Earth Witnesses First Plastic Overshoot Day

• 03 Aug 2023

On July 28, 2023, the Earth experienced its first Plastic Overshoot Day, marking the point at which amount of plastics surpassed the planet's waste management capacity.

Key Points:

• Additional Plastic Waste: The 2023 Plastic Overshoot Day Report by Swiss-based research consultancy Earth Action (EA) estimated that an extra 68,642,999 tonnes of plastic waste would end up in the environment this year.
• Major Contributors to Plastic Pollution: India is one of the 12 countries responsible for 52% of the world's mismanaged plastic waste, along with China, Brazil, Indonesia, and others.
• Tripling of Global Plastic Pollution: Despite increased waste management capacity and pledges, plastic production is expected to triple global plastics pollution by 2040.
• Impact of Short-Life Plastics: Short-life plastics, including single-use plastics and plastic packaging, account for 37% of the world's total plastic consumption and pose a higher risk of environmental leakage.
• Highest Plastic Consumption Per Person: Iceland tops the list with 128.9 kg of plastic consumption per person, while India's per-person consumption is 5.3 kg, significantly lower than the global average of 20.9 kg.
• Mismanaged Waste Index (MWI): India ranks fourth in the MWI, with 98.55% of generated waste being mismanaged.
• Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution: India proposed a global ban on single-use plastics in 2019, and the world agreed to create a UN Plastic Treaty by 2024, aiming to combat plastic pollution effectively.