India – Australia Industry and Research Collaboration for Reducing Plastic Waste

Global plastic pollution is a pervasive issue, with India experiencing heightened severity due to a rapidly growing wealthy middle class and the sheer volumes of plastic waste generation associated with a growth economy.

Twenty-six thousand tonnes of plastic waste is generated in India each day, with only eight per cent of the plastic waste being recycled.

As a country with high rates of economic and population growth, heavy dependence on the informal waste sector, fragmented formal waste collection and recycling systems, India has a substantial challenge ahead to tackle its domestic plastic pollution problem.

The research took a whole-of-system approach, involving a team of over 50 researchers across the six partner organisations in Australia and India: CSIRO, UTS and UNSW in Australia; The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and Development Alternatives in India.

The UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF), along with Development Alternatives and CSIRO led the social research for this collaborative research project across four research streams: i) policy frameworks and priorities, ii) case studies of circular business models, iii) community and industry-backed initiatives, iv) behaviour change as the underpinning framework to support a circular economy transition.

The final output was a roadmap report ‘National Circular Economy Roadmap for Reducing Plastic Waste in India’ as a pioneering effort aimed at reducing plastic waste destined for landfills or polluting the environment. The roadmap launch took place at an in-person event in New Delhi, unveiled by the Indian Federal Minister for Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, in the presence of the Australian High Commissioner to India, Mr Philip Green, and many senior colleagues from CSIR, Development Alternatives and TERI in India.

The roadmap provides a living framework addressing the entire plastics value chain and an analysis of India's plastic material flows, policy frameworks, business models, recycling technologies, and secondary materials demand and usage, underpinned by community and behaviour-led social change. The roadmap recommendations address both the socio-political and technological interventions needed to accelerate a circular economy for plastics. The solutions are embedded in India’s unique ecosystem, which thrives on a massive informal waste infrastructure, supplemented by local and municipal initiatives to drive community education and engagement.

The roadmap aims to catalyse a more inclusive circular economy for plastics in India by driving innovation and creating value from plastic waste. Therefore, contributing to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and help reach global net-zero targets.