Page 25 - Plastics News December 2021

FEATURE

United Nations Plans To Expand Plastic Waste Management

widespread increase in waste, including
medical plastic waste, and hit livelihoods
of collectors, who often work in
hazardous conditions.

There was a real need to expand waste
collection efforts and that was coming
at the same time as lot of (COVID-19
related) restrictions were disrupting the
normal waste collection, Ms Rasheed
said. Plastic pollution is set to triple by
2040, the UN Environment Programme
(UNEP) has predicted, adding 23-37
million metric tons of waste into the
world’s oceans each year.
he UNDP is working with federal distribution, sale and use of some of Apprehensions
Tthink tank, NITI Aayog and have the identified single-use plastic items are India is said to be the world’s third-
jointly developed a ‘handbook’ model for proposed to be prohibited by January 1, biggest emitter of greenhouse gases
local municipalities as well as the private 2022. Earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic after China and the United States, has
sector. The UNDP programme, which sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy set 2070 as a target to reach net-zero
began in 2018, has so far collected 83,000 sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene carbon emissions, much later than those
metric tonne of plastic waste. (thermocol) for decoration are proposed set by others and twenty years after the
to be phased out by January 1, while U.N.’s global recommendation. The
The United Nations Development
Programme aims to almost triple its single-use plastic (including polystyrene government has been taking measures for
plastic waste management to 100 cities and expanded polystyrene) items – plates, awareness generation towards elimination
in India by 2024, A UNDP executive cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, of single-use plastics.
said, to combat the damaging effects of straw, container and container lids, A multi-pronged strategy has been
plastic pollution. Across India’s many trays, plastic/PVC banners less than 100 adopted to phase out identified single-
towns and cities, which are often ranked microns and stirrers are expected to be use plastic items in the country, which
among the world’s most polluted, the phased out by July 2022. comprises awareness generation and
absence of an organized management of The government needs stricter behavioural change, regulatory regime
plastic waste leads to widespread littering enforcement on controls around for phasing out of plastic items having
and pollution. The UNDP programme, dumping of plastic waste and has a low utility and high littering potential,
which began in 2018, has so far collected “long way to go” to raise awareness engagement with stakeholders, and
83,000 metric tonne of plastic waste. among households, Ms Rasheed said, strengthening of institutional mechanism
India generates about 3.4 million tonnes addding there was a need for investment for collection, segregation, recycling and
of plastic waste annually, according to into research for alternatives. In India environmentally sustainable end of life
official estimates. although about 60% of plastic is recycled, disposal of plastic waste, as envisaged in

The UNDP is working with federal we are still seeing the damage that plastic Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
think tank, NITI Aayog and have jointly pollution is causing, Nadia Rasheed, Already, the Plastic Waste Management
developed a ‘handbook’ model for local Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Rules, 2016, prohibit manufacture,
municipalities as well as the private India, said in an interview at the Reuters import, stocking, distribution, sale and
sector. As per the draft notification issued Next Conference. use of carry bags and plastic sheets less
earlier this year by the Government at the The programme suffered a setback than fifty microns in thickness in the
centre , manufacture, import, stocking, after the COVID-19 pandemic led to country.

24 PLASTICS NEWS DECEMBER 2021 25 PLASTICS NEWS DECEMBER 2021