This document discusses plastic waste management issues and solutions in India. It notes that while plastics have beneficial properties, thin plastic bags and other single-use plastics have created solid waste problems due to improper disposal. Solutions discussed include segregating waste at source, incentivizing recycling, encouraging technologies like cement kiln co-processing of plastics, and implementing uniform regulations on plastic bags. Case studies show examples of effective waste segregation and management programs. The recommendations call for stronger packaging waste rules, better implementation of waste management policies, uniform bag thickness rules, and more support for recycling activities.

1. Plastic Waste Management
Benefits, Issues, Realities
&
Solutions
NAME-ABDULABID AHMED
BRANCH CIVIL(4TH YEAR)

2. • CARRY BAGS - WHY PLASTICS ?
• PLASTIC BAGS - COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS
• ISSUES
• SOLUTIONS
– WASTE MANAGEMENT & RECYCLING
• RECOMMENDATION
•
CONTENTS

3. Replacing Traditional Materials
…Due to Superior Properties
• Safe & Hygienic – Inert and Chemical Resistance
•Light Weight & Non-Breakability
•Excellent Barrier Properties - Enhancing Shelf-life
•Superior Impact Resistance
•Transparency as well as Opacity
•Lower Fuel Consumption and Product Loss during
Transportation
All These… at Lesser Cost
Material Energy Requirement
KWH Kg-1
Aluminum 74.1
Steel 13.9
Glass 7.9
Paper 7.1
Plastic 3.1
WHY PLASTICS ?
Scott, G and Gilead, D., editors, Degradable
Polymers, Principles and Application,
Chapman & Hall, London, 1995

4. • Global Consumption of plastics ~ 180 million
tonnes (Per Capita ~ 28kg)
• Indian Consumption of plastics ~6.5 million
tonnes ( Per Capita ~ 6kg)
• Plastic carry bag accounts for less than 1% of
total plastic consumption.
PLASTICS

5. ALTERNATIVES TO PLASTICS CARRY BAGS?
• Jute
• Textile
• Paper
• Degradable Plastics
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE VARIOUS OPTIONS 

6. • Increase shelf-life of contents
• Essential for packaging / carrying
of confectionery, bakery products
• Essential for packaging / carrying
hygroscopic products like sugar / salt / jaggary
• Convenient for carrying fish / meat / poultry and other wet food
products – no other appropriate alternatives
• Essential to carry commodities during rainy season
• Add convenience to day-to-day life
•
•
PLASTICS BAGS / CARRY BAGS

7. DESPITE ALL THESE POSITIVE
ATTRIBUTES …
PLASTIC BAGS ARE UNDER SCANNER

8. MAJOR ISSUES

 Health & safety
 Toxicity
 Biodegradability
 Disposal & waste management

9. DISPOSAL
Issue:
Plastics are blamed as the major cause of MSW problem
Facts:
• According to studies plastics form about 5% of total MSW in
major Indian Metros
• A recent study at Deonar dumping area (Mumbai) reveals
that ~ 90 % of plastics waste brought to the landfill are picked
up by rag pickers and sold to waste trades for recycling

10. PLASTICS IN MSW
NEERI study - 2005

11. ISSUE – INDIAN CONTEXT
WHILE ALL SOLID / THICK PLASTICS WASTE IS
SYSTEMATICALLY PICKED UP BY THE WASTE COLLECTORS FOR
RECYCLING, DISPOSAL OF THIN PLASTIC CARRY BAGS, SINGLE-
USE PLASTIC WASTE AND MULTI-LAYER PACKETS,
ABANDONED BY THE WASTE PICKERS, HAVE CREATED
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROBLEM.

12. PLASTIC CARRY BAGS : INDIAN RULES
• IN THE STATES OF MAHARASHTRA, GOA, WEST BENGAL,
MEGHALAYA, PUNJUB, HIMACHAL PRADESH, KERALA THE
THICKNESS RULE VARIES FROM 30 TO 70 MICRONS
• IN DELHI , CHANDIGARH , BHUBANESWAR AND J & K,
PLASTICS CARRY BAGS ARE BANNED
• ALL OTHER STATES FOLLOW MoEF RULE OF 20 MICRONS

13. SOLUTION TO DISPOSAL PROBLEM
• Segregation at source – awareness among citizens against
littering
• Proper system for collection of segregated wastes for facilitating
recycling
• Incentives / encouragement for recycling
• Upgradation of the existing mechanical recycling technology
• Encouragement for alternate methods of recycling / recovery of
energy

14. WASTE MANAGEMENT: CASE STUDY

16. Rag pickers with van Loading of dry waste in
Municipality van
Dry waste being carried
for loading into
Municipality van
Dry waste at housing
colonies
Municipality van with
dry waste on way to
segregation area
SEGREGATION OF WASTE AT SOURCE
‘A’ – WARD
MUMBAI

17. Segregation of dry waste
Packing of segregated
dry waste
Storing of segregation dry
waste in secured place
Segregation of dry waste being weighed
and sold to recyclers / traders
‘A’ – WARD
MUMBAI
SEGREGATION OF WASTE AT SOURCE

18. A comparative assessment of the
segregation activities in select
Mumbai Wards
There is wealth in Waste
DRY WASTE SEGREGATION DATA
MUMBAI WARDS – A, D, F(N), M (E & W), S & T
BMC provides dry waste collection
vans and secured segregation area
free of cost

19. CONVENTIONAL RECYCLING

20. CONVENTIONAL RECYCLING

21. CONVENTIONAL RECYCLING

22. SCIENTIFIC SOLUTION TO PLASTICS WASTE
DISPOSAL WITH RECOVERY OF ENERGY
ACC Plant at Kymore - MP
All types of plastics waste – laminated, mixed & uncleaned, can
be co-processed in Cement Kiln in partial replacement of coal
CALORIFIC VALUES (MJ / KG) : Plastics ~ 45
: Coal ~ 29
CPCB HAS APPROVED THE PROCESS

23. PLASTICS WASTE
IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION
ASPHALT PLANT OF BMC, WORLI,
MUMBAI
Prof. V S AGHASE ROAD DADAR,
MUMBAI

24. Vidyasagar Street – Kalyani, West Bengal
PLASTICS WASTE IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION

25. Bawana, Delhi
PLASTICS WASTE IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION

26. RECOMMENDATIONS
 IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGING WASTE
RULE SIMILAR TO THOSE PREVAILING IN DEVELOPED
COUNTRIES
 PROPER IMPLEMENTATION OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
(MANAGEMENT & HANDLING) RULE, 2000 OF MoEF, GOVT OF
INDIA
 UNIFORM PLASTIC CARRY BAG THICKNESS RULE IN THE
ENTIRE COUNTRY AND PROPER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
SAME

27. RECOMMENDATIONS
 ENCOURAGEMENT AND INCENTIVES FOR RECYCLING
ACTIVITY AS PER RECOMMENDATION IN THE SUPREME
COURT COMMITTEE REPORT ON SWM IN CLASS I CITIES OF
INDIA – 1999

 MANDATING CO-PROCESSING OF PLASTICS WASTE IN ALL
CEMENT KILNS IN THE COUNTRY

28. AWARENESS MESSAGE TO ALL CITIZENS