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4 September 2021.
Introduction:
India has become the first Asian Country to launch a Plastics pact on September 3, 2021.
Highlights:
- This new platform was developed by World-Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF India) in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
- It will help to promote a circular system for plastics.
- New platform was launched by British High Commissioner to India, Alexander Ellis.
- It will bring together prominent enterprises on a national level in order to make pledges for the creation of a circular plastics system.
Aim of the pact
- Commitments under the pact are aimed at keeping plastic packaging in the economy and out of natural environment.
- It mentioned 17 businesses including major FMCG brands, manufacturers, retailers and recyclers who have committed with the pact as founding members. Nine businesses have joined as supporting organisations.
- The pact provides for time-bound targets of reducing, innovating and re-imagining plastic packaging.
- It aims to define a list of unnecessary or problematic plastic packaging & items and take measures to address these problems with the help of redesign and innovation, by 2030.
- Under the pact, 100 per cent of plastic packaging will be made reusable or recyclable, 50 per cent of plastic packaging will be effectively recycled and 25 per cent average recycled content will be made across all plastic packaging.
Plastic waste in India
India generates about 9.46 million tonnes of plastic waste annually. Out of this, 40 per cent are not collected. In India, half of all plastics production are used in packaging and most of it is single use plastic.
Who provide support to plastic pacts?
UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) and WRAP fully support the plastic pact in India. They also support plastics pacts in Europe, US, Australia, and Africa.