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Plastics Industry, Green Policies, and India’s Waste Management

24 Jul 2025 GS 3 Environment
Plastics Industry, Green Policies, and India’s Waste Management Click to view full image

I. Parallels Between the Plastic and Tobacco Industries

1. Profit Over Public Health and Environment

  • Both industries have pursued profit-driven strategies despite ample scientific evidence of harm.

2. Shifting Responsibility to Consumers

  • Tobacco analogy: Warning labels shift blame to users.

  • Plastic industry: Promotes consumer responsibility for recycling while obscuring corporate accountability.

3. Funding Misleading Science & PR

  • Tobacco funded pseudo-science to deny health impacts.

  • Plastic industry promoted large-scale recycling despite internal knowledge (e.g., NPR and PBS reports) of its impracticality.

4. Greenwashing Practices

  • Tobacco used “mild/light” marketing.

  • Plastic producers mislabel “biodegradable” and “compostable” plastics without proper standards or waste-processing infrastructure—misleading consumers.

II. Targeting the Global South

1. OECD Global Plastic Outlook Report (2022)

  • Projections by 2060:

    • Sub-Saharan Africa: Plastic consumption to double.

    • Asia: To triple.

    • Europe: Only 15% growth.

  • Indicates strategic shift of plastic producers to low and middle-income countries due to:

    • Weaker regulations,

    • Inadequate waste infrastructure,

    • Expanding consumer markets.

2. Industry Influence in Global Treaties

  • During INC-3 (UN Global Plastics Treaty):

    • 36% more lobbyists from fossil fuel and chemical sectors than INC-2 (as per Centre for International Environmental Law).

    • Attempts to dilute global consensus on binding regulations.

 In parallel, the United Nations Environmental Programme has released a report titled “Turning off the Tap,” proposing a systemic approach to combat plastic pollution. These combined efforts reflect significant progress in the battle against plastic pollution on a global scale.  

III. India’s Position and Initiatives

1. Plastic Waste Management in India

  • Plastic Waste Management Rules (2016, amended 2022):

    • Introduced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).

    • Mandates plastic producers to ensure collection and processing of plastic waste they generate.

2. Role of Informal Sector

  • India recycles around 70% of plastic via informal waste workers (ragpickers, sorters, grassroots recyclers).

  • Challenges:

    • Hazardous working conditions,

    • No legal recognition,

    • Health risks, poverty, social exclusion.

3. Integration through National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE)

  • Launched in 2024 to integrate informal sanitation and waste-picking workers into formal frameworks.

  • Key provisions:

    • Health insurance via Ayushman Bharat,

    • Safety gear and training,

    • Access to social security (ESIC, PDS, housing schemes).

  • As of May 2025, over 80,000 workers profiled under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

IV. Critical Analysis & Way Forward

1. Strengthen Enforcement

  • Ensure EPR norms are strictly monitored and enforced at the local level.

2. Standardize Green Labels

  • Develop scientifically-backed, enforceable standards for "biodegradable/compostable" claims.

3. Empower Informal Workers

  • Ensure full social security coverage and inclusion in policymaking.

  • Skill development and recognition as formal environmental workers.

4. Global Advocacy

  • India must take a leadership role in UN treaty negotiations to ensure that plastic-producing MNCs don’t exploit Global South’s regulatory loopholes.



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