{"id":56519,"date":"2025-07-24T10:41:27","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T05:11:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=56519"},"modified":"2025-07-24T10:41:27","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T05:11:27","slug":"influence-of-plastic-industry-on-environmental-policies-a-growing-global-concern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/influence-of-plastic-industry-on-environmental-policies-a-growing-global-concern\/","title":{"rendered":"Influence of Plastic Industry on Environmental Policies &#8211; A Growing Global Concern"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Plastic Industry Latest News<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The plastic industry has come under renewed scrutiny for allegedly deploying tactics to influence environmental policy in its favour, particularly during global treaty negotiations on plastic pollution.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In recent years, environmental experts have grown increasingly concerned over the plastic industry\u2019s influence on green policy-making.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reports and investigations indicate that the industry, backed by powerful fossil fuel interests, has employed tactics strikingly similar to those once used by the tobacco industry: sowing public doubt, delaying regulation, and manipulating narratives to shift responsibility from corporations to consumers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These strategies are gaining prominence as governments globally attempt to tighten controls on plastic production and waste, particularly through the formulation of a potential UN treaty on plastic pollution.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Echoes of the Tobacco Industry Playbook<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The plastic industry\u2019s approach to avoiding regulatory pressure mirrors several historical tactics of the tobacco industry:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Shifting Responsibility to Consumers<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While tobacco ads famously carried disclaimers like \u201cSmoking is injurious to health\u201d, even as they promoted smoking, the plastic industry blames consumers for not recycling effectively, thereby sidestepping the industry&#8217;s responsibility in creating unsustainable plastic systems.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Funding Misleading Science and PR<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just as tobacco companies funded studies to deny smoking-related health risks, internal records from major plastic producers show they promoted plastic recycling from the 1980s onward despite privately acknowledging its technical and economic limitations.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Public campaigns highlighting recyclability served to stall bans and stricter regulations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Greenwashing and Mislabelling<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Much like \u201clight\u201d cigarettes falsely marketed as healthier, today\u2019s biodegradable and compostable plastics often fail to break down as claimed, especially in India\u2019s underdeveloped waste management systems.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Corporate greenwashing further distorts consumer understanding and weakens public demand for accountability.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One prominent example was Coca-Cola, which, despite promoting its sustainability image, quietly dropped its target of 25% reusable packaging by 2030 and backtracked on key recycling goals.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Targeting the Global South for Expansion<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With regulatory pressure mounting in the Global North, the plastic industry has increasingly turned toward low- and middle-income nations to maintain market growth.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/about-organisation-for-economic-co-operation-and-development-oecd\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>OECD<\/b><\/a><b>\u2019s Global Plastic Outlook (2022)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plastic consumption is expected to more than double in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2060.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Asia, it could triple during the same period.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In contrast, growth is expected to be just 15% in Europe and 34% in North America.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weaker environmental regulations, limited public awareness, and ineffective waste management infrastructure in these regions make them more vulnerable to plastic pollution and industry manipulation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>India\u2019s Plastic Policy Landscape<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has taken several steps to curb plastic pollution, but faces implementation challenges.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Informal Sector: Backbone of India\u2019s Plastic Recycling<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An estimated 70% of India\u2019s recycled plastic is collected and processed by the informal sector, ragpickers, sorters, and grassroots recyclers, who work in hazardous conditions with little legal protection or social security.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recognising their contribution, the <\/span><b>National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> scheme launched in 2024 aims to:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Integrate waste workers into formal systems<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provide them with <\/span><b>Ayushman Bharat health insurance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, safety gear, and social security<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As of May 2025:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over <\/span><b>80,000<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> workers had been profiled<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><b>45,700+<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> received personal protective equipment<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><b>26,400+<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> were issued Ayushman Bharat cards<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/implementation-of-the-plastic-waste-trading-scheme\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s <\/span><b>Plastic Waste Management Rules (2016, amended 2022)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> mandate manufacturers to take financial and operational responsibility for the plastic they generate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, enforcement remains weak:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Only 11% of single-use plastic waste is covered by India\u2019s current ban<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fewer than 50% of producers are reportedly complying with EPR guidelines<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This undermines progress and allows the industry to continue unchecked in many areas.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Industry Lobbying in Global Negotiations<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recent rounds of the <\/span><b>UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for a global plastics treaty have been notably influenced by industry lobbying.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At INC-3, fossil fuel and chemical industry lobbyists outnumbered their previous participation by 36%<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Civil society groups raised concerns about industry-backed delegates slowing down progress on binding commitments<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Internal documents and reports from the <\/span><b>Centre for Climate Integrity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>Centre for International Environmental Law (CIEL)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have exposed how the plastic industry has long known the inadequacy of recycling as a solution but continued to promote it to avoid scrutiny.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Source:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/energy-and-environment\/is-the-plastic-industry-trying-to-influence-green-policies\/article69847868.ece#:~:text=Environmental%20activists%20and%20health%20experts,blame%20by%20muddying%20public%20perception.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TH<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The plastic industry, backed by fossil fuel interests, is accused of using tactics similar to the tobacco industry to delay green regulations and influence global environmental policy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":56529,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[60,1771,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-56519","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-mains-articles","9":"tag-plastic-industry","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56519"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56519\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}