Published by FICCI
Federation House, Tansen Marg, New Delhi, 110001 and
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH A 2/18, Safdarjung Enclave
New Delhi, 110 029, India T: + 91 11 4949 5353 E: info@giz.de www.giz.de/India
Responsible
Dr. Ashish Chaturvedi, Director-Climate Change, GIZ Ms. Rita Roy Choudhury, Assistant Secretary General, FICCI
Contributors FICCI
Ms. Rita Roy Choudhury, Assistant Secretary General Ms. Kirtika Arora, Senior Assistant Director
Ms. Shikha Jain, Senior Assistant Director GIZ
Dr. Ashish Chaturvedi, Director - Climate Change & Circular Economy Mr. Kundan Burnwal, Advisor - Climate Change
Mr. Vaibhav Rathi, Advisor - Climate Change Mr. Jai Kumar Gaurav, Advisor – Climate Change
New Delhi, December 2021
Acknowledgement
We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to all those who have contributed to this compendium.
We would like to acknowledge the corporates/organisations for sharing their case studies. The development of this compendium has been possible with the effort of the FICCI Team and GIZ India’s Climate Change and Circular Economy team.
COMPENDIUM
Plastics
Waste Management by Indian Industry
Making a
Positive Difference
Contents
1. Foreword ...v
2. Message ...vi
Director General, FICCI ... vi
Country Director, GIZ India ...vii
Chair/ Co-chair ...viii
3. Life-Cycle Approach of the Compendium ...1
4. Introduction ...2
5. Existing Policy Ecosystem in India ...4
6. Case Studies ...9
AIPMA ...10
Alliance to End Plastic Waste ...12
Britannia ...14
Cipla ...17
Circulate Capital ...19
Godrej Consumer Products ...22
Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB) ...24
Hindustan Unilever Limited ...28
ITC ...31
Marico...34
Nestlé India ...36
Pepperfry ...39
PepsiCo India ...41
Soothe Healthcare ...44
Sun Pharma ...45
UFlex ...47
Walmart India ...49
iii
7. Analysis ...50
Sectoral Representation ...50
Geographical Coverage ...50
Company Case-Studies Across Life-Cycle of Plastic Wastes Value Chain ...53
Partnerships for Different Interventions on Plastics Waste Management ...54
Financial and Other Incentives Provided under the Industry Initiatives...55
Types of Awareness Programmes ...57
Types of Recycling and Resource Recovery Programmes ...59
Recommendations for Developing an Effective Implementation Strategy ...60
8. Annexure: Tabulated Summary of PWM Initiatives by Industry ...61
8. Abbreviations ...67
9. Bibliography ...69
Plastic Waste Management by Indian Industry: Making a Positive Difference
List of Boxes
Box 1: Different models under the Draft EPR framework ... 4
Box 2: Essentials for establishing an independent Waste Management Enterprise ...23
List of Figures Figure 1: Life Cycle Approach of this Compendium ... 1
Figure 2: Working Model of Collective EPR Model ...10
Figure 3: Project Highlights...15
Figure 4: Growth of Infrastructure as envisioned by Circulate Capital ...19
Figure 5: Structure of Implementation of the Project Prithvi...25
Figure 6: Working of Swachhta Kendras ...26
Figure 7: The Unilever Commitment...28
Figure 8: The Flow of material and activities for ITC-SWaCH Model ...32
Figure 9: Project 2-minute Safaai ke naam ...37
Figure 10: State-wise representation of companies’ presence on Plastic Waste Management in this Compendium ...50
Figure 11: Company Case-Studies across Life-Cycle ...53
Figure 12: Partnerships for Different Interventions on Plastics Waste Management ...54
List of Tables Table 1: State Legislations on Plastic Waste Management ... 5
Table 2: EPR interventions of companies in cities...51
Table 3: Incentives provided under Industry Initiatives ...55
Table 4: Types of Awareness Programmes...57
Table 5: Types of Recycling & Resource Recovery Programmes ...59
Table 6: Recommendations for an Effective Implementation Strategy ...60
Table 7: Summary of PWM Initiatives by the Industry ...61
v
Foreword
Message by Director General, FICCI
Plastic waste management is one of the most pressing environmental challenges of the 21st century, the world over and especially in a growing country like India. India generates about 15 million tonnes of plastic waste every year and only one-fourth of the waste is being treated and the remaining escapes into the environment.
Despite the challenge that plastic waste poses and the even more gargantuan task that management of the waste poses, solutions can be and have to be found. It can be surmountable if all stakeholders come together and play their part in this effort. Partnerships will be key in driving plastic waste management forward as this compendium of case studies demonstrates. Policymakers at the centre and state level can provide the framework for companies to deliver their Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) under the regulations, urban local bodies and municipalities can provide the framework for public-private partnership models and the private sector can deliver efficient ways to manage the waste.
Businesses, being the largest producer and user of plastics, are introducing sustainable practices and are innovating and re-inventing themselves to facilitate a shift towards plastic waste management and circularity. Businesses are adopting a variety of measures such as buy-back schemes, EPR compliance initiatives, developing alternative products, rethinking packaging & product design, technology for sorting and collection to combat plastic waste. This Compendium highlights such initiatives that will encourage others in the industry to adopt similar approaches.
This Compendium is our effort to make known the positive difference industry is making towards addressing the problem of plastic waste, which is unknown and more often does not get the attention it deserves. The Compendium provides insights on activities and innovative approaches used by businesses in complying to Plastic Waste Management Rules and beyond, which could add value to others for similar adoption. I would like to thank all the organisations who sent their case studies for the Compendium and applaud them for being proactive corporate citizens in moving towards plastic waste management and in many cases going beyond the need of compliance alone.
Arun Chawla
Director General, FICCI
vii
Message by GIZ
As around 8 Million tonnes of plastic waste ends up in our oceans every year it is projected that by 2050 there may be more plastics in the ocean than fish. Addressing the challenge of plastic waste is a key global priority for all stakeholders including governments, private sector, civil society, and citizens. In India around 9.4 Million Tonnes of plastic waste is generated per year out of which around 60% is recycled while the rest is either left uncollected, littered or dumped in landfills. Considering the scale and severity of the challenge the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notified the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016 superseding the Plastic Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011. The rules were further amended and named as ‘Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2018. The rules mandate the provision of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) which has proved to be transformational in managing different waste streams across countries. While the “Guideline Document on Uniform Framework for EPR in India” is yet to be finalized, the private sector has started implementing several initiatives to meet their EPR mandate leading to the effective management of plastic waste in India.
To meet EPR mandates Producers, Importers and Brand Owners (PIBOs) are partnering with Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs), aggregators, recyclers and cement plants. Several new and innovative technologies and approaches for collecting, sorting and recycling of plastic waste are being implemented by the private sector. Also, innovative financing approaches are being used to support the scaling up of existing initiatives.
