GS Paper III

News Excerpt:

The Plastic Overshoot Day report by Swiss non-profit EA Earth Action also said global plastic waste generation has risen by 7.11 per cent since 2021.

About the report:

• The report comes ahead of the fourth meeting of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) in Ottawa, Canada, as the world leaders attempt to develop a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution.
• This report provides a full assessment of the contribution to plastic pollution worldwide through the lense of the Plastic Overshoot Days since 2021, with a focus on this year’s date. 
• It is based on the baseline year 2024 from municipal solid waste (packaging, textile and household), with a global plastic production of 220 Mt, that is distributed across different country archetypes: 

• • The Moderate Polluters, 

• • The Overloaders, 

• • The Low-Waste-Producing Polluters, 

• • The Toxic Waste Producers, 

• • The Transactors, 

• • The Self-Sustainers.
• The intention of this research is not to criticise the country's waste management, but to increase the level of knowledge and awareness of the issue, so as to pave the way towards a better plastic management system.

Key Points of the report:

• About World

• • The world is estimated to have generated 220 million tons of plastic waste this year, 70 million tons of which will end up polluting the environment.
  • Twelve countries are responsible for 60% of the world's mismanaged plastic waste: China, India, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Vietnam, Iran, Indonesia, Egypt, Pakistan, the United States and Turkey.
  • People living in Belgium are the top generators of plastic waste, with a yearly waste production of 147.7 kg per person. 
    • • This is 16 times higher than in India.
  • Oman tops the list of countries in terms of mismanaged plastic waste, with a projected 111 kg of mismanaged plastic per person in 2024. 
    • • This is 30 times higher than Norway.
  • According to the report by April 2024, almost half of the world's population will be living in areas where plastic waste has already exceeded the capacity to manage it.

• About India

• India is among the twelve countries responsible for 60 percent of the planet's mismanaged plastic waste though the fast-developing South Asian nation's per capita plastic waste production is among the lowest in the world, according to the Plastic Overshoot Day report.
• India is in the bottom 12 countries.
• Though the report classifies India as a "low-waste-producing" polluter due to its low per capita plastic waste production (8 kg per capita per year). 
• According to the report, the country's expected mismanaged waste in 2024 will be 7.4 million tons, which is "very high".
• Still, India's mismanaged plastic waste will be less than one-fifth of China and one-third of the US.
• Each country has its own "Plastic Overshoot Day", determined by the amount of plastic waste generated and the country's capacity to manage it. 
• As per the report, India will reach its Plastic Overshoot Day on April 23.