Lok Sabha Question No. 350 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-02
Subject: Plastic Pollution
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Asaduddin Owaisi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 350

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026

## Plastic Pollution

## 350.      SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that according to the journal Nature, India tops the plastic pollution ranking by emitting a fifth of global plastic waste (around 9.3 million tonnes per year), if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (b) whether the Government has identified the major reasons and sources of such a high level of plastic waste generation despite the existing waste disposal programmes;
- (c) the  details  of  the  estimated  percentage  loss  of  terrestrial  and  aquatic  biodiversity attributed to plastic pollution and marine litter;
- (d) whether  the  Government  utilizes  waste-to-energy  technologies  for  plastic  waste disposal, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the  manner  in  which  the  Government  plans  to  leverage  the  National  Plastic  Waste Reporting portal to ensure accountability of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) for effective plastic waste collection and disposal?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

- (a):  The reports published on plastic pollution vary in their assessments on account of data sources, methodologies and assumptions.   Based upon information provided by State Pollution Control Board (SPCBs) / Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) to Central Pollution Control Board, the plastic waste generated in the country for the year 2022-23 is 4.13 million tonnes.
- (b)  to  (d):      In  order  to  reduce  pollution  caused  by  littered  and  unmanaged  plastic  and considering  the  adverse effect  of  littered  single use plastic  items  on terrestrial,  aquatic  and marine ecosystems, the Ministry notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, on 12th August 2021, prohibiting identified single use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential, from 1st July 2022. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and  Climate Change has also  notified  the Guidelines  on  Extended  Producer  Responsibility (EPR) for plastic packaging vide Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2022, on 16th February, 2022.

As per Plastic Waste Management Rules, local bodies shall encourage the use of plastic waste (preferably the plastic waste which cannot be further recycled) for road construction as per Indian  Road  Congress  guidelines  or  energy  recovery  or  waste  to  oil,  etc.  Further,  under

Guidelines  on  Extended  Producer  Responsibility  (EPR)  for  plastic  packaging,  producers, importers  and brand owners are mandated to ensure minimum level of recycling of plastic packaging covered under EPR and only those plastics, which cannot be recycled can be sent for  end  of  life  disposal  which  includes  waste  to  energy,  waste  to  oil,  cement  kilns  (for  co processing) etc. As per available information, there are twenty one operational Waste to Energy Plants in the country.

(e): As per Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2024, notified on 14 th  March, 2024, every urban local body, Panchayat at District Level, State Pollution Control Boards, and Pollution Control Committees shall prepare and submit annual report in the prescribed form on the portal. The portal captures information from urban local bodies and Panchayats at District Level with respect to plastic waste generated, characterization & assessment of plastic waste, infrastructure details with respect to collection, transportation & processing of plastic waste, and enforcement of ban on identified single use plastic items.

****