This compendium aims to highlight the efforts of the private sector related to plastic waste management through several case studies. Following a life cycle approach, the compendium also highlights the importance of focusing on each of the life-cycle stages for plastic waste management including source segregation, collection, awareness generation, behavioural change. The case studies which are spread across India present different models of partnership between the private sector and other stakeholders. Each case study also includes information about challenges and lessons learnt so that future initiatives can be planned, designed and implemented more efficiently. The compendium can be used as a reference for interested stakeholders in replicating or scaling up innovative approaches and initiatives.
I would like to thank all the private sector enterprises for partnering with FICCI and GIZ and sharing their case studies along with valuable insights for the compendium. Managing the challenge of plastic waste requires adoption of an integrated approach involving all stakeholders. The case study examples included in the compendium highlight the commitment of the private sector to partner with the government and other stakeholders to address this challenge.
Dr. Julie Reviere Country Director GIZ India
Message by Chair/ Co-chair
I am delighted to see the significant strides being made by Indian companies in the area of plastic waste management. Plastic has been a miracle material which has been adapted to various critical use cases, including most recently in developing personal protective equipment for frontline and healthcare workers to guard against COVID 19. Yet, the disposal of plastic waste has been a tendentious issue, and has posed many challenges for stakeholders across the spectrum, from manufacturers to users to end consumers and local bodies. The inspiring cases outlined in this compendium demonstrate that workable solutions can be indeed be found to these challenges. My congratulations to the companies that have shared these best practices, and my warmest thanks to the team at FICCI that has put these together in this attractive compendium.
Dr. Mukund Govind Rajan Chair
FICCI Plastics Waste Management Committee
Plastic is a valuable material that has its place when used responsibly. We need new ways for consumers to easily access everyday products with less plastic waste. It is important we all cut the amount of plastic we use and rapidly transition to a circular economy. Our endeavour should be to keep plastic in use for as long as possible in a circular loop system by collecting, processing and repeatedly reusing it.
Mr. Willem Uijen Co-Chair
FICCI Plastics Waste Management Committee
1
Life-Cycle Approach of the Compendium
This compendium of case studies aims to present an overview of the initiatives taken up by the industry for plastic waste management. The case studies demonstrate the engagement of companies across the entire value chain of plastic waste management from source segregation, collection, to processing, recycling, and recovery. Some companies are also ensuring sustainable packaging options for their products. It also features case studies of some corporate initiatives that involve end-to-end
plastic waste management. Awareness programs are an important enabler towards plastic waste management, and hence they are included in the life- cycle approach to analyse case studies presented in this compendium. Several companies are supporting awareness programs on source segregation, plastic collection etc. through various initiatives, targeted at different stakeholders, from schools, colleges, to communities, urban local bodies, and the waste pickers.
Source Segregation
Collection and recycling Processing/
Recycling/
Resource Recovery Sustainable
Packaging
Collection
Awareness Generation /
Behavioural Change Programmes
Figure 1: Life-Cycle Approach of this Compendium
Plastics constitute a very important segment of the Indian economy and contribute significantly to the growth of various key sectors in the country such as Automotive, Agriculture, Construction, Electronics, Healthcare, Textiles and FMCG etc. and are an integral part of the industrial value chains. Plastic is a highly desirable material and finds wide industrial applications due to its properties such as low cost, lightweight, durability and high strength. The same properties unfortunately also make its disposal a challenge. This has serious social, environmental and economic implications.
Most of the companies use either Multi-Layered Plastics (MLP), Polypropylene (PP), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). MLP combined with other materials such as paper, paper board, polymeric materials, metalized layers or aluminum foil is used by most companies for packaging snacks, chocolates, fizzy & fruit drinks and biscuit wrappers for safe storage of perishables. Most of the MLP is currently being land-filled or illegally dumped across the country, causing a serious threat to the environment.
Globally around 95% of the plastic packaging material used is single use plastic and is lost in a short first-use cycle and the lost value is around ~$80-120bn. The consumers and customers around the world prefer packed products rather than initially available and sold lose products such as fruits, vegetables, etc.
India, being one of the fastest growing economies, its per capita plastic consumption was around 11kgs in
Introduction
2014-15 and is still growing. More than 40 percent of the plastics are made into single-use products in the country. As per the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB’s) reports, the fraction of plastic waste in total Municipal Solid Waste ranges from 3.1% to 12.47%
and average plastic waste generation is around 6.92%
of MSW, with Delhi producing the maximum quantity followed by Kolkata and Ahmedabad and only 60%
of the total plastic waste is currently being recycled.1 CPCB has also estimated the collection efficiency at 80.28% in 2014, out of which only 28.4% was treated.
The remaining quantities were disposed in landfills or open dumps. The COVID-19 outbreak has added to the challenge of plastic waste management and has severely impacted the lives of individuals and the way governments and businesses operate. Due to this deadly virus, stock up on necessary supplies such as medicines, dairy products, food, sanitizers, face masks, disinfectants, and many more have been in high demand. All these products require packing, and their production has been higher than ever before.
Plastic usage poses a serious threat to all the earthly elements – oceans, land, air and life. Majority of plastic waste in India is dumped into landfills resulting in seepage of toxins into groundwater, deteriorating the groundwater quality and soil fertility. The toxic emissions and foul gases from landfills and burning of plastics pollute the environment and lead to adverse effects on human health. Significant amount of toxic heavy metals like copper, zinc, lead and cadmium recovered from plastic waste from seashores have an adverse effect on the coastal ecosystems. Lead and
1https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-generates-26k-tonne-plastic-waste-everyday-40-remains-uncollected/
articleshow/67646745.cms
Introduction
3 Cadmium pigments commonly used in most of the
plastics as additives are hazardous in nature and are known to leach out.
Traditionally, there are three distinct approaches for managing plastic waste which is recycle, recover and landfill. The challenge in managing plastic waste in India has been collection, availability of mixed plastics and limited source segregation.
Plastic waste management is fast emerging as a critical priority for economies around the globe due to its serious social, environmental and economic implications. Corporates have already started
complying with the local regulations and global commitments. Manufacturers and Corporates are making efforts ranging from undertaking buyback schemes for collection of plastic wastes to increasing the recycled content in their plastics packaging.
Private industry players and other stakeholders are undertaking various initiatives towards addressing the challenge of plastic waste and are undertaking a paradigm shift from the linear ‘take-make-waste’
model to ‘plastics circular economy’ regime. This compendium is a compilation of case studies of Indian industries contribution in the EPR initiatives for plastic waste management.
