India recycles only 30 per cent of 3.4 MT plastic waste generated annually: Report

India generates around 3.4 million tonnes (MT) of plastic waste, a report said on Wednesday noting that only 30 per cent of it is recycled. Over a five-year period, the plastic consumption in the country has risen at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7 per cent to 14 MT in the financial year 2016-17 to 20 million tonnes in 2019-20, Marico Innovation Foundation said in a report released in the national capital.

India's plastic waste output also doubled between the said period, the report titled 'Plastics, The Potential and Possibilities' said.

According to the report, which has been prepared in association with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Praxis Global Alliance, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu together contribute 38 per cent to the total plastic waste that is generated in India.


"The plastic consumption in India has grown at a significant pace over the past five years, and so has its waste output. India produces 3.4 million tonnes of plastic waste in a year, only 30 per cent of it is recycled," it said.

While the rest of the plastic waste is sent to landfills or aquatic dumps, the report noted and suggested ways to deal with the challenge as the entire plastic value chain from production to waste disposal severely impacts the local ecologies it surrounds.

This impact is wide ranging, and affects communities and ecosystems.

Apart from imposing a ban on single-use plastic, the government has been working on creating a statutory framework for including the use of biodegradable plastics as an alternative material. However, there are other effective policy interventions that can be used to create a sustained impact.

"Landfill and incineration taxes must be levied in India to encourage recycling rather than dumping. Authorise a 'pay-as-you-throw' system, which requires citizens to pay a variable rate per kilogram for a bag of mixed garbage," it suggested.

There is a need to regulate the entire life cycle of plastic bags, from manufacturing or imports to disposal, besides specific incentives to the bioplastics industry like corporate income tax exemptions, infrastructure development support and installation cost reduction.