India’s plastics recycling rate stood at 8% in 2019. The country generates nearly 26,000 tonnes of plastic waste every day, more than any economy expect the United States and the European Union.
In an effort to build a circular plastics economy in India, a consortium of Indian and Australian research organisations has developed a roadmap to 2035 including a comprehensive view of the entire plastics value chain and systemic policy recommendations.
The team set a goal of recycling 67% of plastic waste by 2035, with an annual consumption of 52.9 million tonnes. To achieve this and other circular economy targets, seven types of policy will be needed: supportive infrastructure, effective recycling, consistent compliance, sustainable consumption, awareness and readiness, design for circularity, and commercial viability.
The researchers argued that radically improving India’s recycling capacity will require government-finance-research-industry collaboration. Mechanical and chemical recycling will both play a role, they said, as will artificial intelligence, reverse logistics, and smaller-scale community-based solutions.