The global plastic production has increased from 1.5 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) in 1950 to 359 M... more The global plastic production has increased from 1.5 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) in 1950 to 359 MMT in 2018 and overall around 8.3 Billion Metric Tonnes of virgin plastics have been produced worldwide. Globally, only 9% produced plastic was recycled and 12% went into thermal recovery routes. Indian plastic consumption is estimated to be 20 MMT by end of 2020with about 39% of total plastics being consumed for packaging. India's growth rate of plastic consumption is one of the highest in the world, due to rising middle class income group. In 2017-18, India generated 9.49 MMT of plastic waste and during 2016-17, about 5.5 MMT of plastics was reported to be recycled, involving direct employment to more than 0.6 million people and more than 01 million people indirectly, including waste pickers. This reflects a dependency between recycling and socio economic development, leading towards sustainability in use of plastics. Though, a very small portion of these plastics by weight, plastic straws have been in demand for its convenience to consumers in beverage consumption. These straws are widely known for providing hygienic way for beverage consumption. Further, though being 100% recyclable, plastic straws recyclability rates in India remain unknown. To ascertain this, a study was conducted involving physical surveys and analysis with used beverage carton (UBC) waste generator, waste collectors, waste dealer and recycling mills to identify fate of used straws sold with non-spirit portion packs (UBCs) in three major cities which are also sales hub for beverage cartons sold by Tetra Pak-Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai. The barriers that hinder in moving more plastic straws into recycling chain and perception of stakeholders on fate of plastic straws (attached to UBCs) are highlighted in this paper. Study reveals that in about 40.8% cases in Bengaluru, 91.4% in Delhi and 30.2% in Mumbai, straws remain inside Tetra Packs (UBCs) and go to recycling/recovery unit. In Delhi and Mumbai plastic straws get recycled along with UBCs and in Bengaluru they are taken out to be sent for thermal recovery at a cement plant. This was a first of its kind of study to help formulate necessary plans and actions for improving the plastic straw collection and recyclability and guides how other producers can benefit from such studies. The study also reflected that effective behavioural change strategies through continuous and appropriate communication can help to maintain proper segregation of the plastic straws and thus eventually have better recycling of straws. Simultaneously, reducing the chain from collectors to recyclers with interventions of producer's responsibility organisations and appropriate policy measures can help increasing price value of plastic straws and make them sustainable.
Air pollution has increasingly become a serious concern, predominantly because of its impact on h... more Air pollution has increasingly become a serious concern, predominantly because of its impact on health, agriculture and the general well-being of humans, floral and faunal population. A study in 2018 revealed, dust and construction contribute 17% and 38% of PM2.5 concentrations and 25% and 41% of PM10 concentration in Delhi during summer and winters respectively. Indicating a clear demand to reduce exhaust and non-exhaust emissions, from the city-particularly associated with roads dust. Thus, due to increasing development and requirements of clean air, limited availability of human workforce and high labor costs, mechanization of road sweeping is growing worldwide. Thus, to oversee mechanized road sweeping (MRS) operations and identify lacunae which need to be addressed to make operations more efficient, physical audits of these MRS operations were undertaken, for all 04 urban local bodies of Delhi. These audits were designed, to collect data on time spent by MRS machines on various on-shift activities, actual kilometers of sweeping undertaken and measures to improve upon shift sweeping outputs. This was a first of its kind of audit undertaken in India to help make MRS operations more efficient and effective. Catering to 59 MRS machines in total, these audits covered 352 shifts, since mid of 2018 till March 2020 with >90% confidence level. The audits indicate that ULBs in Delhi on an average sweep around 26.17 kms of road length per shift, with East Delhi Municipal Corporation utilizing highest of 75% of shift time on sweeping activity. The gaps in existing monitoring systems, operational inefficiencies as well as good practices of MRS operations have also been highlighted in this paper to make policy makers, city managers, consultants, technocrats, and other related stakeholders realise the importance of such audits and setup monitoring, review and verification mechanisms for continual improvement. This paper also brings forth the results of individual audits along with existing contractual mechanisms and its impact on performance, highlighting a need for having performance-based contracts.
