India is now the top plastic polluter, responsible for one-fifth of the world’s plastic waste

India has emerged as the world’s biggest plastic polluter, releasing 9.3 million tonnes (Mt) of plastic waste every year, which is about 20% of the global total, a recent study revealed.

The study, published in Nature, suggested that India’s official waste generation of 0.12 kg per person per day is likely underestimated. It also pointed out that waste collection figures may be overstated, as they don’t account for rural areas, open burning of waste, or informal recycling.

Nigeria and Indonesia rank second and third, with 3.5 Mt and 3.4 Mt of plastic emissions, respectively. Previously, China was considered the top polluter, but it now ranks fourth due to improvements in waste management, including incineration and controlled landfills.

The study calculated plastic emissions across 50,702 municipalities, identifying five main sources: uncollected waste, littering, collection systems, uncontrolled disposal, and reprocessing rejects. Globally, plastic waste emissions stood at 52.1 Mt per year in 2020. In wealthier nations, littering is the main issue, while in lower-income countries, uncollected waste is the biggest problem.

Twenty countries contribute around 69% of the world’s plastic waste emissions. High-income countries, although generating more plastic waste, have better collection systems, keeping them out of the top 90 polluters.

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These findings could help shape the Global Plastics Treaty, set for 2024, which aims to reduce plastic pollution and its impact on the environment. Researchers hope this data will aid countries in understanding and tackling their plastic waste issues.

-Agencies