Page 24 - Plastics News February 2026
P. 24
ENVIRONMENT NEWS
MUMBAI TO RECOVER 61 TONNES PLASTIC
VIA WATERWAY BARRIERS
before the monsoon season arrives, will take
place in phases.
According to a survey conducted by the Ocean
Cleanup, Mumbai releases about 5 million kg of
plastic waste into the Arabian Sea and the Indian
Ocean annually, impacting 220 km of the coast-
line, 152 sq km of mangroves, 107 protected spe-
cies and nearly 1.9 million livelihoods dependent
on coastal and marine ecosystems.
The primary sources of plastic waste in the city
are urban runoff, industrial discharge, and inad-
t least 61 tonnes of plastic is expected to
be recovered every year from Trombay equate waste management practices.
Aand Malad waterways in Mumbai, where “India is a critical geography in the global fight
barriers will be installed in phases to stop the against plastic pollution. With such a large pro-
flow of plastic waste into the Arabian Sea and portion of plastic on India’s coasts, stopping
the Indian Ocean, officials said on Tuesday. waste before it reaches the ocean is crucial in
safeguarding the ocean against plastic pollu-
The initiative is being led by The Ocean Clean-
up, a Netherlands-based non-profit organisation tion,” said Boyan Slat, Founder and CEO, The
that develops technologies to remove plastic Ocean Cleanup.
from the oceans, in collaboration with the Mu- “Through our 30 Cities Programme, Mumbai has
nicipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai and the been identified as a priority intervention point,
Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB).
and by working closely with local Government
bodies, implementation partners, NGOs and
“Mumbai will witness the deployment of barriers
to stop the flow of plastic waste into the Arabian community partners, we aim to deploy solu-
Sea and the Indian Ocean. The first deployments tions that are not only effective but also deeply
will focus on the Trombay and Malad water- aligned with local needs and long-term develop-
ways, identified through a data-driven analysis ment goals,” Slat added.
as significant contributors to ocean-bound plas- Research by The Ocean Cleanup reveals that
tic waste.
just 1,000 of the world’s 3 million rivers are re-
sponsible for nearly 80 per cent of plastic emis-
“The technology is scheduled for deployment
over 2026. Once operational, these initial sys- sions into the ocean.
tems are expected to recover 61 to 92 tonnes Through the 30 Cities Programme, The Ocean
of plastic per year. Research found that 80 per Cleanup aims to cut one-third of global river-
cent of marine litter along India’s coastlines is based plastic emissions, using its comprehen-
made up of plastic,” the Ocean Cleanup said in sive strategy and proven technologies to tar-
a statement. The deployment, which will kick off get 30 of the most polluting urban waterways
24 PLASTICS NEWS February 2026
