In a CBC News article published on June 25, 2023, journalist Pratyush Dayal investigates Canada’s recyclable paper export to India – and the plastic waste that comes with.
According to the article, Canada is a major exporter of recyclable paper to India. Oftentimes, this paper is contaminated with plastic waste, posing a significant challenge to India’s waste management system. Muzaffarnagar, a city housing 30 paper mills in northern India, receives around 20,000 tonnes of paper waste per month, with a significant portion coming from Canada and the U.S., finds CBC. Among the waste, many Canadian food and beverage brands were identified. Operators of these mills report that Canadian imports frequently exceed India’s permissible two percent plastic contamination limit and contain items that are difficult to recycle, such as drinking bottles.
India’s struggle with plastic waste extends beyond Canadian imports. Many local landfills are accumulating plastic waste, and incineration facilities are significantly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Plastic separation in the mills is predominantly carried out by lower-caste female workers with poor working conditions and pay. Many facilities lack the employees and resources to remove plastic waste.
A report from January 11, 2023, by the Marico Innovation Foundation finds that India produces 3.4 million tonnes of plastic waste per year. 30% of that is recycled, and the rest is sent to landfills, aquatic dumps, or is incinerated for energy.
Air quality in Muzaffarnagar has been reported to be of very poor quality due to the unregulated burning of plastic. According to the paper mill operators, a lot of this comes from Canadian plastics. One of the operators urges Canada to properly segregate their waste before dumping it in bins, as reported in the article.
References
Pratyush Dayal (June 25, 2023) “Paper trail: Canada is one of the biggest exporters of recyclable paper to India, but along with that paper comes plastic waste – lots of it.” CBC News
Marico Innovation Foundation (January 11, 2023) “Innovation in plastics: The potential and possibilities.”
