Plastic waste generation in India FY 2021, by state

The state of Telangana generated the largest amount of plastic waste in India in financial year 2021, at almost 473,000 metric tons. Tamil Nadu and West Bengal ranked second and third that year, with each also generating over 400,000 metric tons of plastic waste.

Plastic waste trends in India

India's plastic waste generation exceeded four million metric tons in financial year 2021, marking a 19 percent increase from the previous year. In comparison to FY 2017, this figure has more than doubled. Plastic waste generation in the country is expected to continue growing, as plastic use in India is forecast to increase nearly six-fold between 2020 and 2060.

How does India compare with the rest of the world?

Despite being one of the largest plastic consumers worldwide, accounting for a share of 6.5 percent of global plastic use in 2019, the average Indian has one of the lowest plastic consumptions worldwide. According to estimates, per capita plastic waste generation in India stood at 14 kilograms in 2019, less than one-third of the global average, and 16 times lower than in the U.S.