ANNOUNCEMENTS
Today, India follows a linear economy model which cannot be followed for a longer period of time if it aims to achieve sustainable growth in the years to come. It has to shift towards the model of circular economy which would not only increase its resource efficiency, reduce the usage of finite resources but also help in gaining a competitive edge in today’s world. In the recent years, with the formulation of “Plastic Waste Management Rules”, “e-waste Management Rules”, “Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules”, etc., a vision to drive the Indian economy towards circular one, is quite visible. But the transition to a circular economy comes with a lot of challenges which can be solved only by the means of some comprehensive action plans.
One of the ways to start this transition is through integrating the informal/unorganized waste management sector into the formal sector, thus creating a sustainable waste management system; facilitating the transition towards circularity. This paper aims to focus on a particular kind of waste and address how a circular economy approach can be used to create a sustainable waste management system for plastics, and through its multi-pronged approach, help in the elimination of child labour, specifically children rag pickers from the resource recovery phase; addressing not only an economic and environmental issue but finding a solution to a social problem as well.
Keywords: circular economy, plastic waste, waste management, child labour, rag picking.
