It is no secret that India is the largest populated country in the world and has even surpassed China recently. Another sector that India has surpassed China is in generating highest plastic pollution in the entire world and it is alarming. A study published in the Journal Nature last week found that India contributes to a fifth of global plastic pollution.
India generates a huge amount of plastic waste each year. About 5.8 million mt. are burned, while another 3.5 million mt. end up as litter in the land, air, and water. This adds up to 9.3 million mt. of plastic pollution annually.
India’s plastic waste is much higher compared to other countries, like Nigeria, which produces 3.5 million metric tons, Indonesia with 3.4 million metric tons, and China with 2.8 million metric tons. These figures are even higher than what was previously estimated, showing the need for stronger efforts to manage plastic waste and protect the environment.
What does the study say?
A study by researchers from the University of Leeds looked at global plastic waste and found that about 251 million metric tons are produced every year. To give an idea of how much that is, it could fill 200,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Around 52.1 million metric tons of this waste is not properly managed and ends up polluting the environment.
"Managed" plastic waste is the kind that is collected by cities, either for recycling or dumping in landfills. Unfortunately, most of it goes to landfills. "Unmanaged" waste is plastic that is either burned in uncontrolled fires, which releases harmful particles and toxic gases like carbon monoxide (linked to health issues such as heart disease, cancer, and respiratory problems), or it remains as debris, polluting places all over the planet, from Mount Everest to the deepest parts of the oceans.
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Out of the unmanaged waste, about 43% (or 22.2 million metric tons) is unburned debris, while the other 29.9 million metric tons are burned, either in dumps or locally.
India becoming the highest plastic producer in the world is not only concerning but also scary since the increasing population and demand for infrastructure, technology and other sectors also keep growing. Waste management in India is a major challenge due to a lack of proper infrastructure. India generates millions of tonnes of waste every year, but a large portion of this waste is either improperly managed or not managed at all.