Developing a sustainable model for plastic waste management in India

India generates 15 million tonnes of plastic waste every year but only one fourth of this is recycled due to lack of a functioning solid waste management system. This leads to burden on the landfills and poor socio-economic conditions of the waste pickers, mostly women.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India, in partnership with Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited (HCCBPL), Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), HDFC Bank & Coca Cola India Foundation (CCIF) is building on existing systems to reduce the impact of plastic waste on environment in India.
The partnership promotes collection, segregation and recycling of all kinds of plastics to move towards a circular economy.                                                 

  This project aims to

• Create a socio-technical model for taking plastic waste management from informal to formal economy
• Establish Material Recovery Centres for sustained practices in       
  waste management
• Institutionalize Swachhta Kendras within governance framework     
  structures and improved socio-economic conditions of waste pickers. 
• Develop technology-supported knowledge management: Promote 
  Cloud-based traceability, accountability and digital governance    
  along waste value chain through our technical partner Mindtree through field  implementing partners. 
  
   
   

Achievements

• The project is currently operational in 36 cities, with 22 Material Recovery Centres (Swachhta Kendras) established for
  sustainable waste management practices.
• The plastic collected and processed so far has already crossed 66,000 metric tonnes.
• Through these centres, the project has reached out to 5500 Safai Sathis, in an effort to institutionalize workers from the 
   informal sector.
• UNDP was felicitated as a key partner by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs at the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2020 under the Swachh Bharat Mission
   
• With a strong approach towards providing social security to the Safai Sathis, Utthaan, a social protection programme was launched to help 9000 safai sathis on with regular workshops organised for them at Swachhta Kendras, where they are given assistance with opening bank accounts, enrolling for Aadhar cards, availing health check-up, and several other personal training sessions.