for nearly 20% of the total global plastic waste. India's 7,517-kilometer coastline is home to 14% of the country's population, with three in four metro cities located on the coast. The mismanagement of plastic waste is a significant concern in India, with limited formal waste collection and recycling systems, and a heavy reliance on the informal waste sector. The country's rapid economic and population growth, coupled with a lack of proper disposal systems, has resulted in higher levels of mismanaged plastic entering the environment, particularly the Indian Ocean.

India's informal waste sector handles 4.7 Mt of plastic annually, compared to 0.2 Mt by the public system

India has been identified as one of the world's largest plastic polluters, with a recent study ranking it as the biggest plastic polluter, contributing one-fifth of global plastic emissions. The country's waste management infrastructure has not kept pace with the growing volume of plastic waste, and India's informal waste sector handles a significantly larger amount of plastic waste than its public system.

India's informal waste sector, including waste pickers and small-scale recyclers, plays a crucial role in managing the country's plastic waste. It is estimated that about 60% of India's plastic waste is handled by this unregulated sector. However, the lack of formal recognition and support for the informal sector leads to much of the waste remaining unaccounted for. The informal recycling practices can sometimes exacerbate pollution instead of mitigating it.

In contrast, India's public waste system handles a much smaller proportion of the country's plastic waste. The limited availability of formal waste management systems and the inefficiency of existing infrastructure contribute to the disparity between the informal and public sectors. India's official waste generation rate is estimated to be 0.12 kg per capita per day, but this figure is likely underestimated, and the actual waste generation may be higher.

The mismanagement of plastic waste in India has severe consequences, including environmental degradation and disruption of ecosystems. Plastic waste clogs water bodies and drainage systems, leading to flooding in major cities, and an estimated 80% of marine litter along India's coastlines is plastic. The leakage of plastic into the environment is a significant issue, with rivers like the Ganges and Indus contributing to the high levels of plastic reaching the ocean.

To address the plastic pollution crisis, India has initiated various efforts, such as the 75-day-long "Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar" initiative, which involved cleaning up 75 beaches nationwide. Additionally, civil society organizations like Green Worms in Kerala are working to eradicate plastic pollution and create dignified jobs through the strategy of a circular economy. However, the pace and scale of change need to increase significantly to tackle the growing plastic waste problem in India effectively.

India's coastline spans 7,517 km, with 14% of the population living near the coast

India's coastline spans 7,517 kilometres, with a population of 420 million living near the coast. This represents 14% of the country's total population. India's coastline has expanded significantly from 7,516 kilometres in 1970 to 11,098 kilometres in 2023-24, driven by new measurement methodologies. The coastal states are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal.

India's coastal population density and mismanagement of plastic waste are significant contributors to the country's high levels of plastic pollution in the Indian Ocean. The country ranks 12th among 192 countries in discharging plastic waste into the ocean from its coastline. The Ganges and Indus rivers are two of ten global rivers that contribute to 90% of the plastics reaching the ocean. India's informal waste sector handles 4.7 million tonnes of plastic annually, compared to 0.2 million tonnes handled by the public waste system, leading to a significant amount of plastic leakage into the environment.

The high population density along India's coastline, combined with inadequate waste management systems, exacerbates the problem of plastic pollution in the ocean. India's rapid economic and population growth, coupled with a heavy reliance on the informal waste sector, further compounds the issue. The Indian Ocean rim countries, including India, have some of the highest population densities globally, and the mismanagement of plastic waste is a significant concern in these states.

Several rivers in India, such as the Ganges and the Indus, are among the most plastic-polluted rivers that empty into the Indian Ocean, contributing a tremendous amount of plastic debris each year. The concentration, distribution, and impacts of plastics in the Indian Ocean are poorly understood compared to other oceans due to undersampling and data scarcity. However, it is evident that the Indian Ocean receives a significant amount of plastic pollution, and the lack of data in this region needs to be addressed.

While India's government and civil society organisations are making efforts to address plastic pollution, the pace and scale of change need to increase significantly. The business sector has a crucial role in driving the transformation towards a more sustainable and circular plastics economy. Collaborative initiatives, such as India2022, aim to develop new models for growth with reduced environmental impact.

India's lack of proper disposal systems results in higher levels of mismanaged plastic entering the ocean

India's rapid economic and population growth, coupled with its limited formal waste management systems, contribute to the country's significant plastic pollution problem. India's informal waste sector handles a staggering 4.7 million tonnes (Mt) of plastics annually, compared to just 0.2 Mt managed by the public waste system. This mismanagement of plastic waste results in India being one of the largest contributors to marine plastic pollution, with a large proportion ending up in the Indian Ocean.

The country's high population density, particularly along its extensive coastline, exacerbates the issue. India's coastline spans 7,517 kilometres, with approximately 14% of its population, or 420 million people, residing in coastal districts. This dense population, combined with inadequate waste disposal systems, leads to a significant amount of plastic waste being dumped into the ocean.

