Plastic Waste Management in India
Plastic Waste Management in India & its Legal Implications An insightful article on “Plastic Waste Management in India and Its Legal Implications” has been authored by Mr. Tapan Kumar Das, who has been associated with the MIES Institute for the last 5 years as a Skill Development Officer. He has huge experience in teaching WBCS, SSC, PSC, RAIL, Bank, School Service, Primary TET, Upper Primary TET, etc exams. He is very grateful to MIES Management for giving him the chance as a Skill Development Officer at MIES Institute, which is one of the best competitive coaching centres in West Bengal. In his opinion, MIES Institute is one of the top competitive exam institutes in West Bengal. Special involvement and guidance were provided by the esteemed Director of MIES Group, Mr. Jayanta Kumar Majumder, whose leadership has been instrumental in this achievement. MIES is a renowned coaching centre for the Government. Job exams in West Bengal. Thousands of students appeared in the Govt.. service exam from MIES every year and got Government service, maximum of them. MIES is the most popular institute among Government Job aspirants because of their specialty in School Service, WBCS, PSC, SSC, BANK, RAIL, Primary and Upper Primary TET, etc, exams. Students are given a huge number of Class Tests, Model Tests, and Mock Tests, and also practice a huge number of Online Tests through the MIES APP in their course curriculum. MIES is a pioneer institute of West Bengal Civil Service coaching in West Bengal. As per the students’ version, MIES is the Best Training Academy for the Govt. Job exam in West Bengal. Plastic Waste Management in India &its Legal Implications Introduction of Plastic Waste Management in India Plastics are one of the important materials in the field of technology, innovation, and industrialization. One cannot imagine a life without the use of plastic. It operates in every aspect of life, whether moving along the beach, strolling on the road, using daily products in our homes, or swimming in the ocean. Although plastic is a versatile and handy product, at the same time, the use of plastic causes significant global environmental damage. Plastic waste is an evil to the earth because it damages the beauty of all the beaches and land, and the natural living conditions of the entire animal world. Non-management of Plastic Waste results in Pollution. Plastic waste, if not managed properly, can spread pollution into the natural environment in amounts or concentrations. This polluted Plastic waste is harmful to humans, animals, and the planet, both on land, in water, and air. Hence, the specific parts of the Earth system that can be affected are (a) Land (b) Waterways (such as ground water, rivers, lakes, bays, and oceans) (c) Air (d) Climate 3. Effect of Plastic Waste on Agriculture. Plastic waste is a significant and often disregarded issue in the agriculture sector. This has a profound effect on food safety and productivity. Plastic garbage has been a major concern in recent years because of its inherent inability to biodegrade, which leads to numerous environmental problems. Plastic waste can pollute the soil in agricultural areas, hindering plant growth and preventing plants from properly absorbing nutrients. Furthermore, irrigation systems may be hampered by the presence of plastic waste, which could lead to water stagnation and agricultural losses. Furthermore, if harmful chemicals are released into the environment by plastics, those chemicals will be absorbed by plants. Eventually, Plastic waste directly or indirectly enters the food chain, posing a threat to human health and the living environment. 4. Plastic Waste Scenario in India Certain research data published in the International Journal of Nature have revealed that India is the largest plastic polluter in the World. As regards plastic waste generation,, India accounts for̶ Few other countries account for̶ Reports focus on countries in the North, South, and South-Eastern regions producing the maximum plastic waste water pollution due to the open burning of their plastic waste. It is quite alarming that India generates 9.3 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with 25490 tonnes per capita. But this trend of increasing rate indicates that in the last five years it has quadrupled, preceding the start of the Pandemic. The pandemic itself resulted in increased plastic usage by the FMCG Markets, e-commerce, Food-delivery services, etc. India generates approximately 4 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with only a quarter being recycled or treated. To address this issue, the government implemented the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules, mandating that plastic users are responsible for collecting and recycling their waste. This system operates through an online EPR trading platform, where recyclers receive certificates for recycled plastic that can be purchased by companies falling short of their recycling targets. However, the EPR system has faced significant challenges. In 2022-23, nearly 3.7 million tonnes of recycled plastic certificates were generated, but a substantial number were found to be fraudulent. While the market-driven approach shows promise, it has limitations. Addressing India’s plastic waste problem requires not only improving the recycling system but also focusing on reducing plastic production and promoting sustainable alternatives. 5. Reasons for High Plastic Pollution in India. 6. Issues Associated with Mismanaged Plastic Waste in India: The biggest pollution problem is due to the overproduction of plastics in India. Due to over-production of plastics in India, 40% of the total plastics produced are dumped in landfills, clogging water bodies and polluting streets. This unmanaged plastic waste makes it easy to enter animal better and simultaneously pollutes land, water, the natural environment, and the climate harmful to human and animal existence. But 60% of the plastic waste is collected but not recycled. Only a very small percentage of plastics are recycled & the remaining major portion remains as rotting waste in the landfills, resulting in threats to animal lives. Plastic waste continuously falling into the Ocean creates a severe problem in India, harming marine life & damaging habitats. Plastic waste in the Ocean is posing a serious and adverse impact in India. According