Rapid population growth, urbanization and industrial development have given rise to serious problems of Plastic waste management in cities around the world. Simultaneous development in economic prosperity and industrialization often conflicts with sound environmental considerations. Globally, about 140 million tonnes of plastic are produced each year. In India, about 4-5% of municipal solid waste (MSW) content is post-consumer plastic, compared to 6-10% in the US, Europe and other developed countries. India recycled 47% of its total plastic waste, unlike China (11%), the US (3.5%), South Africa (15%), and the UK (7%). There are around 20,000 plastic recycling industries in India with a daily capacity of 1,500 tonnes.
The easiest way to reduce the amount of solid waste is to burn it in a process called 'reservoir'. The basic advantage of a municipal waste incinerator is that they require less land and are also effectively used for energy production. However, the use of plastics in MSW generates toxic gas emissions that contain heavy metals, dioxins, and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Heavy metals. Zinc, cadmium, arsenic, lead, and mercury are part of the waste stream and, therefore, when engraved, they reach the atmosphere and also persist with soot particles and produce ashes.
The energy content of MSW depends on its composition as well as its moisture content. Plastics have high calorific values because they are derived from petrochemical sources (36,500 kJ / kg) and are much more comparable with coal (28,500 kJ / kg) and fossil fuels (42,500 kJ / kg). On average, plastics use 5% of the world's oil while feedstock compared to 85% used for heating and transport. Most of this energy is recoverable as heat, which can then be converted into electricity.
To reduce the problem of plastic waste management in India, we need to adopt waste prevention principles. There is no need to reduce the use of durable plastics, but we need to promote judicious use and reuse of single use plastics. If plastic compounds are made more durable and if consumers' general perception about plastic reuse and less disposal is changed, then the useless plastic problem can be solved. However, there are many hurdles for proper plastic waste management in India such as proper collection, isolation and transportation of abandoned plastic materials. Increasing personal awareness, along with changes in personal behavior, can be an effective way to reduce the environmental consequences of waste plastics.
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