Chennai generates 429 tonnes of plastic waste a day: Study

The data estimated that plastic waste generated from entire country is around 25,940 tonnes per day. The report outlines the harmful effects of burning, which can be a major health and environmental hazard, emitting toxic gases and polluting the groundwater and soil through leachate action.

The government notified the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016, which applies to the waste generator, local body, manufacturer, importer, producer and brand owner. The rules state, “Waste generators, including institutional generators, event organisers shall not litter the plastic waste. They shall segregate waste and hand it over to the authorised agency and shall pay user fee as prescribed by ULB (urban-local body) for waste management or spot fine in case of violation. 

Within a period of six months from publication of the Rules, producer, brand owner shall work out modalities for waste collection system for collecting back the plastic waste generated due to their products, in consultation with local authority/ state urban development department and implement it within two years thereafter.”

However, environmentalists and experts said that little is being done to enforce the rules by the authorities, as the city suffers from monumental solid waste management crisis, as source segregation has not been fully implemented, resulting in tonnes of plastic ending up in the dump yards and being burnt, causing serious environmental and health hazards.