Significant progress has been made by both government and private sector which has undertaken a variety of steps to mitigate plastic waste management challenges in India. The central government has set a goal to wipe out single use plastic from India by 2022 and thus has exhorted municipalities, NGOs and businesses to come up with ways for reducing and safely disposing of plastic. Hon’ble Prime Minister urged start-ups and experts to find ways and develop technologies to recycle plastic.
On the policy front, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) had notified Plastic Waste Management Rules in 2016 and amended it in 2018. The policy mandates to minimize generation of plastic waste, source segregation of various types of waste and aims to follow a waste- to-wealth pathway via recovery, reuse and recycling.
Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016 mandated the producers and brand owners to devise a plan in consultation with the local bodies to introduce a collect-back system. This system is known as the Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR). The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) formulated a national framework for implementing Extended Producer Responsibility under Rule 9 of Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016. “Extended Producer Responsibility” may be defined as a policy principle to promote total life cycle environmental improvements of product systems by extending the responsibilities of the manufacturer of the product to various parts of the entire life cycle of the product, and especially the take-back, recycling and final disposal of the product.
The Plastic Waste Management Rules introduced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) as an
Existing Policy Ecosystem in India
environmental policy instrument and assign physical, financial and environmental responsibilities to producers, brand owners and importers of plastics.
The system is based on the premise that producers are required to provide financial incentive to the collection systems, processing facilities and the recycling industry to collect and process plastic waste in order to meet the targets set out by the Government.
The Draft EPR framework is divided up into three parts - each suited to either a small, medium or large business.
Box 1 : Different models under the Draft EPR framework
1. Fee based model: Under the fee-based model, it is proposed that the producer/
importer/brand owner who are using less quantity of plastic for packaging (cut-off quantity shall be decided by the Government after the registration process) shall contribute to the EPR corpus fund at the central level which will be used by ULBs for waste management.
2. Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) model and Credit model: PROs are third party entities that manage waste on behalf of manufacturers.
3. Plastic Credit Model: A plastic credit model is envisaged where a producer is not required to recycle their own packaging, but to ensure that an equivalent amount of packaging waste has been recovered and recycled to meet their obligation.
Existing Policy Ecosystem in India
5 Under the framework:-
z The central government has banned multi- layered plastics that are non-recyclable and non- energy recoverable or with non-alternate use.
z CPCB has restricted the minimum thickness of plastic carry bags to 50 microns.
State Policies
Apart from the regulations existing at the central level, many State and Union Territory (UT)
Governments have imposed partial or complete ban on single use plastics and other plastics in their states through their own notifications. 25 States and 6 Union Territories have issued notifications/
orders pertaining to ban of single use plastics.
State Governments have introduced regulations for plastic waste management by introducing specific legislations on waste management and by issuing notifications/directions under the Environment (Protection Act) 1986.
Table 1. State Legislations on Plastic Waste Management
State Year Legislation Features
Andaman &
Nicobar
2003 Recycled Plastics Manufacture and Usage Rules, 1999 and Recycled Plastics Manufacture and Usage (Amendment) Rules, 2003
To ban the sale and use of virgin or recycled polythene carry bags (upto 20 microns thickness and 20×30 cms.
[8×12 inches] in size, the weight of 50 polythene carry bags being equal to or less than 105 gms.) including littering of non-biodegradable PET bottles
2019 Notification Ban on usage, storage, import, manufacture, transportation, distribution, sale and disposal of plastics
Andhra Pradesh
2013 Order Ban on manufacture, stock, sale and use of plastic carry bags less than 40 microns thickness
http://swachhts.cgg.gov.in/Documents/Downloads/Plastic- Waste-GO_MS46.PDF
Arunachal Pradesh
2019 Plastic Waste
Management By-laws
For management and handling of Plastic waste within the territorial limits of the Municipal Corporation/Municipal Council/Nagar Panchayat/District Urban Development Authority (DUDA)
https://www.arunachalpradesh.gov.in/wp-content/
uploads/extraordinary_gazette/1574325877_398.%20 EOG%20No.%20398%20(2019).pdf
Assam 2019 Plastics Notification To ban the use of plastic carry bags/plastic sheets/multi- layered packaging less than 50 microns, plastic cups with diameter less than 60 mm and thickness less than 50 microns, short life PVC and all chlorinated plastic bags irrespective of thickness
http://www.pcbassam.org/Notice/Plastic%20Notification.pdf
Plastic Waste Management by Indian Industry: Making a Positive Difference
State Year Legislation Features
Bihar 2018 District Specific Plastic Waste Management By-laws & Plastic Ban Notification
Complete ban on the use of plastics http://www.bspcb.bih.nic.in/wnoti.pdf
Chandigarh 2019 Notification Ban on manufacture, store, import, sell, transport, supply of use of plastics/thermocol/Styrofoam items
http://chdpr.gov.in/dashboard/?q=node/80776 Chhattisgarh 2020 Plastic and other Non-
Biodegradable Material (Regulation of Use and Disposal) Bill
Restriction or prohibition of certain things manufactured from nonbiodegradable material; Prohibition on open littering of biodegradable and non-biodegradable material; Restriction on burning of non-biodegradable garbage
https://www.enviscecb.org/notification/CG%20Non%20 biodegradable%20Material%20Control%20Bill,%202020.pdf
Goa 1996 Non-Biodegradable
Garbage (Control) Act
To prevent throwing or depositing of non-biodegradable garbage in public drains, roads and places open to the public http://www.dstegoa.gov.in/GNBG/(1).pdf
2019 Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Amendment Act
Prohibition on use of plastic bags - ban on manufacture, import, store, transport or sell plastic carry bags or items made of plastics; ban on burning of non-biodegradable garbage
http://www.dstegoa.gov.in/Final%20Bill%20GNBG2019.pdf Gujarat 2020 Legal Guidelines on
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
Waste
The producer, importer and brand owner (PIBOs) should work hand in hand for efficient Plastic Waste Management through their own distribution channel or through the local body concerned
http://gcpcenvis.nic.in/Manuals_Guidelines/Legal%20 Guidelines%20on%20Reduce,%20Reuse%20and%20 Recycle(1).pdf
Haryana 1998 Non-Biodegradable Garbage Act
To prevent throwing or depositing of non-biodegradable garbage in public drains, roads and places open to public https://hspcb.gov.in/content/plasticwaste/
NBGarbageACT1998/NBGarbageACT1998.pdf 2013 Non-Biodegradable
Garbage (Control) Amendment Act
To regulate manufacturing, sale, distribution, stock, usage, transport and disposal of non-biodegradable material and prohibition of throwing and depositing of non- biodegradable garbage in public drains, roads etc.
