Roadmap for Answer Writing

1. Introduction

• Briefly define plastics and their widespread use in daily life.
• State the importance of addressing plastic pollution due to its environmental and climate change impacts.

2. Contribution of Plastics to Climate Change

• Highlight the various stages of plastic production and disposal that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Extraction and Transportation: Discuss how extracting and transporting the raw materials for plastics (oil, gas, and coal) are carbon-intensive processes.
  • Manufacturing Process: Emphasize the emissions produced during the refinement of plastics.
  • Plastic Waste Management: Focus on how plastic disposal methods like landfilling, incineration, and even recycling produce emissions.
  • Ocean Pollution: Explain how plastic degradation in oceans and the impact on plankton contribute to CO₂ levels.

3. Challenges India Faces in Controlling Plastic Pollution

• Inadequate Infrastructure: Highlight the lack of proper waste management facilities, leading to inefficient plastic waste disposal and recycling.
• Weak Enforcement: Discuss the failure in properly enforcing bans and regulations on plastic production and use.
• Public Awareness and Behavioral Change: Address the limited public awareness about plastic pollution and the challenges in changing consumer behavior.
• Policy Gaps: Point out the limited scope of plastic bans, and how some plastics, like multi-layered packaging, are still allowed.

4. Conclusion

• Summarize the need for a multi-faceted approach, including stronger enforcement, improved infrastructure, and better public awareness to address plastic pollution effectively.

Relevant Facts for the Answer

1. Global Plastic Contribution to Climate Change:
   • Extraction & Transportation: The extraction and transportation of raw materials for plastics contribute significantly to carbon emissions. Plastics account for 4-8% of global oil consumption annually (World Economic Forum).
   • Refining & Manufacturing: The plastic manufacturing process emits 184 to 213 million metric tons of greenhouse gases annually. This is due to the energy-intensive processes like cracking and polymerization required to create plastics.
   • Waste Management: Landfills, which are the primary disposal site for single-use plastics, emit over 15% of global methane emissions.
   • Ocean Pollution: The degradation of plastics in the ocean, including polyethylene used in grocery bags, releases greenhouse gases. Furthermore, microplastics interfere with plankton’s ability to absorb CO₂, exacerbating climate change.
2. Plastic Waste in India:
   • Contribution to Global Waste: India ranks third globally in single-use plastic waste generation, contributing 5.5 million tonnes of SUP waste annually.
   • Plastic Production: India is the 13th-largest investor in single-use plastic polymer production globally.
3. Challenges in India:
   • Inadequate Infrastructure: 40% of India’s plastic waste ends up in landfills due to insufficient waste collection, segregation, and recycling infrastructure (CPCB report, 2019-2020).
   • Weak Enforcement: Despite the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2024, enforcement remains weak, as local authorities have failed to shut down non-compliant units.
   • Public Awareness: Awareness campaigns are not widespread enough to drive significant behavioral change among consumers.
   • Policy Gaps: The Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2021, only banned 19 single-use plastic items, leaving other plastics, such as multi-layered packaging, in circulation.