By:

Dr. Sanjay Joshi

31 August 2024 at 3:05:29 pm

India: The Largest Source of Plastic Pollution Worldwide

So, dear readers, now that we have learnt how and why waste plastic causes pollution, let us look a little deeper into this problem, which has grown out of proportion both globally and locally. Plastic pollution is no longer a distant issue; it has become a serious and immediate threat to our environment. According to the latest data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and several international researchers, over 460...

min read

India: The Largest Source of Plastic Pollution Worldwide

So, dear readers, now that we have learnt how and why waste plastic causes pollution, let us look a little deeper into this problem, which has grown out of proportion both globally and locally. Plastic pollution is no longer a distant issue; it has become a serious and immediate threat to our environment. According to the latest data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and several international researchers, over 460 million metric tonnes of plastic are produced worldwide every year. This plastic is used in a wide range of applications, many of which are short-lived and quickly discarded. From this, an estimated 20–23 million metric tonnes of plastic waste end up in the environment annually. This figure is expected to increase sharply by 2040 if strong measures are not taken. Plastic litter is now found everywhere—on land, in rivers, in oceans, and even in the air as microplastics. Although plastic pollution is a global problem, Mera Mahan Bharat is sadly at the forefront of this crisis. A recent paper published in Nature states that India has become the world’s largest contributor to plastic pollution, accounting for nearly 20% of the total global plastic waste. India generates about 9.3 million tonnes of plastic waste every year. This is more than the waste produced by many regions. Of this, nearly 3.5 million tonnes are improperly discarded and mismanaged, meaning they are neither collected nor scientifically processed. Plastic waste in India has been rising at an alarming rate due to rapid urbanisation, population growth, and economic development. In cities, the demand for single-use plastics and packaging materials has increased drastically, driven by convenience and changing lifestyles. India’s per capita plastic consumption has reached around 11 kg per year and is expected to grow further with increasing industrialisation and consumerism. This trend places enormous pressure on our already overburdened waste management systems. The major factors responsible for the sharp increase in plastic pollution in India are as follows. Single-Use Plastics Single-use plastics, such as polythene carry bags, straws, disposable cutlery, cups, and packaging materials, form a large share of India’s plastic waste. Despite regulatory bans and restrictions, nearly 43% of the country’s total plastic waste still comes from single-use plastics. This clearly shows that the problem lies not only in policy-making but also in enforcement and implementation. The continued dominance of single-use plastics is largely due to weak monitoring and the lack of affordable, easily available alternatives. Many small vendors, shopkeepers, and consumers still find plastic to be the cheapest and most convenient option for daily use. Although the government introduced a ban on selected single-use plastic items in 2022, its impact on the ground has been limited. These products are still widely manufactured, sold, and used because they are inexpensive, lightweight, and readily available in local markets, making the ban difficult to enforce consistently. Open Burning and Landfilling: About 5.8 million tonnes of plastic waste are openly burnt across India every year, mainly in rural areas and urban slums. This practice is extremely dangerous, as it not only worsens air pollution but also releases highly toxic chemicals into the atmosphere. These pollutants directly harm local communities and add to climate change. In addition, nearly 30% of total plastic waste is dumped in uncontrolled landfills. Such sites are not scientifically managed, allowing harmful chemicals to seep into the soil and nearby water bodies. Over time, this contaminates groundwater, damages ecosystems, and poses serious risks to human and animal life. During the winter months, it is common to see people collecting wood and dry leaf litter from the streets, lighting small fires, and sitting around them for warmth. However, plastic bottles, wrappers, and polythene bags often get mixed in and are burnt along with the leaves. Most people are unaware that they are not only polluting the environment but also inhaling toxic fumes from very close distances. The smoke from burning plastic contains harmful substances that can cause respiratory problems, eye irritation, skin issues, and even long-term diseases such as cancer. Open burning of plastic is therefore one of the most hazardous practices for human health and environmental safety. Besides these factors, inefficient waste management infrastructure, discrepancies in data reporting, and heavy dependence on informal waste handling systems further worsen the problem. We will explore these issues in greater detail next week. Till then, have a good weekend! (The author is an environmentalist. Views Personal.)

