Plastic Waste Management: Issue and Challenges
Organised by: Centre for Environmental law, Policy and Research (CELPR), National Law University, Delhi
Brief Introduction-
Pollution from plastic waste has emerged as a serious global environmental issue Due to the underlying complexities in dealing with the issue of plastic waste, it is important to engage with all the relevant stakeholders so as to have a holistic understanding of key issues pertaining to plastic waste management. With this objective in mind the virtual panel discussion on “Plastic Waste Management: Issues and Challenges” was organised so to highlight the key issues and important developments pertaining to plastic waste not just at the global scale but at the domestic level as well.
Panel Speakers:
An eminent group of panel speakers was selected for the virtual discussion having varying backgrounds (such as an academician, former government official, expert representatives from the plastic industry and NGO).
Dr. S.K Nigam- Dr. Nigam has wide ranging experience as a former CPCB director and current advisor to the Govt. of Delhi in the field of plastic waste management. He spoke about the history of environmental laws and its development. He highlighted the importance of biodegradable plastics in today’s era. Further talking about Extended Producer’s responsibility.
Mr. Hiten Bheda- Mr. Bheda has also been involved with plastics for more than three decades. He brought in his unique experience as Chairman, Environment Committee, All India Plastic Manufacturing Association (AIPMA). He also talked about the responsibilities of producers under the Plastic Waste Management (amendment) Rules, 2022. He also emphasized the importance of consumers in dealing with the issue of plastic waste management. He further highlighted the cleaning and recycling projects funded by AIPMA.
Ms. Shruti Sinha- Ms Sinha as Manager (Policy and Advocacy), Chintan (environmental research and action group) gave the perspective of an NGO, which has been involved in several projects pertaining to waste management. She highlighted the issues and challenges in the informal sector of waste management, particularly focussing on the condition of waste pickers in Delhi.
Mr. Shashi Kant Yadav- Mr. Shashi Kant as an academician and environmental law researcher at University of Surrey, highlighted issues pertaining to plastic waste at the global level. He highlighted global issues pertaining to Plastic waste and stressed on the importance of having a database of best practices dealing with plastics.
Participants:
The virtual discussion was attended by students, research scholars, academicians, lawyers etc. The total number of participants who attended the virtual discussion was 91.