https://hspcb.gov.in/content/plasticwaste/
HNBGarbageAct2013/HNBGarbageAct2013.pdf
Existing Policy Ecosystem in India
7
State Year Legislation Features
2013 Notification banning plastics
Prohibition on the manufacture, sale, distribution, stocking, transportation and use of virgin and recycled plastic carry bags and recycled plastic containers https://hspcb.gov.in/content/plasticwaste/
HBGarbageAct2013/HBGarbageAct2013.pdf Himachal
Pradesh
1995 Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act
To prevent throwing or depositing non-biodegradable garbage in public drains, roads and places open to the public view and to regulate the use of non-biodegradable material
https://hpforest.nic.in/files/THE%20HIMACHAL%20 PRADESH%20NON-BIODEGRADABLE%20GARBAGE.pdf 2018 Notification Ban on use of plastic carry bags (irrespective of their sizes
and thickness) and plastic items having one time use such as disposable plastic cups, glasses and plates which are made up of non -biodegradable material
https://desthp.nic.in/notifications/Noti_July_2018.pdf Jammu &
Kashmir
2007 Non-biodegradable Material (Manage- ment Handling and Disposal) Act 2007
To prohibit and regulate handling and disposal of non- biodegradable material in the state
http://jkspcb.nic.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/file/
Act%20and%20Rules/JK%20Non%20Biodegradable%20 Material%20%20Act%2020070001.pdf
2019 Order Ban on single use plastics
http://jkspcb.nic.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/file/Orders%20 and%20circulars/2019/SRO%20231%20dated%2026%20 March,%2020190001.pdf
Karnataka 2016 Order Imposing a state-wide ban on single-use plastic http://kspcb.gov.in/Plastic%20Waste%20 Management_18-2-2020.pdf
Kerala 2020 Plastic Waste Man-
agement by-law To ban the manufacturing, sale, storage and transportation of single-use plastic products like carry bags, disposable cups, straws, PET bottles, etc.
http://sanitation.kerala.gov.in/wp-content/
uploads/2019/11/PWM-By-law-1.pdf Madhya
Pradesh
2017 Jaiv Anaashya
Apashishta (Niyantran) Sanshodhan
Adhyadhesh
Prohibition on the usage of plastic carry bags
http://mpvidhansabha.nic.in/BILL2017/ACT%20No%20 26%20of%202017.pdf
2019 Order To phase out the use of single use plastics
http://www.mppcb.nic.in/proc/1385Letter-dt-110419.pdf
Plastic Waste Management by Indian Industry: Making a Positive Difference
State Year Legislation Features
Maharashtra 2006 Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act
To prevent throwing or depositing of non-biodegradable garbage in public drains, roads and places open to public https://www.mpcb.gov.in/sites/default/files/plastic-waste/
rules/garbage.pdf
2019 Maharashtra Plastic and Thermocol Products (MUSTH&S) Notification
Prohibiting the manufacture, transport, distribution, wholesale and retail sale, usage, storage and import of certain plastic products
https://www.mpcb.gov.in/images/pdf/
plasticwasteGazetteSearch_03072018.pdf
Manipur 2018 Order Ban on the use of polythene carry bags of more than 50 microns in thickness
http://manenvis.nic.in/ViewGeneralLatestNews.aspx?Id=5029
Odisha 2018 Order Ban on single use plastics
http://ospcboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Order- Ban-of-plastic-21103dtd.29.09.18.pdf
Punjab 2005 Plastics Carry Bags Control Act
To control the manufacturing of plastic carry bags and other plastic products from the recycled plastic and pigmented carry bags, their use and for the prohibition of dumping of non-biodegradable plastic waste in public places, drains and sewers; for restoring and maintaining clean environment
https://punjabxp.com/wp-content/uploads/Punjab-Plastic- Carry-Bags-Control-Act2005.pdf
2016 Order Ban on single use plastics
http://www.ppcb.gov.in/Attachments/Plastic%20Ban%20 Notification/plastic_ban.pdf
Uttarakhand 2018 Order Ban on single use plastics
https://ueppcb.uk.gov.in/upload/contents/File-95.pdf
Uttar Pradesh 2018 Order Ban on single use plastics having thickness less than 50 microns
http://online.uppcb.com/pollutionhackathon/Content/
pdf/NV-7-1056_15-07-18.pdf
Tamil Nadu 2018 Notification Ban on manufacture, storage, import, sale , transport, supply and use of plastics/thermocol/Styrofoam items https://tnpcb.gov.in/pdf_2018/G.O_84_BanPlastic3718.pdf
Case
Studies
AIPMA
Background of the Organization
The All India Plastics Manufacturers’ Association (AIPMA) was founded by Industry visionaries 73 years ago making it one of the oldest and largest apex bodies of the Plastic Industry in India. Through the years AIPMA has expanded and progressed by leaps and bounds in all fields of Plastics. Today their Head Offices are located in prime locations such as Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Kolkata2.
Background of the Initiative
The industry has to abide by the new norms regulating the production and waste management of plastic products. The plastic producers especially the MSME (Micro, small and medium enterprises) need to fulfill their EPR compliances. These processing units are driven with limited human resources and do not have adequate resources and time to focus on the additional compliances. Hence, to facilitate these processing units and association members in meeting their EPR obligations, AIPMA launched a Collective EPR activity in collaboration with Flexible Packaging Industries and Traders Association (FPITA).
The Collective Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) model demands a synergistic alliance with waste management companies (who act as an execution partner and are responsible for all the processes from collection to recycling/co-processing).
Shortlisted waste management companies:
1. Sampurn(e)arth Environment Solutions Pvt. Ltd., 2. The Shakti Plastic Industries,
3. Swachh Sustainable Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
EPR Approach and Initiative
The following steps were undertaken as a part of the initiative:
z Enrolment of members (Producers, Brand Owners)
z Tie-up with waste management companies (for the process of collection to recycling/co- processing)
z Validation of documents and audit after completion of the process
2https://www.aipma.net/
WORKING MODEL OF EPR ACTIVITY
PROCESS FLOW
RECYCLER
ECO-CREDIT ECO-CREDIT FLOW
WASTE MANAGEMENT COMPANY (WMC)
END OF LIFE (EolL)
(Cement Klin) RECYCLER END OF LIFE (EolL) (Cement Klin)
PRODUCER AIPMA BRAND
ONWER PRODUCER AIPMA BRAND
ONWER Figure 2. Working Model of Collective EPR Model
AIPMA
11
z Issuance of Certificate of Recycling/ Co- processing to the EPR registered members as per their specified requirements for their EPR Compliances for a particular quantum and period.
Project Highlights
The Collective EPR initiative which started in December 2018, has gradually grown to have a satisfactory impact on the environment. Through this initiative, 10,960 kgs of Multilayer Plastic Waste (MLP) has been successfully co-processed and 343,450 kgs of Monolayer plastic waste has been recycled till date.
