According to the All-India Plastic Manufacturers Association, annual plastic production in the country is 13.4 metric tonnes (mt), and is projected to touch over 22 mt in 2021 as it is growing at over 10.5 per cent annually. Of this total, the association claims that as much as 60 per cent plastic is recycled. This ₹1-lakh crore industry has around 50,000 processing (mostly small) units, over 2000 exporters, and employs about 4 million people across the value chain. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the chemical name for polyester, is a clear, strong, and lightweight plastic that is widely used for packaging foods and beverages, especially convenience-sized soft drinks, juices, and water. As per Bisleri, currently in India, 90 per cent of all PET is recycled to make yarn/fibres, fabrics (for shoes, t-shirts, bags, etc.), and sheets for packaging and manufacturing automotive parts.
Plastic, if not disposed of sensibly, can have a negative impact on the environment by getting into rivers, oceans, and landfills. But with responsible disposal, it can be recycled or upcycled, and cause less strain on other natural resources. Whereas recycling refers to processing waste into new materials, upcycling (reusing) refers to taking a product that you would otherwise throw away and give it a new use in life. For example, making paper bags out of old newspaper.
In September 2019, food and beverage major PepsiCo India achieved 100 per cent PET collection and recycling in Maharashtra, its second regional achievement after Delhi. Under its extended producer responsibility (EPR) programme, Pepsico India collected and recycled 6500 mt of post-consumer PET (100 per cent recycled).
This story is from the July 2021 edition of TerraGreen.
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This story is from the July 2021 edition of TerraGreen.
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