India tops global plastic pollution with 9.3 mn tonnes; surpasses China, US

Each year, India burns around 5.8 million tonnes of plastic and releases an additional 3.5 million tonnes into the environment as waste, impacting land, air, and water

India is responsible for 20 per cent (one-fifth) of the world’s plastic pollution, a study published in the journal Nature revealed.
 

Each year, the country burns around 5.8 million tonnes of plastic and releases an additional 3.5 million tonnes into the environment as waste, impacting land, air, and water. In total, India contributes 9.3 million tonnes of plastic pollution annually — considerably higher than other nations like Nigeria (3.5 million tonnes), Indonesia (3.4 million tonnes), and China (2.8 million tonnes), surpassing previous assessments.

Global plastic waste and its management

A study by researchers from the University of Leeds estimates that approximately 251 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated annually. This amount is enough to fill around 200,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. About one-fifth of this, or 52.1 million tonnes, ends up ‘unmanaged’ and released into the environment.

 

The researchers classify ‘managed’ waste as plastic that is collected by municipal services and either recycled or sent to landfills, with the majority ending up in the latter. On the other hand, ‘unmanaged’ waste refers to plastic that escapes collection, becoming litter that pollutes ecosystems around the world, from Mount Everest to the Mariana Trench, or is burnt in open fires. These uncontrolled fires produce fine particulates and harmful gases, such as carbon monoxide, which are associated with serious health risks like heart disease, respiratory illnesses, cancer, and neurological disorders.

Of the unmanaged plastic waste, about 43 per cent, or 22.2 million tonnes, is unburned debris, while the remaining 29.9 million tonnes is burned, either in dumpsites or locally.

Global North vs Global South: A plastic pollution divide

A key finding of the study highlights a significant divide between the Global North and Global South regarding plastic pollution. On an absolute scale, plastic waste emissions are highest in countries across Southern Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia, the study mentioned.
 

Around 69 per cent (or 35.7 million tons annually) of global plastic pollution is attributed to just 20 countries, none of which are classified as High-Income Countries (HICs), defined by the World Bank as having a gross national income per capita of $13,846 or more. Although HICs, primarily in the Global North, generate more plastic waste, they do not appear in the top 90 polluters due to their 100 per cent waste collection and controlled disposal systems, the study added.

In the Global South, open burning is the most common method of plastic waste disposal, except in Sub-Saharan Africa, where uncontrolled debris dominates. In contrast, the Global North primarily deals with plastic pollution as uncontrolled debris. Researchers attribute this disparity to inadequate or non-existent waste management infrastructure in the South.