Currently, this initiative has been successfully carried out in Maharashtra and some regions in Goa. After getting a broader picture of the EPR framework, the collective EPR initiative may be expanded to other states of India. This will help in achieving a greater positive impact on the environment by effectively managing plastic waste through the collection,
segregation and recycling/co-processing along with awareness creation campaigns.
Challenges
Challenges faced by the Collective EPR Initiative:
1. Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 mandated Extended Producers Responsibility but does not provide specific clarity on the obligations of Producers/ Importers/ Brand owners.
2. Absence of authorisation for collective EPR that is discharged by an association which acts as a coordinating entity.
Lessons Learnt
The government regulations should enable and accept the Industry associations as aggregators for discharging EPR obligations of their members as bulk of them are in the MSME segment and it is cumbersome for them to fulfill their compliances.
Alliance to End Plastic Waste
Background of the Organization
Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) was founded in January 2019 as a non-profit organisation to help solve a serious and complex issue – 8 million tons of plastic waste entering the ocean every year.
Nearly fifty companies across the plastics value chain have joined the Alliance and together they have committed to invest US$1.5 billion towards solutions that will prevent leakage as well as recover and create value from plastic waste3.
Ultimately, these solutions open the investment market of plastic waste to venture capital, private investors, development banks and governments to deliver truly transformational change.
Background of the Initiative
In India specifically, over 62 million tons of plastic waste is generated annually, of which only 24% is recycled. To combat this, the Alliance has 2 projects ongoing in 2020, with a further commitment to invest up to $100 million in India over the next 5 years.
The Alliance is committed to ending plastic waste in the environment. Even though ending plastic waste is ambitious, but it is through collaboration and collective action that this complex problem can be solved.
Since 2019, they have rallied over 80 member companies, project partners, allies and supporters who are committed to ending plastic waste with them. It is this diverse network of resources, expertise and talent—from technical leaders, engineers, scientists and practitioners—who are empowering them to create and scale innovative solutions around the world.
Initiatives beyond EPR
Their ongoing projects are:
Aviral—Reducing Plastic Waste in the Ganga Project Partners: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Location: Haridwar & Rishikesh, India
Duration: 3 years, until 2022
Aviral is a pilot project in partnership with GIZ to develop approaches for sustainable and scalable plastic waste management solutions and demonstrate best practice examples in Haridwar and Rishikesh, which can then be replicated in cities across India.
The challenges that Aviral will address are unique in many aspects. The cities have a combined population of 300,000 people and attract 50,000 tourists a day.
Aviral has already started to analyse plastic waste streams and will strengthen the collection and sorting processes. The project will also contribute to achieving the objectives and goals of the existing flagship programmes for the Clean Ganga (Namami Gange) and the Clean India Mission (Swachh Bharat Mission).
Aviral is hosting the Plastic Waste Innovation Challenge, inviting startups from all over India to submit their ideas to change the future of plastic waste management. Startups will be selected to implement their innovations in Urban Local Bodies, with the support of GIZ, the Alliance, and local accelerator The Climate Collective.
3https://endplasticwaste.org/about/
Alliance to End Plastic Waste
13 Zero Plastic Waste Cities
Project Partners: Grameen Creative Labs Location: Puducherry, India
Duration: 5 years, until 2023
With the Zero Plastic Waste Cities project, a partnership with Grameen Creative Labs, the aim is to recycle 28,000 tonnes of plastic during the first 5 years of operations in two cities: Puducherry on the Southeast coast of India and Tan An on the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. This is done by improving and supplementing existing municipal waste management systems, preventing the collected plastic waste from leaking into the environment and instead turning it into valuable building materials.
Two options are being developed for the local markets:
z Pelletising plastic waste, which in turn can be used in finished goods like garden pots or building products.
z Using compression moulding to convert the waste into plastic boards that will eventually be used for furniture material, such as shelves, countertops or panels.
In all the projects, the alliance works closely with local communities to find solutions that not only
solve the needs but can eventually be fully self- owned and operated. This involves working closely with municipalities, but also providing extensive training and education not only to those employed by the waste management facilities but the larger communities as well. This helps in spreading a greater understanding of the importance of waste management, and in unlocking the potential of plastic waste.
Challenges
COVID-19 has of course been a big challenge for all; AEPW’s projects and programmes in India are no different. With various regions going in and out of lockdown, and communities coming to terms with changing regulations and livelihoods, the timelines of AEPW’s projects have understandably stretched. However, they have overcome many of these issues with the support of partners and local municipalities.
In both of the AEPW projects, MOUs have been signed with the local municipalities, committing to an ongoing working relationship and for the betterment of the communities. Local partners have also been crucial to keeping up momentum, working tirelessly with AEPW’s teams from around the world to prepare plans and implementation strategies while working remotely.
Britannia
Background of the Organization
Britannia is a 100 year+ food and beverage company with a presence in Biscuits, Breads, Cake, Rusk, Dairy and Snacking. The company celebrated its 100th year in 2018 and has emerged as a Market Leader in the Bakery space, while also launching a host of new products and entering new categories. Britannia businesses provide goods and services that are safe and contribute to sustainability throughout their life cycle. Environment, health and safety continue to be the key focus areas and Britannia strives to reduce its environmental impact through various initiatives in the field of Energy Efficiency, Conservation and Plastic Waste Management4.
Background of the Initiative
Britannia aims to recycle, reduce and recover used plastic for sustainability. Britannia has been continuously working to reduce usage of plastic by removing plastic trays from the portfolio and is in the process of developing 100% reusable packaging.
Britannia has successfully scaled up the Extended Producers’ Responsibility (EPR) initiatives across India for plastic including multilayer plastic packaging waste collection and energy recovery.
EPR Approach and Initiative
Britannia’s EPR action plan is executed by selected PROs in the designated States and Union Territories.
Britannia has mapped and established PRO partnerships with many recycling companies to ensure there are fewer disruptions to the non MLP supply chains. Besides Waste to Energy options, they have recommended and encouraged other solutions to PROs for the disposal of MLP. MLP can be reprocessed into chipboard, used for road construction, pyrolysis, plastic wares, etc.
As a way forward, the company is working on digitalization, establishing a unique software platform (at the PRO) to demonstrate traceability where robust material tracking, complete documentation is to be made available which will be useful for both internal and external audit purposes. The EPR model is being further strengthened with continued focus on the Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities including awareness. The idea is to plan and execute awareness projects (in general and handling waste management) for various stakeholders across EPR supply chain. The company continues to focus on recycling, reducing and recovery of used plastic which will enable a more holistic and long-term approach towards enhancing resource sustainability.
Initiatives beyond EPR
At Britannia, a 2-pronged approach to sustainability is adopted as part of the Swachhta Hi Seva Abhiyan.
