Majority of the plastic waste ends up in landfills, rivers, and oceans, causing long-term environmental degradation and threatening ecosystems. Nearly 40% of plastic waste in India comes from single-use plastics, contributing significantly to pollution. This growing plastic pollution directly impacts biodiversity, human health, and urban resilience.
Plastics leach hazardous chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, which are linked to severe health concerns, including hormone disruption, developmental issues, and certain cancers.
Bulk plastic waste should be managed to reduce environmental pollution, conserve resources, and comply with regulations. Proper management helps prevent plastics from ending up in landfills or oceans, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, encourages recycling, and supports sustainability efforts.
Plastic waste management is crucial not only to address pollution but also to align with a circular economy, where materials are reused rather than discarded. Supports global sustainability initiatives, including:
Supports global sustainability initiatives, including:
India’s Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules 2016, amended in 2021, mandate Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for businesses to tackle plastic waste. Key regulations include:
Producers, Importers, and Brand Owners (PIBOs) must recover and recycle specified targets of their plastic output.
Companies must achieve 100% recovery by 2024-25.
Items like cutlery and straws are banned, emphasizing waste reduction.
Businesses must report recovery and recycling activities to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Mandatory use of recycled content in packaging and adoption of reuse models for specific product categories.
Facilitates collection and plastic waste recycling operations for businesses to meet EPR targets
Set up and manage collection centers and material recovery facilities (MRFs) for efficient segregation and processing.
Utilize IoT-enabled tools and digital tracking systems to monitor waste streams.
Plastics contain toxic chemicals that harm both ecosystems and human health. They persist in the environment for centuries, disrupting biodiversity and releasing pollutants into the soil, air, and water.
SZW provides comprehensive services including collection, compliance tracking and facilitates plastic waste recycling to help businesses meet EPR targets and reduce environmental impact
India’s PWM Rules (2016, amended 2021) require companies to recover and recycle plastic waste while banning certain single-use items to promote sustainability.
Effective plastic waste management directly contributes to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals:
● Environmental Impact (E): Reduces pollution, promotes circular economy practices, and mitigates climate change by lowering greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastic waste.
● Social Responsibility (S): Supports the formalization of informal waste workers, creates sustainable livelihoods, and improves public health by reducing plastic pollution.
● Governance (G): Demonstrates compliance with waste management regulations, enhances transparency through traceability systems, and aligns with corporate sustainability commitments.
A circular approach reduces resource dependency, lowers carbon emissions, and promotes sustainable manufacturing processes, benefiting businesses and the planet.
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