The Ganges and Indus Rivers are two of the top ten rivers globally that contribute to the plastic waste reaching the ocean. These rivers carry plastic pollution from various sources, including land-based waste and fishing debris, directly into the Indian Ocean. The unique oceanographic features of the Indian Ocean, such as reversing wind directions due to monsoons, fronts, and upwelling, also play a role in the distribution and accumulation of plastic waste.

The Indian government has recognised the severity of the problem and initiated efforts such as the "Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar" campaign, which involved cleaning up 75 beaches nationwide. Additionally, civil society organisations like Green Worms and the TREE Foundation are actively working to address plastic pollution and create sustainable solutions.

However, India's plastic pollution crisis is far from over. The country's reliance on open dumping and burning of waste, including plastic waste, continues to contribute to environmental degradation. Single-use plastics, despite regulatory bans, remain a significant portion of India's total plastic waste due to weak enforcement and the lack of affordable alternatives. As a result, India's lack of proper disposal systems continues to result in higher levels of mismanaged plastic entering the ocean, posing risks to marine life, ecosystems, and even human health.

The Ganges and Indus Rivers are two of ten global rivers contributing 90% of plastics that reach the ocean

India's plastic pollution problem is a complex issue with a variety of contributing factors. One significant contributor is the mismanagement of plastic waste, which is a concern in many of the country's coastal states. India's coastline spans 7,517 kilometres, with a population of 420 million living near the coast. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), more than 15,000 metric tonnes of waste, much of it plastic, is dumped into the South Asian seas daily, generated from 60 major Indian cities. India's informal waste sector handles 4.7 million tonnes of plastic annually, compared to 0.2 million tonnes handled by the public waste system, leading to a significant amount of plastic leakage into the environment.

The Ganges and Indus Rivers are two of ten global rivers responsible for around 90% of the plastic pollution that reaches the ocean. The Ganges, also known as the Ganga, is choked with plastic waste, including PET bottles, polythene bags, food sachets, and discarded fishing gear. A 2019 study found that the Ganges likely releases 1–3 billion microplastic particles into the Bay of Bengal, with microplastics also present in river sediments. The Indus River carries the second-highest amount of mismanaged plastic debris to the sea, with floating plastic waste frequently washing up on remote shorelines.

The prevalence of plastic in these rivers is due to a combination of large river systems and huge populations along their banks, leading to high amounts of untreated plastic waste entering the water. Plastic waste originates not only from cities but also from villages along these rivers, where plastic products have become commonplace due to their convenience and durability. A study in three north Indian cities found that 10–25% of plastic waste was littered and not routed into recycling or appropriate waste disposal channels.

The Indian government has recognised the severity of the plastic pollution issue and has initiated efforts to mitigate it, such as the "Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar" campaign, which involved cleaning up 75 beaches nationwide. Civil society organisations, such as Green Worms, are also actively working to address plastic pollution and create dignified jobs through waste management initiatives. While these efforts are promising, the scale and pace of change need to increase significantly to tackle India's plastic pollution crisis effectively.

India's government banned certain single-use plastics in 2022, but they remain cheap and readily available

India's plastic pollution problem is a significant issue, with the country ranked 12th in the world for dispersing the maximum amount of plastic waste into the sea from its coastline. India's long coastline spans 7,517 kilometres, and the country's mismanagement of plastic waste is a major concern. India's informal waste sector handles 4.7 million tonnes of plastic annually, compared to just 0.2 million tonnes handled by the public waste system. This has resulted in plastic leakage into the environment and the country's rivers, with the Ganges and Indus Rivers contributing to the 90% of plastics that reach the ocean.

In 2022, India's government banned certain single-use plastics, such as cups and straws, as part of a longer plan to phase out the material. However, the ban does not cover all single-use plastic products, with items like water bottles, soda bottles, and snack bags still not banned. The government has set targets for manufacturers to be responsible for the recycling or disposal of these items, but plastic manufacturers have complained about the ban, citing inflation, potential job losses, and a lack of time to prepare.

The ban has been welcomed as a "definite boost" by an advocacy group, but some experts believe enforcing it will be difficult. The Indian government has set up control rooms to monitor any illegal use, sale, and distribution of single-use plastic products. While the ban is a step in the right direction, India's plastic pollution problem is acute, and the country faces a substantial challenge in tackling it. The country's rapid economic growth has fuelled demand for goods with single-use plastic packaging, and India lacks a robust, organised system for managing plastic waste, resulting in widespread littering and plastic pollution.

Initiatives like the World Economic Forum's Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) and India2022 are working to address plastic pollution, and businesses are driving change through collaborative efforts and investments in more sustainable materials. Civil society organisations, such as the Kerala-based waste management organisation Green Worms, are also playing their part in creating dignified jobs and eradicating plastic pollution. However, the pace and scale of change need to increase significantly to address the issue effectively.

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