This was also in line with their sustainability agenda
“Do the Right Thing” which urges Britannians to do their bit towards “Respecting” the community and environment and “Make Things Happen”.
z Britannians were engaged in a digital campaign focused on sustainability. This involved sharing photos and videos about personal initiatives at homes or workplaces in light of recycling / upcycling and reducing plastic waste to the environment. The intervention nudged them to adopt sensitivity about their contribution to plastic waste as a way of life.
z Across their office and factory locations Pan India, Britannians participated with a lot of enthusiasm in a plastic clean-up drive at the public spots. This led to responsible waste management and helped avert CO2 emissions.
Similar interventions were replicated across locations.
4https://www.linkedin.com/company/britannia-industries-limited/
Britannia
15
Project Highlights
Figure 3: Project Highlights
Plastic Waste Management by Indian Industry: Making a Positive Difference
Challenges
z The biggest challenge in successfully collecting plastic waste is the lack of support from the ULB(s) for source segregation, collection and storage of the plastic waste.
z There are limited number of authorized plastic recycling factories across the country owing to a mismatch in supply and demand (high supply but low demand) of post-consumer waste.
z Few Waste to Energy options (cement factories, especially in South India) with limited capacity
for co-processing of MLP lead to delays in execution of the reverse logistics. This results in paying higher co-processing charges which escalates costs which is a massive challenge to execute reverse logistics.
z COVID-19: Pandemic lockdown restrictions affected the EPR operations.
Lessons Learnt
z Evaluate and develop alternatives for MLP reprocessing and not only restrict to cement kiln co-processing and WTE.
17
Cipla
Background of the Organization
Cipla is a global pharmaceutical company that uses cutting edge technology and innovation to meet the everyday needs of all patients. For over 80 years, Cipla has emerged as one of the most respected pharmaceutical names in India as well as across more than 100 countries. Their portfolio includes over 1000 products across a wide range of therapeutic categories with one quality standard globally.
Whilst delivering a long-term sustainable business, Cipla recognises its duty to provide affordable medicines. Cipla’s emphasis on access for patients was recognised globally for the pioneering role played in HIV/AIDS treatment as the first pharmaceutical company to provide a triple combination anti-retroviral (ARV) in Africa at less than a dollar a day and thereby treating many millions of patients since 2001.
Cipla’s research and development focuses on developing innovative products and drug delivery systems .
Background of the Initiative
Cipla started acting on the EPR requirement comparatively earlier and was amongst the first companies to approach CPCB for registration as a Brand Owner. Out of the very few registered PROs at that time a service provider was shortlisted for the preparation of EPR, application and liaisoning.
EPR Approach and Initiative
Once the service provider was shortlisted, it was required to involve other stakeholders like the sales vertical, packaging material procurement team and packaging design and development departments.
Following were the responsibilities of different stakeholders:
z Sales- to provide Stock-Keeping Unit (SKU) wise, state-wise sales figures for the base year
z Procurement – to provide details of various types of plastics procured during the period
z Packaging development – to calculate different types of plastics being used in different products and estimating state-wise wastes.
It is very critical to involve other stakeholders for accurately identifying the EPR obligation, as the same goes as a commitment to CPCB and as a contribution to the national goal of proper utilization and channelization of plastic waste.
In addition to fulfilling the legal obligation of EPR, the initiative will remain sustainable as the organization has taken this as one of the key projects for sustainable business. A well-qualified officer has been appointed to continue this initiative sustainably.
Project Highlights
Cipla started the EPR initiatives execution from October 2019 after obtaining the registration as a Brand Owner under PWM Rules 2016. The preparatory work including the application filing, preparing EPR and documentation started from January 2019.
The EPR plan for the 2nd year has already been made, submitted and continued for implementation. The feasibility of alternate utilization of collected plastic waste will be assessed. Possibility of reduction/
replacement of packaging material as far as possible will also be worked out with relevant stakeholders.
They also plan to collaborate with their CSR function to explore the possibility of utilizing the materials derived through recycled plastics, such
5https://www.linkedin.com/company/cipla/
Plastic Waste Management by Indian Industry: Making a Positive Difference
as garden benches, pathway paver blocks and likes, at the place of public use for the benefit of the society at large.
Challenges
Lack of clarity in interpretation of the Rules, coupled with abruptness in the registration process and documentation.
Lessons Learnt
Understanding the law and having clarity on the expectations of the regulatory authority is very important. Maintaining the trackers on monthly basis to ensure that EPR targets are met geographically as well as quantitatively are very important aspects.
Traceability of documentation is an important aspect as well.
19
Circulate Capital
Background of the Organization
Founded in 2018, Circulate Capital is an investment management firm dedicated to incubating and financing companies and infrastructure that aim to tackle ocean plastic in South Asia and Southeast Asia. In 2019, Circulate Capital established Circulate Capital Ocean Fund (CCOF), a USD 106 million fund incorporated in Singapore.
Research by Ocean Conservancy has found that most plastic enters the ocean from just five countries in South and Southeast Asia. This flow could be reduced by as much as 50% by investing in waste and recycling management - and even more if invested in the circular economy.
CCOF is aligned with this objective and its focus within South and Southeast Asia is India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The fund has received commitments from eight corporate investors including PepsiCo, P&G, Dow, Danone, CHANEL, Unilever, Chevron Phillips Chemical and is backed by the U.S. Development Finance Corporation in collaboration with USAID.
While there is no “silver bullet” to stop plastic pollution, supporting and improving waste management and building circular plastic value chains are key
to the solution. The required investment in Asia’s infrastructure amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars. However, investors – particularly institutional investors – have shied away from investing in this sector due to a “missing middle” of investible entities that demonstrate a track record that offers a robust pipeline of prospective investment opportunities.
Circulate Capital aims to change this mindset and catalyze the billions needed to solve the ocean plastic problem and demonstrate investments in this space can deliver financial returns and have an impact.
Background of the Initiative
a. There are 150 million tons of plastic in the oceans right now which has been growing by 8 million tons every year6,7.
b. In India, more than 3.8 million tonnes of plastic waste is left uncollected every year8. These are dumped in landfills or get washed away by rivers into the ocean.
c. Large institutional investors are unable to deploy capital into available solutions. The lack of a visible pipeline, evidence-based track record and active funds result in a missing middle that fails to connect capital to operators.
