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Plastic Waste in India: The Urgent Case for Scalable Recycling Infrastructure

  • Writer: Ansh gajra
    Ansh gajra
  • Jun 18
  • 2 min read
Blue plastic scraps in foreground, stacked bales in the back. Text reads "HOW MUCH OF THIS PLASTIC IS ACTUALLY BEING RECYCLED?" with recycling stats.

India produces an estimated 9.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually. With urban growth, increasing e-commerce activity, and widespread use of single-use packaging, this number is steadily rising.


Yet, how much of this plastic is actually being recycled?




India’s Plastic Waste Snapshot


Year

Plastic Waste Generated

Recycled (Formal + Informal)

Recycling Rate


2022

9.5 million tonnes

~6 million tonnes

~63% (estimated)

2025 (proj.)

12 million tonnes

~7.5 million tonnes

~62.5% (projected)

2030 (proj.)

16 million tonnes

~10.5 million tonnes

~66% (projected)

India’s recycling rate is among the highest globally, but it is largely driven by the informal sector, which processes over 70% of recovered plastic—often under hazardous and inefficient conditions.


Implications for Plastic Recycling Plant Owners


The demand for formal, technology-enabled recycling infrastructure is rapidly growing. Key areas of focus include:


  • Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) equipped to process multilayered plastics, PET, and HDPE

  • Investments in automated sorting, washing lines, and extrusion systems

  • Compliance with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) under the 2022 Plastic Waste Management Rules

  • Digital tracking and certification of post-consumer recycled (PCR) material


Why Invest Now?


  • EPR credits are creating new monetization models for recyclers

  • Corporate demand for PCR plastics in packaging and textiles is rising

  • Bans on identified single-use plastics are pushing innovation in recovery and reuse

  • Volatile oil prices are making recycled plastics more cost-competitive versus virgin resin


Conclusion


India stands at a pivotal moment. If recycling infrastructure evolves in tandem with policy, the plastic recovery sector can become a cornerstone of the circular economy.


But if we continue relying solely on informal collection and unregistered processors, both environmental and economic opportunities will be lost.


Now is the time to scale.


Sources:


  • CPCB Annual Report on Plastic Waste, 2022

  • UNEP Plastic Pollution Reports

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (PWM Rules, 2022)


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