Plastic Waste & Marine Litter

At least 8 million tonnes of plastic waste enter the oceans every year, of which 80% comes from land-based sources. Plastic debris has severe impacts on marine life, and the broken-down debris known as micro-plastics, enter our food chain.

But plastic production is on a steady rise. The current annual production of 300 million tonnes can double in the next 20 years considering the ubiquitous nature of plastic use in modern life. Single-use plastics (SUP) has a significant share of this. What makes the problem worse is the poor management of plastic waste worldwide, including in India. Market transformation, along with stringent regulations, is crucial to deal with plastic waste and consequently, marine pollution.

We are working to transform the market and improve laws and municipal services for effective plastic waste management. We are engaging with businesses and regulators to phase-out of SUPs, implement Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and promote a circular economy. A focus of our research is also to identify linkages and bridge the informational gap between marine plastic pollution and plastic waste generation.