India becomes first Asian country to announce Plastics Pact

The India Plastics Pact officially launched at the annual sustainability summit of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), held in New Delhi on Friday 3^rd September. The Pact brings together leading businesses from across the Indian plastics value chain to tackle plastic pollution in the country by moving to a circular plastics system that aims to keeps the material in the economy, and out of the environment.  

The India Plastics Pact has been developed as a collaboration between WRAP, WWF India and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The development has been funded by UKRI and further funding to support delivery has been secured from Stewart Investors.  

It is the latest Pact to join a growing list of Pacts that WRAP is helping to set up and support into delivery, pioneered by The UK Plastics Pact. These includes Plastics pacts in Europe, the US, Canada, South Africa and Chile – all working towards a shared vision of a world where plastic is valued and does not pollute the environment.

Marcus Gover, WRAP CEO, “It is hugely significant to have such a strategically important force in the region and on the global stage on board with its own Plastics Pact. The potential environmental and economic benefits to be gleaned from achieving the Pact’s ambitious goals are enormous for India. We have been able to bring all the learning and expertise we have amassed from supporting Plastics Pacts around the world to CII and WWF-India. We look forward to continue working together to turn words into action and ending the scourge of plastic pollution for good.”

India generates 9.46 million tonnes of plastic waste annually of which 40% goes uncollected, and approximately 43% of all plastics produced in the country used for packaging, most of which is single use. The India Plastics Pact will address this through direct action across four key 2030 targets:

• Define a list of unnecessary or problematic plastic packaging and items and take measures to address them through redesign and innovation
• 100% of plastic packaging to be reusable or recyclable
• 50% of plastics packaging to be effectively recycled
• 25% average recycled content across all plastic packaging.

A total of 27 businesses and supporting organisations joined the India Plastics Pact as founding members, including major FMCG brands, manufacturers, retailers and recyclers such as Tata Consumer Products, Amazon, Hindustan Unilever, Coca Cola India, Mondelez,  Godrej, Marico and ITC.

Mr. Arvind Wable, President, WWF India, said, "The India Plastics Pact provides a strong platform for Indian businesses to drive actionable, sustainable solutions and accelerate the transition toward a circular economy.”

Ms. Seema Arora, Deputy Director General, CII, "Innovation, collaboration and voluntary commitments contextualised for India and led by Indian companies via the India Plastics Pact will help the transition to a circular economy for plastics".

WRAP’s international work on plastics covers more than 40 countries across all major continents. With support from UK government, the private sector and philanthropic trusts WRAP is working with national and international partners including the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to tackle plastic pollution.

Following the launch of the Pact in India, WRAP will work with CII and WWF-India ono the following key actions, to

• Draw up the delivery Roadmap
• Initiate Action Groups to support the targets
• Scope out the reporting process to develop a baseline
• Drive recruitment