Burning plastic in dumps and open fires is as big a problem for the planet as littering, scientists said on Wednesday (Sep 4) in a detailed new assessment of how plastic enters the environment.
A world-first global register of plastic pollution, published in the journal Nature, identifies India as the biggest source of such trash and burning garbage as a much bigger problem than previously thought.

India generates approximately 8 million tons of textile waste annually, much of which ends up in landfills or incinerators, depleting natural resources and contributing to environmental pollution and climate change. To address this issue, Concordia Textiles, Enviu, and Purfi under the develoPPP funding programme implemented by GIZ India on behalf of Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), have been working since 2021 to demonstrate an inclusive and circular value chain for textile waste in India. Saahas Zero Waste (SZW) has partnered to develop a training curriculum, teaching aids, and conduct 50 training programs for 3000 waste workers, among other activities in the project. These training programs aim to equip waste workers with the knowledge and skills to efficiently handle and sort textile waste, promoting environmental sustainability and economic opportunities.

An international agreement to end plastic pollution is due to be sealed this year in Busan, South Korea. At the penultimate round of negotiations, held in Ottawa, Canada, Rwanda and Peru proposed a target to cut the weight of primary plastics produced worldwide by 40% by 2040, compared with 2025.
This is the first time that a limit on the production of plastic has been considered at the UN talks aiming to develop an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. Of the potential mechanisms for tackling plastic pollution, a cap on plastic production was the most hotly debated, but one has not made it into the draft text of the treaty – not yet, at least.

Production of natural rubber has claimed over 4 million hectares of forest in south-east Asia since 1993 according to a recent study. This destruction of tropical forest for rubber plantations is thought to be two to three times greater than previous estimates.
Natural rubber is vital to tyre production since it is stronger, more wear-resistant and more flexible than synthetic rubber. Multiple blends of natural and synthetic rubber are used for making different parts of a tyre.
If more of these tyres were recycled, it would reduce how much oil, energy and forest is consumed to make rubber-based products. Recycling tyres also means less waste accumulating in landfill or being burned…
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Plastic pollution is an urgent environmental issue, globally. Every year, about eight million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans.
Most of the 17 west African countries have a problem managing plastic waste. Eight of them are among the top 20 with the least effective plastic waste management practices – up from five in 2015. This has worsened marine pollution and adversely affected activities in the region. Coastal provinces account for about 56% of west Africa’s GDP and one-third of the population lives there.
In 2018, west African nations launched the West Africa Coastal Area Management Programme to protect and restore the ecological, social and economic assets of coastal areas.

In the realm of addressing the global challenge of climate change and the problems that arise from it, entrepreneurs play a paramount role. As Plato, the renowned philosopher, once stated, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” This timeless quote encapsulates the driving force behind innovative solutions that emerge from pressing