World Largest Plastic Polluter : Study
A recent study published in the journal Nature has revealed that India is the highest contributor to global plastic pollution.
- India accounts for approximately one-fifth of the total plastic waste generated worldwide.
Key Findings of the Study:
- India generates approximately 9.3 million tonnes of plastic pollution annually. Out of this, 5.8 million tonnes (mt) are incinerated, while 3.5 million tonnes are released into the environment as debris.
- This figure is significantly higher than Nigeria (3.5 mt), Indonesia (3.4 mt), and China (2.8 mt).
- India’s waste generation rate is approximately 0.12 kilograms per capita per day.
- Plastic waste emissions are highest across countries in Southern Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and South-eastern Asia. There is a clear divide in plastic pollution sources.
- Global South countries, such as India, often rely on open burning for waste management, while the Global North uses controlled systems, leading to less unmanaged waste.
- Globally, 69% or 35.7 Mt per year of plastic waste emissions come from 20 countries.
- In the Global South, plastic pollution mainly comes from open burning due to poor waste management, while in the Global North, it’s mostly from uncontrolled debris.
- High-income countries have higher plastic waste generation rates but are not among the top 90 polluters due to 100% collection coverage and controlled disposal.
