India, Not China, Tops Global Plastic Emissions: Study

Sylllabus: Environment Conservation

Source: TH

Context: A study published in Nature reveals that India is the world’s largest emitter of plastic waste, contributing about 20% of the global total, while China ranks fourth.

Here are the major findings from the study:

• India is the Top Plastic Emitter: Responsible for 20% of global plastic emissions, surpassing China.

• Regions with High Plastic Waste: Southern Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia are major contributors.

• China’s Improved Waste Management: Recent improvements have reduced China’s ranking in emissions.

• Inadequate Waste Management in India: Significant plastic waste is openly burned or dumped due to poor collection systems.

• Distribution of Plastic Waste: 69% of global plastic waste comes from the top 20 countries, mostly lower and middle-income.

• Uncollected Waste: Major source of pollution in lower-income countries.

• Per-Capita Emissions: India and China rank high in total emissions but lower per capita.

• Littering in High-Income Countries: Major source of plastic pollution.

• Health and Environmental Impact: Burning plastic has severe health and ecological effects.

• Global Policy Framework: Study aims to support global policies like the UN Plastics Treaty.

Issues with India’s Plastic waste management:

• Inadequate disposal and utilization of plastic waste lead to pollution of air, water, and soil, affecting human health.

• Surge in plastic waste generation from about 16 lakh to 41 lakh tonnes per annum in India (between 2015-2021)

• Governance issues include non-compliance with Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016, especially regarding Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).

• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and SPCBs/PCCs’ lax approach allowed plastic units to operate without valid registrations

• Lack of mechanism for assessing plastic waste generation.

• Other issues include improper collection and segregation, delay in eliminating single-use plastic, and poor monitoring by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

Impact of plastic pollution on our ecosystems and wildlife:

• Wildlife harm: Many animals, including marine life and birds, ingest plastic or become entangled in it. This can lead to injuries, suffocation, and death. Plastic particles, known as microplastics, can also enter the food chain, potentially harming human health.

• Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The entire lifecycle of plastic, from production to disposal, generates greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions occur during raw material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, and waste management processes.

• Habitat Destruction: The extraction of fossil fuels for plastic production often involves clearing natural habitats, leading to the loss of biodiversity and disrupting ecosystems.

• Marine Pollution: Plastic waste, especially single-use plastics, pollutes oceans, harming marine life like seabirds, fish, turtles, and marine mammals. Microplastics disrupt food chains and have lasting effects on aquatic ecosystems.

• Microplastics disrupt food chains and have lasting effects on aquatic ecosystems.

• Soil Contamination: Improper disposal of plastic waste contaminates soil and affects soil health and fertility, leading to a host of ecological and agricultural problems.

• Water Pollution: Plastic waste in water bodies pollutes freshwater sources and poses a threat to aquatic life. Plastic debris can also clog waterways and exacerbate flooding in some areas.

• Chemical Pollution: Plastics can contain harmful additives like phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA), which can leach into the environment, leading to chemical pollution.

Key recommendation of PAC to mitigate plastic Pollution:

• Mandatory reporting of data online on the national dashboard with proof of photo/video and GPS location.

• Development of a comprehensive policy to address pollution caused by plastics.

• Implementation of penal provisions for urban local bodies (ULBs) that fail to establish Plastic Waste Management (PWM) systems.

• Involvement of rag pickers and junk dealers to enhance the segregation and collection process.

• Global Collaboration: g., through legally binding plastic control treaty

Need to reach a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution:

• Global Coordination: Plastic pollution knows no borders, and it affects oceans, rivers, and land worldwide. A treaty can provide a platform for countries to come together, share responsibilities, and coordinate efforts to address plastic pollution collectively.

• Addressing the Source: A treaty can focus on addressing the root causes of plastic pollution, such as reducing plastic production, improving waste management, and promoting sustainable alternatives. It encourages a comprehensive approach to tackle the issue.

• Inclusivity: A treaty ensures that all countries, regardless of their level of development or resources, are engaged in the fight against plastic pollution.

• Accountability and Enforcement: A legally binding treaty ensures that countries are held accountable for their commitments to reduce plastic pollution. It establishes mechanisms for monitoring progress, reporting, and enforcement, which can lead to more effective implementation.

• It establishes mechanisms for monitoring progress, reporting, and enforcement, which can lead to more effective implementation.

• Coordinated Research and Innovation: A treaty can facilitate international collaboration on research and innovation to find new ways to reduce plastic pollution and develop sustainable materials and technologies.

• Protecting Marine Life and Ecosystems: Plastic pollution poses significant threats to marine life and ecosystems. A treaty can set clear goals and targets to protect oceans and reduce plastic waste reaching marine environments.

Steps taken to reach a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution:

• Plastic Pollution Coalition: Founded in 2009, the coalition aims to create a world free of plastic pollution and its harmful impacts on the environment, human health, and wildlife.

