Plastics

Is plastic killing us? India tops heart deaths from toxic plastic use

A global study links common household plastics to over 100,000 heart-related deaths in India, revealing an urgent public health crisis hiding in plain sight

India-US BTA: Commerce ministry to begin talks with other departments

Interministerial talks to explore tariff cuts and market access; key sectors under focus include EVs, oil derivatives, plastics, and sensitive farm goods like dairy and almonds

Hindustan Unilever board okays acquiring 14.3% stake in Lucro Plastecycle

Lucro is a waste management, recycling, and product manufacturing company working to create a circular plastics economy

Why plastic flowers not included in list of banned items: HC asks Centre

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday sought to know why plastic flowers were not included in the list of single-use plastic items banned by the Union government. A division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Bharati Dangre asked if the Centre thought that plastic flowers could be recycled, or are biodegradable. The HC was hearing a petition filed by the Growers' Flower Council of India (GFCI) seeking a direction to the Centre to prohibit the use of plastic flowers. "Is the Union government sure that plastic flowers can be recycled, or that they are biodegradable? They are so flimsy. Can they be recycled?" the court asked, referring to the Centre's affidavit stating that these flowers were not in the list of banned items. The bench referred to a notifications issued by the Union government which stated that single-use plastics which cannot be recycled, or are not biodegradable, are banned. "Are you sure plastic flowers cannot be included in this list?" the bench asked. T

Man-made products could be storing 8.4 bn tonnes of carbon: Study

About 8.4 billion tonnes of carbon is estimated to have been accumulated and stored in long-lasting products from around the world made by humans, such as plastics and buildings, between 1995 and 2019, according to a study. Researchers at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands said this 'fossil carbon' added to the 'technosphere' -- the sum of all human-made objects, both in use and discarded -- equals around 93 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions from around the world in 2019. They added that the carbon locked up in the 'technosphere' has a huge potential to add to greenhouse gas emissions. Increasing the lifetime of products and recycling rates are two ways to reduce the amount of fossil carbon entering waste streams, the researchers suggested. "Over these 25 years (1995-2019), 8.4 billion tons of fossil carbon have accumulated, with approximately 0.4 billion tons added each year, with a huge potential for further contribution to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions,"

Microplastics found in blood, linked to heart disease & stroke risks: Study

89% of participants test positive for microplastics; links to clotting and inflammation identified

No agreement yet on plastic pollution treaty; talks to resume in 2025

Negotiators working on a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution for a week in South Korea won't reach an agreement and plan to resume the talks next year. They are at an impasse over whether the treaty should reduce the total plastic on Earth and put global, legally binding controls on toxic chemicals used to make plastics. The negotiations in Busan, South Korea, were supposed to be the fifth and final round to produce the first legally binding treaty on plastics pollution, including in the oceans, by the end of 2024. But with time running out early Monday, negotiators agreed to resume the talks next year. They don't yet have firm plans. More than 100 countries want the treaty to limit production as well as tackle cleanup and recycling, and many have said that is essential to address chemicals of concern. But for some plastic-producing and oil and gas countries, that crosses a red line. For any proposal to make it into the treaty, every nation must agree to it. So

Indian govt opposes regulating production of primary plastic polymers

India on Sunday said it did not support any measures to regulate the production of primary plastic polymers as it could impact the development rights of nations. This statement came as a global meeting in South Korea's Busan to finalise a legally binding treaty to combat plastic pollution ended without an agreement. At the closing plenary of the fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, tasked with drafting the treaty, India said some suggestions from countries, including its own, were not reflected in the draft text. It sought assurances from the chair that countries would have the opportunity to include their views in future discussions. India's lead negotiator, Naresh Pal Gangwar, said the treaty's scope should focus solely on addressing plastic pollution and avoid overlaps with other international agreements or bodies. He requested that this clarity be reinstated in the draft text. "India would like to state its inability to support any measures to regulat

Microplastic pollution is everywhere even in exhaled breath of dolphins

Tiny plastic pieces have spread all over the planet: on land, in the air and even in clouds

India should come up with bio-plastics policy with govt support: Report

India should come out with a national bio-plastics policy with fiscal incentives like capital subsidy as well as government support for research & development, according to a report. The report titled Incentivising Bioplastics, a Biopolymer' by EY and ASSOCHAM outlines a strategic vision for transforming India's bio-plastics industry through targeted government interventions and regulatory changes along with educational campaigns and leveraging India's agricultural strengths to enhance sustainability and environmental performance. To establish India as a premier hub for production of bio-plastics, the report calls for comprehensive National Bio-Plastics Policy in India. It suggested fiscal incentives like capital subsidies of up to 50 per cent on eligible capital investments over five years to encourage the development of bioplastics manufacturing and infrastructure. The report also called for regulatory framework mandating use of bio-plastics, implementing QCOs (quality control ..

