Author: Vikram Bhanushali, President of the Indian Compostable Polymer Association (ICPA)
India's single-use plastic (SUP) packaging is growing exponentially. The report estimates that India’s packaging consumption has doubled in the past ten years, from 4.3 kg per person per year to 8.6 kg. It is driven by residents' consumption behaviors caused by home delivery of consumer goods, groceries, and take-out food. In the past, this development was mainly concentrated in major cities and subways in India. However, most of the Indian population lives in villages and first- and second-tier cities, with populations exceeding 50,000 and 100,000 respectively.
Now, with the increase of income level, more and more young working population can also enjoy services such as door-to-door delivery. They are located in smaller urban areas. Here, you can quickly understand the "convenience and ease of use" type of consumer behavior.
Although urban and semi-urban areas have made a major contribution to the use of SUP, the share of villages in waste generation is also growing rapidly. Although these villages lived a very sustainable lifestyle in the past, they actually refused to use any synthetic materials. In general, the consumption tendency of Indian residents is "re-use", they will use everything possible multiple times, in this case, the plastic is finally discarded.
India SUP accounts for 40% of plastic waste. According to data from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, in 2018-19, India generated 3.3 million tons of plastic waste. This is roughly equivalent to 9,200 tons per day. The total amount of municipal solid waste generated is 55-65 million tons, and plastic waste accounts for about 5-6% of the total solid waste. SUP accounts for 40% of the plastic waste generated.
In households, organic waste is still processed in traditional plastic garbage bags that are recycled, and ends up in landfills. Take-out lunch boxes have the same fate, because they are not recycled.
India revised its solid waste management and plastic waste management rules in 2016 and 2018. They now include the definition of "compostable plastics" and are thus introduced into the plastic ecosystem. These policies also prohibit selected SUP and provide a legal basis for sustainable alternatives. Therefore, it is allowed to manufacture and sell certified compostable products in the Indian market.
However, when preparing to enter the market, manufacturers need to go through a comprehensive certification and registration process. It includes product testing according to the Indian standard IS/ISO 17088, which is based on EN 13432 and ASTM D6400.
There are currently about 160 registered manufacturers, and more companies are in the process of registration. When implementing national laws, India’s political and social structure must be respected. The country is a union of 28 states and 8 federal territories, which are diverse in population. Each state has its own social and economic priorities and political commitments. In terms of implementing national policies, the states have the final say, but they must achieve their goals to reduce plastic waste. The new crown pandemic has delayed the implementation of the national waste policy, but now with the adoption of the country's unified plastic waste policy, this process has gained momentum.
According to the official notice, starting in September 2021 and ending in July 2022, some selected SUP products will be banned in phases. The use of compostable plastics in this policy further strengthens the government's commitment to reduce plastic waste as soon as possible.
The Indian government has invested in composting infrastructure across the country, especially in major cities with an installed capacity of 1 million tons of compost. The availability of compost plants is very helpful in developing organic recycling models for wet waste/organic waste management, using certified compostable garbage bags, and making high-quality compost, which is then used as a soil conditioner to reduce landfills in the long term buried. During the critical period of India's bioplastics, an informal group of national and multinational bioplastics companies established the Indian Compostable Polymers Association (ICPA) in December 2018. The network includes resin and compound manufacturers, product manufacturers, and compostable masterbatch manufacturers. ICPA’s mission is to advocate compostable bioplastics, promote a sustainable circular economy, and incorporate it into national legislation. The association also advocates waste classification and collection and downstream recycling models to achieve thorough waste management.
Although ICPA is a young association representing young industries, it has already played a role in helping shape the economic and political environment of India's bioplastics industry.
ICPA also intends to expand its activities on the global platform through cooperation with global bioplastics associations and research institutes (such as the European Bioplastics Association, the Australian Bioplastics Association, the Institute of Biodegradable Products, etc.).
India is on the cusp of shifting the SUP policy paradigm to incorporate sustainable technologies such as compostable biopolymers. ICPA hopes to call on the global compostable biopolymer community to support the upcoming national legislation and to ensure that India maintains a sustainable economic status with the environment.
