India's plastic waste generation has more than doubled in 5 years: Govt

India's plastic waste generation has more than doubled in the last five years with an average annual increase of 21.8 per cent, the Centre said on Monday.

Responding to a query raised in the Lower House of Parliament, Minister of State for Environment Ashwini Choubey said that more than 34 lakh tons of plastic waste was generated in 2019-20 and 30.59 lakh tons in 2018-19.

According to data shared by the minister, in the last five years, the quantity of plastic waste in the country has more than doubled, as the country produced 15.89 lakh tons of plastic waste in 2015-16.

The ministry said that annual data on the generation of solid waste, plastic waste, e-waste, construction and demolition (C&D) waste, bio-medical waste (BMW) and hazardous waste (HW) in the country is compiled by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Based on the studies undertaken by CPCB on hazardous waste and data compiled in respect of other wastes, the average annual increase observed in generation of ..