Recycling- Paving a way for better waste management system.

Global Recycling Day was started in 2018 to bring focus to the role of recycling in preserving our natural resources. India has been actively promoting scientific waste management at the city level through its flagship Swachh Bharat Mission. The passing of waste management rules for plastic, biomedical waste, e-waste, and recent resource efficiency policy calls for participation from the private sector as well.

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash

In the context of Plastics, recycling is still the 3rd best option available, after Reduce and Reuse. In our opinion, the following actions can boost recycling in India

Role of Private Companies

Include recyclability component in product design

Companies should think about the recyclability of plastic material they are using in packaging the product. By using uniform plastic grade in packaging plastic, the probability of material getting recycled increases multifold.

Investing in setting-up take-back systems

With Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in place, companies using plastic should restructure the product costing so that EPR becomes an integral part of doing business rather than legal compliance.

Role of Government / Municipalities

1. An integral and most important part for recycling to work is segregation at source. If the material gets mixed with other materials or gets contaminated, most likely that material will not be recycled.
2. Municipalities hold the key to ensure that segregation at source is in place, for this to happen municipalities should invest in creating awareness, building the capacity of staff by engaging with the expert waste management agencies.
3. Create a separate budget for operationalization and maintenance of the waste processing facilities.
4. The government of India has brought plastic scrap under the ambit of GST, earlier it was not taxed. This has severely impacted the margins in the plastic scrap business, for few recyclers business has become unviable. Exempting plastic scrap and recycling business from GST will boost the recycling rates in India.
5. The recycling sector is highly informal, bringing waste workers into various social welfare schemes; formalization of fragmented recycling industry through single-window hassle-free registration, and creating plastic recycling parks with shared research & processing facilities will surely help transform the informal nature of the business.

Let’s not forget the ragpickers, recyclers and aggregators who are the real ‘Recycling Heroes’. This year’s theme for Global Recycling day surrounds around them and we are proud that our team comprises of such heroes. Not only do they ensure segregation of waste at source, they also contribute for reducing the impact of waste on the environment.

Combined efforts of government and private sector to formalize, improve and promote recycling are way forward for India.

Contributed By- Rahul Juware, Director at Social Lab

Social Lab Environmental Solutions is a waste management company, which helps brands take-back and scientifically dispose of post-consumer plastic waste of their products. Brands take our services to fulfill Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligation under Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2018.

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