Growth of Infrastructure Start-up
Investor Class &
Size
Individual/venture capital equity investments in
companies
Private equity funds
Private equity funds / fund
of funds
Institutional investor allocation
~$20m ~$200m ~$800m ~$2b
Growth Expansion Acquisition Scale
Today’s Limited
Pipeline The
Missing Middle The Capital we Need to Attract
6“Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean” in Science, Jenna Jambeck et al., 2015
7Page 3, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) Handbook on Plastic Waste Management: Issues, Solutions and Case Studies, March 2019
8Page 5, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) Handbook on Plastic Waste Management: Issues, Solutions and Case Studies, March 2019
Figure 4 : Growth of Infrastructure as envisioned by Circulate Capital
Plastic Waste Management by Indian Industry: Making a Positive Difference
EPR Approach and Initiative
The CCOF is a blended-financing mechanism, bringing together the public and private sectors to invest for maximum impact. The mechanism aims to de-risk investment by utilising a 50%
guarantee provided by the US Development Finance Corporation in collaboration with USAID.
The fund invests in businesses in three parts of the plastic recycling industry chain which include the collection and sorting of plastic material, processing (recycle) plastic material and innovation in the supply chain of innovative materials, efficient new distribution models and digital trading opportunities.
Circulate Capital’s strategic tenets include:
z Investments not grants: Investments generate a level of return and measurable impact that prove the model, ensure accountability of recipients and facilitate systemic change.
z Systemic change: Capital is pooled from consumer goods companies, chemical industry and retailers with a vested interest in increased recycling. All this leads to a systemic change that no company can accomplish alone.
z Scalability and replicability: Investments will be measured, evaluated and shared to cultivate scalability and replicability.
z Unlock co-investment: Fund will co-invest in select projects with private investors, thereby crowding in additional capital. Build from the success of the Fund to attract investors to subsequent and aligned pools
Circulate Capital has identified more than 200 investment opportunities. Ultimately, the aim is to create, reimagine and realign the entire waste ecosystem that creates and remediates ocean plastic.
The vision is to develop a circular economy whereby the company can take used plastics and turn them into a new, reusable resource for future materials.
Initiatives beyond EPR
The approach adopted by the organisation to solve plastic waste management issues:
Circulate Capital adopts a multi-pronged approach to solving plastic waste management issues. In addition to the provision of capital, the focus is laid on the following initiatives:
z Post-investment support: As preventing future ocean plastic requires a comprehensive approach that goes beyond providing investment capital, Circulate Capital provides technical assistance and mentorship to its portfolio companies, leveraging its corporate investors’ expertise.
z Involvement in the ecosystem: The firm has partnered with a number of mission-aligned non-profit organizations, including Ocean Conservancy, Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), and supported the establishment of The Circulate Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending ocean plastic pollution and building thriving, inclusive economies.
In particular, the Circulate Initiative’s goal is to provide entrepreneurs, policymakers, and investors, with the tools and knowledge to do so. Its flagship incubation program, The Incubation Network (TIN), encourages more and better innovation in waste management and the circular economy, helping talented entrepreneurs transform their ideas into profitable businesses.
z Impact measurement commitment: Circulate Capital focuses on the following categories of impact measurement:
z Plastic pollution prevention: Tons of waste diverted from the environment and into supply chains
z Climate Change: Greenhouse Gas reduction, ocean co-benefits of diverted plastic (reduced ocean acidification)
z Social value: Job creation, economic and health benefits to local communities
z Contribution to the development of circular supply chains: Alignment to the principles of circularity, ability to grow and replicate
Since there are no existing impact metrics dedicated to investments related to plastic pollution reduction, relevant to the local South and Southeast Asian context, this is a new field that the firm is pioneering.
Circulate Capital
21
Project Highlights
As of 12 November 2020, the fund has invested an estimated total deployment of USD 6 million into two companies – Lucro Plastecycle in India and Tridi Oasis in Indonesia.
CCOF’s first investments include companies at the forefront of their industries, specializing in building markets to collect and recycle local plastic waste into raw materials that can become tradable commodities:
z Lucro Plastecycle Private Limited (Lucro) in Mumbai, India: a homegrown Indian manufacturer that developed an integrated process to collect, sort and recycle difficult- to- manage flexible plastic for its own production of flexible products (such as shrink wrap and films) and to sell as high-quality recycled plastic granules to manufacturers across the country;
and
z PT Tridi Oasis Group (Tridi Oasis) in Jakarta, Indonesia: a female-led, Indonesian company specializing in recycling PET bottles into rPET flakes, which are used to manufacture circular packaging and textiles.
z Circulate Capital has also undertaken due diligence on various entities in the Indian ecosystem and is set to announce more investments in India over the coming months.
z Nepra Resource Management Pvt. Ltd. (Nepra) in Ahmedabad, Gujarat: India’s largest collector
and processor of dry waste, which partners with more than 1,700 waste pickers and collectors to process over 500 tonnes per day (TPD) of waste across Ahmedabad, Indore and Pune.
z Srichakra Polyplast (Srichakra) in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh: Pioneer in plastic recycling in India, that are set to establish the first food- grade recycling facility in India.
z Dalmia Polypro Industries (Dalmia) in Mumbai, Maharashtra: Leading PET recycler in India, converting PET bottles into rPET flakes and polyolefin granules.
z Deeya Panel Products (Ricron) in Ankaleshwar, Gujarat: Spearheaded innovation in upcycling of difficult to manage, low value multi-layer plastic waste to develop high quality, eco-friendly materials for building applications.
z Rapidue Technologies (Recykal) in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh: India’s first “waste commerce”
company with digital solutions enabling an efficient and effective waste and recycling industry and transparent and traceable transactions between all stakeholders.
Lessons Learnt
Compared to a few years ago, there is much more focus on the circular economy in the country.
However, for the technologies and innovations to be successful in solving the ocean plastic problem at scale, much more capital needs to be invested in the sector.
Godrej Consumer Products
Background of the Organization
Godrej Consumer Products is a leading emerging markets company. The company is a part of the over 123-year young Godrej Group, which today enjoys the patronage of 1.15 billion consumers globally, across different businesses. In line with their 3 by 3 approach to international expansion at Godrej Consumer Products, they are building a presence in 3 emerging markets (Asia, Africa, Latin America) across 3 categories (home care, personal care, hair care).
They rank among the largest household insecticide and hair care players in emerging markets .
Background of the Initiative
Over 30 million tonnes of waste is dumped in landfills each year in India. At this rate, by 2030, a landfill site of the size of Bengaluru city will be needed to accommodate the waste. Solid waste management is emerging as a serious challenge. Improper waste disposal has hazardous impacts on the environment and society. Solid waste accumulation is an increasing problem due to unsustainable waste management practices and a lack of proper waste treatment.
To tackle this, Godrej has extended its commitment to sending zero waste to landfill beyond its manufacturing plants. Several community waste management projects have been initiated across India by working with colleges, local municipalities, and social enterprises with a special focus on plastic waste management.
