About 60% of plastic waste in India is collected – that means the remaining 40% or 10,376 tons remain uncollected, according to Anoop Srivastava, director of Foundation for Campaign Against Plastic Pollution, a non-profit organization advocating for policy changes to tackle plastic waste in India.
Independent waste-pickers typically collect plastic waste from households or landfills to sell them at recycling centers or plastic manufacturers for a small fee.
Though around 60% of India’s plastic waste is recycled, experts worry that too much of it is due to “Downcycling.” That refers to a process where high-quality plastics are recycled into new plastics of lower quality – such as plastic bottles being turned to polyester for clothing.
[Via]