• The United Nations Clean Seas campaign: is a global initiative launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to combat marine plastic pollution. The campaign aims to raise awareness, mobilize action, and promote concrete solutions to reduce marine litter and plastic waste in the world’s oceans and seas.

• Global Tourism Plastics Initiative: The Initiative unites the tourism sector behind a common vision to address the root causes of plastic pollution. It enables businesses, governments, and other tourism stakeholders to take concerted action, leading by example in the shift towards circularity in the use of plastics.

• Proposal for Global treaty: *175 nations agree to develop a legally binding agreement on plastic pollution by 2024,* prompting a major step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions from plastic production, use and disposal.

• MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative: Launched in 2016, the initiative aims to create a circular economy for plastics, where plastics are designed, used, and recycled in a way that eliminates waste and pollution.

For Single Use plastic: Click Here

Initiatives Taken to Tackle Plastic Pollution:

Global Initiatives:

• Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML)

• GloLitter Partnerships Project

• London Convention, 1972

India-Specific Initiatives:

• Elimination of single-use plastic

• Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016

• Un-Plastic Collective

• Kerala: Beat Plastic Pollution Initiative

• Other initiatives for plastic pollution mitigation: Project REPLAN (REducing PLAstic from Nature), Promotion of Circular Economy, EPR Portal for Plastic Packaging, Swachh Bharat Mission, Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) Movement

Related Content

About Central Pollution Control Boards (CPCBs)/ State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)/ Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) in UTs:

Empowered under the Water Act, the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981, and the Environment (Protection) Act 1986, the Boards perform four broad functions.

• 1. Granting and managing consents (to establish and operate industry)

• 2. Setting standards for emissions and effluents

• 3. Monitoring compliance of the industry with these standards

• 4. Enforcing these standards through an escalating series of actions

But various institutional and other issues are plaguing CPCB/SPCB:

Issues | Details

Inadequate capacity and resources | Shortage of personnel, especially in technical positions. Lack of training and pollution monitoring equipment. Absence of competent leadership. Enforcement mechanisms are protracted. Insufficient funds

Skewed representation | Boards are largely represented by government departments and industry representatives. Limited representation from civil society, academia, public health, and the medical community.

Disproportionate representation, e.g., there is only one member from civil society in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh boards, while they have 5-7 members from govt. departments

Data Gap | Many state pollution boards fail to provide data to CPCB

Not following statutory requirements | CPCB/SPCBs lack the required expertise in air quality management. Statutory requirement for knowledgeable board members not met

Vacancies | Approximately 40% of positions are vacant across nine SPCBs/PCCs. Vacancy rates as high as 84% in Jharkhand

Conflict of interest | Board members may represent polluting entities regulated by the board, leading to potential conflicts of interest

Non-substantive board meetings | Discussions primarily focus on industrial pollution, lacking pollution control planning. Limited efforts for inter-departmental coordination

Lack of transparency in sharing information with the public

Little expertise in monitoring | Despite improvements in real-time monitoring, gaps in data collection and calibration errors persist

Related Content:

What is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)?

It is a policy approach and environmental strategy that places the responsibility for the entire lifecycle of a product, including its disposal, on the manufacturer or producer rather than on the end consumer or local government.

The fundamental idea behind EPR is to encourage producers to minimize the environmental impact of their products by considering their entire lifecycle, from the design and production phase to the end-of-life phase.

Key provisions of the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2022 to reduce plastic pollution

Key Provisions | Details

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) | Makes plastic packaging producers accountable for end-of-life collection and recycling

Shifts responsibility from municipal bodies to producers

Provides incentives for firms to adopt sustainable design and use recyclable materials

Collection Targets | Mandates producers to collect back 35% of plastic waste generated by 2024, increasing to 70% by 2025 in phases

Minimum Recycled Content | Requires firms to use 10% recycled plastic in packaging by 2023, escalating to 20% by 2026

Collection Mechanism | Producers must establish collection systems either individually or collectively

Cost Attribution | Producers are responsible for bearing the costs associated with collection and recycling of plastic packaging

Insta Links:

• Substitute for single-use plastics

• NATURE AND YOU- SINGLE-USE PLASTIC

Mains Link:

• What is single-use plastic and what are the concerns associated with it? How can it be successfully phased out in the country? (15M)

Prelims Link:

Bisphenol A (BPA), a cause of concern, is a structural/key component in the manufacture of which of the following kinds of plastics? (UPSC 2021)

(a) Low-density polyethylene

(b) Polycarbonate

(d) Polyvinyl chloride

Answer: B

Triclosan considered harmful when exposed to high levels for a long time, is most likely present in which of the following? (UPSC 2021)

(a) Food preservatives

(b) Fruit-ripening substances

(d) Toiletries

Answer: D