J&K generated over 30,000 tonnes of plastic in 2022-23: GoI

Srinagar, Dec 09: Jammu and Kashmir generated 30,342 tonnes of plastic waste in the financial year 2022-23.
This was revealed by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh in response to a query in the Lok Sabha.
He said that the Union Territory generated 30,342 tonnes of plastic waste in the financial year 2022-23, showing a slight decline from 34,384 tonnes in 2021-22. However, this figure is significantly lower than the peak of 74,826 tonnes in 2019-20.
The Minister said that Jammu & Kashmir currently has 43 fully operational Plastic Waste Management Units (PWMUs) under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) which are part of a nationwide effort to combat plastic pollution, which includes 978 such facilities established across states and union territories.
The government has provided financial assistance of up to ₹16 lakh per block for setting up these units under SBM Phase II. To ensure effective utilization of resources, PWMUs can also be established in clusters serving multiple blocks, he said.
The Minister also said that the funds for these facilities are part of consolidated releases to states, allowing them flexibility to prioritize waste management activities.
To further strengthen plastic waste collection and recycling, the government has implemented the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, the Minister said adding that Local bodies and gram panchayats have been mandated to conduct door-to-door collection and transportation of plastic waste.
The Minister also said that the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) guidelines issued in February 2022 require Producers, Importers, and Brand Owners (PIBOs) to develop collection and segregation infrastructure for plastic packaging waste.
He said that J&K’s plastic waste is increasingly being recycled into useful products, such as construction materials, or repurposed for road construction as per Indian Road Congress guidelines. Non-recyclable waste is directed to energy recovery initiatives or waste-to-oil conversion projects, he added.