Plastic and Bio-Medical Waste Management: A case study in Indian Scenario

A welcome and defining step to curb pollution caused by littered and unmanaged plastic waste is being taken by the country In line with the clarion call given by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, to phase out single use plastic items by 2022.India will ban manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of identified single use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential, all across the country from July 1, 2022. This is in line with “Bio-medical Waste Management Rule-2016″, as per Rules proper handling and disposal of such waste is a must.The adverse impacts of littered single use plastic items plastic on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, including in marine environment are globally recognized. Addressing pollution due to single use plastic items has become an important environmental challenge confronting all countries.

Some key findings:

• Plastic consumption has quadrupled over the past 30 years, driven by growth in emerging markets. Global plastics production as well as plastic waste generation more than doubled in recent years. Plastics account for 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• Nearly two-thirds of plastic waste comes from plastics with lifetimes of under five years, with 40% coming from packaging, 12% from consumer goods and 11% from clothing and textiles.
• Only 9% of plastic waste is recycled. Another 19% is incinerated, 50% ends up in landfill and 22% evades waste management systems and goes into uncontrolled dumpsites, is burned in open pits or ends up in terrestrial or aquatic environments, especially in poorer countries. 
• There is now an estimated 30 Mt of plastic waste in seas and oceans, and a further 109 Mt has accumulated in rivers. The build-up of plastics in rivers implies that leakage into the ocean will continue for decades to come, even if mismanaged plastic waste could be significantly reduced.

The Government of India has taken resolute steps for mitigation of pollution caused by littered Single Use Plastics. The list of banned items includes –ear buds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice- cream sticks, polystyrene (Thermocol) for decoration, plastic plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners less than 100 micron, stirrers. The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, also prohibit manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of plastic carry bags having thickness less than seventy five microns with effect from 30th September, 2021, and having thickness less than thickness of one hundred and twenty microns with effect from the 31st December, 2022.The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change  notified Guidelines will provide framework to strengthen circular economy of plastic packaging waste, promote development of new alternatives to plastic packaging and provide next steps for moving towards sustainable plastic packaging by businesses.

Bio-medical waste management (BMW) means any waste which is generated during diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals or in research activities. This has become a topic of enormous concern due the massive amount of biomedical waste generated per year. As India’s premier public sector medical institution which sets the standards in rendering quality patient care for other hospitals to emulate, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi is uniquely poised to lead this movement of Bio Medical Waste Management by being the agent of change and adopting these guidelines at big Hospitals in Delhi and other Hospitals across India. Such huge quantity of waste is hazardous to both living organisms and the environment so proper disposal of such waste is the need of the hour. As per “Bio-medical Waste Management Rule-2016″, proper handling and disposal of such waste is a must and failure to comply with the provision of the rule will result a penal action. Recycling and reuse of biomedical waste along with proper disposal calls for immediate attention of both private and government hospitals.

Way forward initiative by Government of India

• Capacity building workshops are being organized for MSME units to provide them technical assistance for manufacturing of alternatives to banned single use plastic items with the involvement of CPCB/SPCBs/PCCs along with Ministry of Small Micro and Medium Enterprises and Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering (CIPET) and their state centres. Provisions have also been made to support such enterprises in transitioning away from banned single use plastics.
• The Government of India has also taken steps to promote innovation and provide an ecosystem for accelerated penetration and availability of alternatives all across the country.
• For effective enforcement of ban on identified SUP items from 1 July 2022, national and state level control rooms will be set up and special enforcement teams will be formed for checking illegal manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of banned single use plastic items. States and Union Territories have been asked to set up border check points to stop inter-state movement of any banned single use plastic items.
• CPCB Grievance Redressal App has been launched to empower citizens to help curb plastic menace.  For wider public outreach, PRAKRITI – mascot was also launched on 5^th April.
• The Government has been taking measures for awareness generation towards elimination of single use plastics The awareness campaign has brought together entrepreneurs and start-ups, industry, Central, State and Local Governments, regulatory bodies, experts, citizens organizations, R& D and academic institutions.

All human activities produce waste. We all know that such waste may be dangerous and needs safe disposal. India generates 9.46 million tonnes of plastic waste annually out of which 40% plastic waste goes uncollected India generates around three million tonnes of medical wastes every year and the amount is expected to grow at eight per cent annually.. Industrial waste, sewage and agricultural waste pollute water, soil and air. It can also be dangerous to human beings and environment. Similarly, hospitals and other health care facilities generate lots of waste which can transmit infections, particularly HIV, Hepatitis B & C and Tetanus, to the people who handle it or come in contact with it. The success of the ban will only be possible through effective engagement and concerted actions by all stakeholders and enthusiastic public participation.                                                                

Above views expressed are personal                                                                                                                   -Pallav Kumar Chittej, IES,        

 Assistant Director,

Ministry of Rural Development & Former Administrative Officer, AIIMS Delhi