Need of Tech-centric Innovation in the Plastic Waste Management sector

Monday, February 6, 2023: Ms. Swati Singh Sambyal, Waste Management Specialist, UN-Habitat India gave a special address at the workshop organised by CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) on "Plastic Recycling in India: Status and Future". She spoke about the need of tech-centric innovation in the Plastic Waste Management (#PWM) sector and the need for evidence based planning for better action plans and implementation on the ground. She mentioned about UN-Habitat’s Waste Wise Cities Tool and its implementation in pilot cities in India that has led to effective municipal solid waste and plastic waste management and has opened the scope of circular investments in the sector. She spoke about contributing towards 14 of the 17 SDGs by mainstreaming the transition to circular economy in the plastic waste management sector by focussing on livelihoods, empowering women in the sector through inclusion and improved livelihoods, technology integration and reducing GHGs. She also shared the indicative actions including policy & regulatory framework, capacity building/IEC, financial assistance for upstream innovation in #PWM, standards for plastics (recycled products) and policy for labeling and creating an ecosystem for upcycling interventions (both upstream and downstream).