Enhancing Circular Economy Perspectives - Plastic Waste Management Strategy and Action Plan for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation

Submission to Policy Process
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Plastics are an integral part of our daily life. Today, the linear model of “make, use, and dispose” plastic materials poses a serious threat to the public health and environment. Though there are a large number of interventions made across the country, the impact is not yet visible. It is realised that challenges with plastic waste are so prevalent that no single approach can address the problem successfully. Therefore, a cohesive strategy for the holistic management of plastic waste city wise/town wise is essential as per local conditions and life style of people. 

Given the context, this project on ‘Enhancing Circular Economy - Plastic Waste Management Strategy and Action Plan for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC)’ supported by the IGES Centre Collaborating with UNEP on Environmental Technologies (CCET), the United Nations Environment Programme - International Environmental Technology Centre (UNEP-IETC), Japan and ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, South Asia (ICLEI South Asia) has come at a very opportune time. This strategy document will act as a guiding document for GHMC to ensure holistic management of plastic waste in the city of Hyderabad. The strategy is designed with a holistic approach, to improve the existing plastic waste management system, which is environmentally sustainable, socially inclusive and contributes to an improved quality of life. Five strategies, with a multi-pronged approach are identified, enabling the adoption of circular economy either through recycling, reducing and reusing plastics for new products, influencing consumer behaviour and developing better waste management practices at the community level. Uptake and adoption of these strategies will help to manage plastic-use and waste generation more efficiently while retaining its value as a material. 

These recommendations, which were arrived based on the analysis of good practices and discussions with all major stakeholders, will give solutions to reduce the inflow of plastic waste by users and this reduction in the quantities of plastic waste inflow will benefit in saving the costs in collection, sorting, processing, recycling and landfill siting by the city administration.

Author:
Emani Kumar
Soumya Chaturvedula
Ritu Thakur
Achu R Sekhar
Rahul Singh
Sumskrutha Shroff
Anuradha Adhikari
Harini Kolli
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