How India’s Plastic Waste Import Ban Changed Recycling in Nagpur

thenewsdirt
May 12
5 min read

On 8 March 2019, India enforced an amendment to the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management & Transboundary Movement) Rules.

This amendment brought a complete prohibition on the import of solid plastic waste into the country. While previous rules had loopholes that allowed imports through Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Export-Oriented Units (EOUs), the 2019 update eliminated those exceptions.

The regulatory overhaul was a response to the country’s rising plastic waste imports, which grew from 12,000 tonnes in 2016–17 to 48,000 tonnes in 2017–18.

This surge followed China’s 2017 decision to stop plastic waste imports, leading countries like India to become major destinations for diverted global waste.

The new regulation not only blocked incoming plastic waste but also tightened norms for importing hazardous waste for reuse or reprocessing.

Only materials not listed under prohibited categories such as Schedule VI could be imported, and even then, required clearance from the Central Pollution Control Board.

Exporting hazardous waste from India demanded Prior Informed Consent from the recipient country, aligning India with the Basel Convention’s international guidelines. In January 2021, the Convention adopted amendments further restricting plastic waste trade, reinforcing India’s policy shift.

Recycling Ecosystem in Nagpur

Vidarbha's Nagpur industrial landscape includes two major hubs with significant recycling activity: Butibori and Hingna MIDC areas.

Butibori, with around 266 companies, hosts various firms engaged in different forms of waste management, including plastic recycling.

Suritex Private Limited is one such example, operating a recycling plant in this region to handle both plastic and electronic waste. Hingna MIDC mirrors this setup, accommodating several industries, some of which participate in recycling operations.

The city’s recycling framework is not limited to formal operations. Nagpur’s informal sector forms a crucial part of its plastic waste economy, with waste pickers and unregistered recyclers working extensively with domestic waste.

India’s recycling infrastructure as a whole leans heavily on the informal sector, especially in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling, where informal workers contribute to roughly 70% of processing activities.

These workers collect PET bottles and similar plastic materials from local sources, adding a vital layer to the circular economy.

India generates approximately 3.4 million tonnes of plastic waste annually. This domestic supply supports both formal companies and informal recyclers in Nagpur, creating a shared dependence on local material flows to keep operations functional and profitable.

Disruptions and Adjustments in Formal and Informal Sectors

The plastic waste import ban in 2019 triggered a ripple effect in Nagpur’s formal recycling sector. Industries based in Butibori and Hingna that previously relied on imported plastic waste encountered immediate supply disruptions.

The cutoff of 48,000 tonnes of imported waste redirected attention to domestic sources. While India’s annual plastic waste generation provided a sizeable alternative, the transition altered sourcing patterns and potentially increased competition for local materials.

Industries may have had to establish new procurement networks or adjust to higher input costs due to increased demand for the same resource pool.

Economic challenges tied to earlier plastic regulations provided some context for the situation.

Maharashtra’s state-wide ban on single-use plastic in 2018 had already impacted the recycling and manufacturing sectors, with reported financial losses of up to ₹15,000 crore.

The state ban reduced plastic waste generation by as much as 40% in some urban areas, thereby lowering the availability of recyclables for processing. This reduction had prompted layoffs and shutdowns in several plastic-dependent businesses.

The 2019 import ban, though narrower in scope, likely compounded these disruptions by further limiting material access and increasing regulatory compliance burdens. New equipment and revised waste-handling protocols could have added to operational costs, especially for smaller recycling firms.

The informal sector experienced a different kind of response. Waste pickers and small recyclers, who rarely accessed imported waste, continued to depend on domestic material. In this regard, the ban had minimal direct effect.

However, the shift in sourcing by formal recyclers likely increased competition for domestic waste. This indirect pressure may have made it harder for informal workers to access enough material to maintain their income, particularly in densely competitive areas.

The absence of detailed Nagpur-specific data limits exact measurement of these impacts, but the scenario reflects national recycling dynamics.

A Shift Framed by Global and Local Forces

Plastic Waste Imports and Recycling in India

India’s decision to end plastic waste imports came during a broader realignment of global recycling policies. When China exited the global waste market in 2017, countries like India became default recipients of diverted shipments.

The rapid increase in plastic waste imports in just one year placed a burden on India’s waste handling capacities. The 2019 policy corrected this trajectory by banning imports and reinforcing domestic processing through policy measures.

The country’s move aligned with the Basel Convention’s growing focus on plastic waste management, particularly following the 2021 amendment that restricted plastic waste trade globally.

In tandem, domestic regulations like the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, introduced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), requiring producers to manage post-consumer plastic waste.

This growing emphasis on internal waste responsibility echoed in Nagpur’s industrial zones, where domestic material began to form the backbone of formal recycling.

Despite the initial supply challenges,

Nagpur’s recycling operations were supported by a robust domestic plastic waste supply. With India producing 3.4 million tonnes of plastic waste each year, formal industries found an alternative base for their processes. The informal sector continued its contributions, though likely under greater strain from increased material demand.

Nagpur’s position as an industrial and logistical hub in Maharashtra enabled adaptation to these shifts. Firms like Suritex in Butibori already operated within regulatory frameworks, and their flexibility may have eased the transition.

Informal recyclers continued to bridge supply chain gaps, albeit within increasingly competitive and under-regulated environments. These twin layers, formal and informal, remained central to the city’s plastic waste journey.

In an industrial lot in Butibori, a worker continues their task, placing one piece of plastic after another into the processing line.

Their routine carries traces of global decisions and national policies, even if unknowingly. The 2019 plastic waste import ban reshaped the ecosystem around them, redirecting supply chains, tightening regulations, and altering access to raw materials.

In Nagpur, as across India, recycling remains an evolving terrain, grounded in domestic waste and shifting regulations, but carried forward by the labour of those who turn discarded plastic into an industrial resource.