Breaking our unyielding addiction to plastics is easier said than done

Efforts to standardise production processes to ease recycling will have more of an impact on the environment

Microplastics in all Indian salt, sugar brands: How much are you consuming?

A test carried out on 10 types of salt and five types of sugar, purchased from online and local markets in India, showed the presence of microplastics in all samples

UK trade body opens review into 13% import duty on PET plastics from India

The UK's Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has initiated a transition anti-subsidy review of a countervailing measure on imports of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics from India, to assess whether the nearly 13 per cent duties should continue to be applied. TRA, an independent arm's length body of the government's Department for Business and Trade, will consider whether the importation of the subsidised goods subject to review would be likely to continue or recur if the countervailing amount were no longer applied to those goods. It will also consider whether injury to the UK industry in the relevant goods would be likely to continue or recur if the countervailing amount were no longer applied to those goods. Countervailing measures are the UK's one of three trade policy tools to counter imports which are "causing or threatening injury" to domestic industry, the other two being anti-dumping and safeguard measures. Countervailing, or counteracting, measures address imported good

Right intentions but Modi 2.0 lacked focus on implementation: Narain

The second Modi government had the right intentions in dealing with environmental degradation and climate change but there wasn't enough focus on implementation, top environmentalist Sunita Narain has said. In an interaction with PTI editors here, Narain said successive administrations have diluted the environmental clearance system to the extent it no longer works. "Overall, my assessment is that the government had the right words and the right intentions. If you look at the government's policies, you can't argue that anything was per se wrong. Renewable energy, drinking water, waste management... all were on the table. So you put the whole package together, it's all there. My assessment is that there wasn't enough focus on implementation," Narain said. In its second term, the Modi government focused on several initiatives, including scaling up renewable energy, improving forest cover, combating desertification, reducing air pollution, conserving wetlands, providing potable piped .

Nestle, Britannia, ITC: Winners, losers from plastic waste management norms

In the KIE consumer staples universe, Dabur reported the highest packaging cost at 12.5 per cent of its standalone revenues in FY23

Understanding the microplastics threat

Demand for piano keys, billiard balls, and combs was going up in Europe even while getting hold of elephant tusks and tortoise shells was becoming more difficult as their population dwindled

Poly crisis: World needs system of public support to end plastic addiction

A report this month alleged that oil and chemicals companies "perpetuated a decades-long campaign of fraud and deception about the recyclability of plastics

Welspun Group to invest Rs 500 cr towards plastics biz in Jammu & Kashmir

The Welspun Group on Friday announced a plan to invest over Rs 500 crore in plastics business in Jammu and Kashmir, a top official said. Speaking to PTI, the group's chairman B K Goenka said it will invest over Rs 40,000 crore for multiple projects including the new bets of green hydrogen and green ammonia. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the investment in J&K was signed in the presence of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on the sidelines of the tenth Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit here. "We've signed an MoU to invest Rs 500 crore plus in our plastic activities, under the brand name of Sintex, whether it is water tanks, pipes and everything else in the next 2-3 years," Goenka said. The investments in Gujarat will be focused on Green Hydrogen, Green Ammonia and expansion of plastic and textile divisions. "It's a new bet on new energy, but I think it's the future. I think there is big potential," he added. When asked if the group will be going for an equity raising given th

Plastics exports decline 15% in July to $956 mn on lower demand: Plexconcil

Plastics exports from the country declined 14.6 per cent to USD 956 million in July mainly due to decreasing demand in key export markets like the US and Europe, apex industry body Plastics Export Promotion Council (Plexconcil) said on Monday. The overall exports during July 2022 stood at USD 1.119 billion, Plexconcil said in a statement. Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBC), plastic raw materials, packaging items, plastic films and sheets, and plastic writing instruments and stationery witnessed a major decline in exports. Meanwhile, cumulative plastics exports during the April-July period also dropped 14.9 per cent to USD 3.741 billion as against the year-ago period. "We are happy to see that consumer and houseware products, floor coverings, leather cloth, laminates, medical items of plastic... are doing really well. The Indian plastics industry is undergoing a phenomenal transformation and is experiencing accelerated growth in recent years," Plexconcil Executive Director

Plastic market expected to reach Rs 10 trn by fiscal 2027-28: AIPMA

According to the All India Plastics Manufacturers' Association, the market size of plastics in India was Rs 3.5 lakh crore