EPR Approach and Initiative
Godrej’s efforts towards solid waste management extend beyond manufacturing plants and immediate areas of operations. They have commissioned community waste management projects by using circular economy principles. They have collaborated with Hyderabad and Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal
Corporations, and more recently the Pondicherry municipal corporation to implement community waste management projects and plastic waste recycling.
All the projects work in partnership with the stakeholders like the four wheels of a car. Godrej – Social entrepreneur – Citizens – Local municipalities, all work in tandem and play their parts in effectively managing waste.
A multi-stakeholder approach, designed to be economically viable, environmentally oriented, and socially inclusive is followed which includes:
Stakeholder engagement: Working closely with municipal corporations and municipalities to institute sustainable solutions and civil society organisations as well as social enterprises to identify and establish long-term projects.
Citizen’s ownership: Citizens need to take ownership of municipal solid waste management, and adoption of sustainable practices is crucial to success. Source segregation of waste is vital for the successful execution of municipal solid waste management projects.
Tripartite partnership: Local municipality commits to providing land for segregation activities and recycling. Godrej invests in technology whereas social entrepreneurs invest in other capital expenditures. This tripartite partnership ensures that the entrepreneur has a higher chance of success for establishing a waste management enterprise backed by their support.
However, since many states started demanding the Brands to show EPR activities in their respective states, PROs were involved in several states for the collection and disposal of post-consumer plastic waste.
9https://godrejcp.com/know-us
Godrej Consumer Products
23
Project Highlights
The waste management projects of Godrej Consumer Products started in 2016 and are all ongoing.
Currently their facilities process over 25 MT of waste / per day. Besides the project has helped provide direct employment to 50 rag-pickers and sanitation workers full-time. Their citizen awareness campaign has reached out to over 1 million people and instilled segregation practices at the source.
This has resulted in the diversion of about 3,600 MT of plastic waste from landfills through their partners in Telangana and Maharashtra. Besides, another 4,400 MT of plastic was collected and processed through their PRO agencies during 2019-20. In total, over 8,000 MT of post-consumer plastic waste during 2019-20 has been collected and processed. They are committed to achieving 100% equivalent of plastic packaging in 2020-21.
The model relied on significant involvement from social entrepreneurs. They have skin in the game.
Moreover, the project is designed to have built- in revenue streams to ensure long-term financial sustainability. Revenue comes from composting wet waste, selling recycled products, converting plastic to pellets for recycling, etc.
The new PRO model requires less effort from the brands and is largely managed by third-party agencies. This model is scalable and works effectively and at a competitive price as the volumes go up.
Challenges
Based on the initial understanding on PWM Rules as geographically neutral, the company wanted to demonstrate zero waste to landfill in a few states. However, since every state has wanted EPR implementation within their jurisdiction, scaling up of zero waste to landfill became unviable. Godrej’s current model ensured two things that were vital for establishing a successful independent waste management enterprise.
Box 2: Essentials for establishing an independent Waste Management Enterprise
1. Self-sustainability: It is essential that the project has built-in revenue streams to ensure long-term financial sustainability.
Revenue can come from composting wet waste, selling recycled products, converting recyclable plastic to pellets, non-recyclable plastic to liquid fuel, etc. which provide the social entrepreneur ample opportunities to keep the revenue flowing in.
2. Social inclusion: Segregation and recycling rely heavily on informal workers who collect, sort, and recycle the waste. Social inclusion projects cater to waste pickers by integrating them into the formal system, as well as providing safe working conditions, social safety nets, child labour restrictions, etc.
Godrej’s model approach ensures the dignity of the people involved on the ground and offers them better prospects.
Now with state-level EPR compliance requirements, the company is not able to set-up centres in every state. Hence they have partly moved to a PRO model wherein a third-party agency will manage the collection and disposal of post-consumer plastic waste on behalf of the brand owner (Godrej Consumer Products).
Lessons Learnt
The company has had reasonable success with the project. The implementation took time as several parties were involved. But once the project got running it made a significant contribution to waste collection, local employment and sustainability of the waste management enterprise.
However, the company’s model fell short of being able to scale and replicate swiftly across all states.
The involvement the project demands cannot be met without significantly ramping up its resources.
Hence, the company has partly switched to the PRO model.
Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB)
Background of the Organization
Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd. is one of the top FMCG companies in India. It was started in 1997 with the simple aim of making beverages for the India of the 21st century.
Background of the Initiative
HCCB through its pan-India initiative strives to minimize the damage and risks posed to the environment and human health due to unaddressed plastic waste and at the same time realise the socio- economic value inherent in plastics by creating a circular economy.
The project aims to address the following prevailing issues:
z A Socio-technical model for economically sustainable Plastic Waste Management.
z Establishment of Material Collection and value adding Infrastructure for realising full value of the material.
z Institutionalize a model embedded in the governance bodies for managing the waste ecosystem.
z Integrating the informal sector into the waste value chain thereby positively impacting socio- economic conditions.
z Developing a knowledge management, monitoring and communication mechanism.
EPR Approach and Initiative
Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, in collaboration with United Nations Development Program (UNDP) India had launched “Project Prithvi” in 2018
for Plastic waste management which is currently being implemented across 36 cities (Cities: Bhopal, Bengaluru, Goa, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ghaziabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi, Patna, Jaipur, Ujjain, Aurangabad, Siliguri, Tirupati, Delhi, Dehradun, Varanasi, Pimpri Chinchwad, Cacora, Jammu, Jodhpur, Trivandrum, Ambernath, Surat, Baroda, Gurugram, Indore, Cuttack, Howrah, Vadodara, Puri) with a plan to expand across 50 locations in the coming year. Since the project’s inception in August 2018 till December 2020, the project has redirected approximately 62,680 metric tons of plastic waste from reaching the landfills.
The major activity of the project is establishing a decentralized Material Recovery Facility known as
‘Swachhta Kendra’. The Swachhta Kendra set up in a city is designed to handle a load of 5 metric tons per day of plastic waste. The Swachhta Kendra serves as a primary processing facility for the plastic waste generated in the city wherein it is sorted, cleaned, baled/shredded and sent to material specific recyclers across the country. Project Prithvi engages and creates systems, procedures and processes following guidelines of institutions like Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Forest &
Climate Change, Central and State Pollution Control Boards, State Governments and Urban Local bodies.
HCCB, through the project engages with citizens to promote behavioural changes & improve source segregation. The waste picker inclusion initiatives focus on activities to mainstream informal sector waste picker by providing ID cards, medical check- ups, insurance and other initiatives like formation of self-help groups for economic empowerment.
The project aims to manage more than 85,000 MT of plastic waste annually and onboard more than 30,000 Safai Sathi by expanding to 50 cities by 2021.
10https://www.hccb.in/en/about-us/
