Mumbai, April 23, 2024: Snacking brand Natch has announced its sponsorship of waste management organisation Recircles' monthly plastic-neutral drive under which plastic waste will be collected directly from households, effectively diverting it from landfills and waterways.
This initiative also empowers waste picker communities by ensuring fair wages, improved working conditions, and access to valuable skill development programmes.
“At Natch, we believe that taking care of our bodies and the planet go hand in hand,” said Matthew Taff, founder of Natch Snacks.
“Our partnership with Recircle allows us to make a tangible difference by supporting responsible waste management practices and the communities that work tirelessly to manage it,” he said.
By diverting low-value plastic away from landfills and water bodies, this programme will have a significant and far-reaching positive impact on the environment, society, and governance (ESG) landscape and promote responsible waste management practices throughout India.
India is among the twelve countries responsible for 60 per cent of the planet's mismanaged plastic waste though the fast-developing South Asian nation's per capita plastic waste production is among the lowest in the world, according to a 2023 report.
The Plastic Overshoot Day report by Swiss non-profit EA Earth Action also said global plastic waste generation has risen by 7.11 per cent since 2021. The world is estimated to have generated 220 million tons of plastic waste this year, 70 million tons of which will end up polluting the environment.
"Twelve countries are responsible for 60 per cent of the world's mismanaged plastic waste: China, India, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Vietnam, Iran, Indonesia, Egypt, Pakistan, the United States and Turkey," it said. Though the report classifies India as a "low-waste-producing" polluter due to its low per capita plastic waste production (8 kg per capita per year), it said the country's expected mismanaged waste in 2024 will be 7.4 million tons, which is "very high".
Still, India's mismanaged plastic waste will be less than one-fifth of China and one-third of the US.
The report also claimed India is estimated to release an average of 3,91,879 tons of microplastics into the environment and 31,483 tons of chemical additives into waterways.
People living in Belgium are the top generators of plastic waste, with a yearly waste production of 147.7 kg per person. This is 16 times higher than in India, it said.
Oman tops the list of countries in terms of mismanaged plastic waste, with a projected 111 kg of mismanaged plastic per person in 2024. This is 30 times higher than Norway. India is in the bottom 12 countries.
The report said that by April 2024, almost half of the world's population will be living in areas where plastic waste has already exceeded the capacity to manage it.
