Inclusive Transition in Plastic Recycling in Bangalore
In November 2022, Iqbal Ahuja represented Bangalore’s informal plastic collectors (IPCs) as the coordinator of the Alliance of Informal Indian Collectors (the Alliance). He aimed to ensure that IPCs would be included in the new plastic recycling practices the multinationals registered on the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) portal introduced. While the multinationals had expressed interest in supporting the integration of IPCs through their initiatives to meet their EPR, finding a mutually beneficial solution was proving difficult.
In one week, Ahuja was to meet with these multinationals to discuss the opportunities and challenges of including IPCs in their EPR systems, and to present the optimal solution for IPCs. By the close of the meeting, Ahuja wanted the multinationals to understand why inclusive EPR was necessary.