India needs collaborative solutions to tackle its growing waste problem
Plastic waste, in particular, is a key contributor to the surge in waste due to its widespread use across industries and the short lifespan of plastic products. Plastic consumption across the world has quadrupled over the past few decades, and global plastic waste is expected to nearly triple by 2060, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
In India, plastic waste generation is estimated at 9.4 million metric tonnes annually, and only half of this is recycled. This is primarily done through a hybrid arrangement of formal and informal networks.
The rest remains unaccounted for and is probably dumped into landfills and streams or incinerated, leading to ecological degradation, health and safety risks for informal workers, and more greenhouse gas emissions. One must note here that consumption and plastic waste generation at the household level is a major contributor to the overall waste generated.
While policies are designed at the national, sub-national and regional levels, there is a pertinent need for local governments and regulators worldwide to engage with local actors for effective implementation, scaling up and sustaining of waste management policies and initiatives at the ground level. With 350 million metric tons of plastic waste being generated by nations every year and a lack of cogent policy to identify key stakeholders and assigning responsibility, collaboration across the value chain is vital.
Multi-stakeholder partnerships that allow amalgamation, replicability and scalability of work on the ground are needed for a subject as complex as waste management. Mapping the roles and responsibilities of all actors in the ecosystem could help identify current competencies, coverage,
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