The global plastic production has increased from 1.5 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) in 1950 to 359 M... more The global plastic production has increased from 1.5 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) in 1950 to 359 MMT in 2018 and overall around 8.3 Billion Metric Tonnes of virgin plastics have been produced worldwide. Globally, only 9% produced plastic was recycled and 12% went into thermal recovery routes. Indian plastic consumption is estimated to be 20 MMT by end of 2020with about 39% of total plastics being consumed for packaging. India's growth rate of plastic consumption is one of the highest in the world, due to rising middle class income group. In 2017-18, India generated 9.49 MMT of plastic waste and during 2016-17, about 5.5 MMT of plastics was reported to be recycled, involving direct employment to more than 0.6 million people and more than 01 million people indirectly, including waste pickers. This reflects a dependency between recycling and socio economic development, leading towards sustainability in use of plastics. Though, a very small portion of these plastics by weight, plastic straws have been in demand for its convenience to consumers in beverage consumption. These straws are widely known for providing hygienic way for beverage consumption. Further, though being 100% recyclable, plastic straws recyclability rates in India remain unknown. To ascertain this, a study was conducted involving physical surveys and analysis with used beverage carton (UBC) waste generator, waste collectors, waste dealer and recycling mills to identify fate of used straws sold with non-spirit portion packs (UBCs) in three major cities which are also sales hub for beverage cartons sold by Tetra Pak-Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai. The barriers that hinder in moving more plastic straws into recycling chain and perception of stakeholders on fate of plastic straws (attached to UBCs) are highlighted in this paper. Study reveals that in about 40.8% cases in Bengaluru, 91.4% in Delhi and 30.2% in Mumbai, straws remain inside Tetra Packs (UBCs) and go to recycling/recovery unit. In Delhi and Mumbai plastic straws get recycled along with UBCs and in Bengaluru they are taken out to be sent for thermal recovery at a cement plant. This was a first of its kind of study to help formulate necessary plans and actions for improving the plastic straw collection and recyclability and guides how other producers can benefit from such studies. The study also reflected that effective behavioural change strategies through continuous and appropriate communication can help to maintain proper segregation of the plastic straws and thus eventually have better recycling of straws. Simultaneously, reducing the chain from collectors to recyclers with interventions of producer's responsibility organisations and appropriate policy measures can help increasing price value of plastic straws and make them sustainable.
Air pollution has increasingly become a serious concern, predominantly because of its impact on h... more Air pollution has increasingly become a serious concern, predominantly because of its impact on health, agriculture and the general well-being of humans, floral and faunal population. A study in 2018 revealed, dust and construction contribute 17% and 38% of PM2.5 concentrations and 25% and 41% of PM10 concentration in Delhi during summer and winters respectively. Indicating a clear demand to reduce exhaust and non-exhaust emissions, from the city-particularly associated with roads dust. Thus, due to increasing development and requirements of clean air, limited availability of human workforce and high labor costs, mechanization of road sweeping is growing worldwide. Thus, to oversee mechanized road sweeping (MRS) operations and identify lacunae which need to be addressed to make operations more efficient, physical audits of these MRS operations were undertaken, for all 04 urban local bodies of Delhi. These audits were designed, to collect data on time spent by MRS machines on various on-shift activities, actual kilometers of sweeping undertaken and measures to improve upon shift sweeping outputs. This was a first of its kind of audit undertaken in India to help make MRS operations more efficient and effective. Catering to 59 MRS machines in total, these audits covered 352 shifts, since mid of 2018 till March 2020 with >90% confidence level. The audits indicate that ULBs in Delhi on an average sweep around 26.17 kms of road length per shift, with East Delhi Municipal Corporation utilizing highest of 75% of shift time on sweeping activity. The gaps in existing monitoring systems, operational inefficiencies as well as good practices of MRS operations have also been highlighted in this paper to make policy makers, city managers, consultants, technocrats, and other related stakeholders realise the importance of such audits and setup monitoring, review and verification mechanisms for continual improvement. This paper also brings forth the results of individual audits along with existing contractual mechanisms and its impact on performance, highlighting a need for having performance-based contracts.
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Papers by Sourabh Manuja