Plastic pollution represents a critical global challenge. The advent of plastics has revolutionized countless aspects of daily life, from food packaging to consumer electronics, due to their versatility, convenience, and cost-effectiveness. This has led to a significant surge in plastic production and consumption worldwide. Notably, India ranks as the second-largest producer of plastic polymers globally. The sheer scale and complexity of the plastic industry pose substantial management challenges. In 2022, India generated an estimated 4.13 million tonnes of plastic waste, with the annual per capita waste generation increasing from 1.2 kg in 2016-17 to 3 kg in 2020-21. Maharashtra, the leading state in plastic waste production in India, contributed 311,254 tonnes in the 2020-21 period alone, with Mumbai, its capital, accounting for a third of this output.

To address these issues, the Maharashtra Plastic Action Partnership (M-PAP) launches this Social Context Assessment Report for the plastic waste sector in the region. This report aims to pinpoint obstacles that hinder the social integration of informal waste pickers into the plastic economy and to formulate actionable recommendations that facilitate a shift towards a more inclusive plastic economy.