Control Isn’t Clarity: Design Your Exit From Loops

Rahul Kulkarni
Aug 31, 2025
3 min read

Your presence is not your operating model. Design exits from loops so the system and not you filters the noise into action.

(The Missing Middle series, Part 3)

Last week we made ownership visible. This week, a harder shift: stepping back without letting things slip.

The founder’s reflex that slows everything down

A message pings, a deck looks off, a client nudges … so you enter the loop. You mean well. But every time you reappear “just to be safe,” the team learns a quiet rule: wait for you.

Control feels like clarity. It isn’t. Clarity is when decisions move cleanly without you.

One line from our past that still stings

In the Mahabharata, the strongest warriors didn’t swing at every ball; they kept formation. Power was restraint used well → positioning, timing, and trust in the field. The same is true in business: constant action looks brave; designed restraint builds wins. Keep the reference light, let the lesson land.

Why stepping back is so hard (and how to think about it)

Negotiation theory says the side with a real walk-away option thinks better. You need a leadership version of that → your designed exit. When you can exit a loop without fear, you stop reacting and start governing. Call it your internal BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement) if you like: the confidence that “the system will catch this,” and if it doesn’t, you know exactly when it will hit your desk.

The Designed Exit (three pieces)

Filters, then fields

Route work through filters first:

· Now / Next / Notify labels on incoming asks

· Clear owner on each Next

· Notify doesn’t need you … only visibility

Once filtered, decision goes to the right field (role charter + ladder). You aren’t the filter; the system is.

Non-interference Zones

Choose 2–3 review spaces you will not enter unless a red-line triggers (quality, legal, revenue risk). Publish it. Your team stops hovering for your nod; your time stops scattering.

Escalation Windows with teeth

Two fixed weekly slots where ambers become decisions and reds get closed. Outside those windows, silence is trust and not abandonment. Predictability beats urgency, every time.

A familiar scene, seen differently

Forty-person firm. Good pipeline. Slack buzzing. The founder is in five channels, answering fast. Things move until they don’t. A client hints at a discount, ops raises a change request, finance pushes a credit note, procurement flags a vendor hold. The founder replies “quickly” … one line edit here, a CC there … and three threads reopen. Everyone waits for the next nudge. That isn’t speed; it’s anchored delay dressed up as responsiveness. The cure isn’t better replies. It’s a designed exit so the system and not proximity moves decisions.

Try this instead for one fortnight:

All new asks carry Now/Next/Notify.
Three Non-interference Zones posted on Monday.
Tue/Thu Escalation Windows on calendar; if it’s not red, it waits.
Founder only attends if a red-line triggers.

By Day 10 you’ll hear different sentences:

“Tagged you on Notify.”

“Amber; deciding in window.”

“Not your zone … I’ll close.”

No slogans. Just cleaner air.

What changes inside your head (the real shift)

From “If I’m not there, it may slip” to “If it slips, it surfaces in the window.”
From “They need my taste” to “They need my standards → written, once.”
From “I keep us safe” to “The system keeps us safe; I keep us pointed.”

That’s leadership moving from proximity to architecture.

A 7-day exit sprint (try it this week)

Day 1: Pick two loops you re-enter most (content review, discount approvals).

Day 2: Write the red lines for both. Everything else is amber/green.

Day 3: Announce Non-interference Zones for those loops.

Day 4: Turn on Now/Next/Notify labels; add owner tags to all Next.

Day 5: Block two Escalation Windows for the fortnight.

Day 6: Stay out … on purpose. Count how many pings die on Notify.

Day 7: Review only misses. Tighten red lines, not your presence.

What to watch, and what it’s telling you

Ambers pile up: your consult window is too long; cap it at 24 hours.
Reds jump outside slots: your red-line is too wide, or fear is driving “urgent.” Re-teach the ladder.
You’re pulled back by taste: document standards (examples of “good”) once; stop live-editing forever.

Closing thought

Chanakya warned that policy without people is powerless; the reverse is also true → people without structure keep reaching for your shadow. Control can feel comforting, but clarity is what makes teams fast. Design your exit. Then let the system do what you hired it to do.

(The author is Co-founder at PPS Consulting, helping growth-stage founders install the leadership systems and operating rhythms their next stage demands. Views are personal. Write to rahul@ppsconsulting.biz)

1 Comment

rahul

Sep 11, 2025

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