Plastic Overshoot Day Report

August 2, 2023

The 2023 Plastic Overshoot Day Report was recently released by the Swiss-based research consultancy Earth Action.
- Plastic Overshoot Day represents the day in a calendar year when humanity produces and consumes more plastic than the world’s capacity to effectively manage and recycle.
- It is based on country’s Mismanaged Waste Index (MWI) e., the ratio of the mismanaged waste and the total waste.
For 2023, Plastic Overshoot Day landed on July 28^th.
The report reveals that 52% of the world’s mismanaged plastic waste comes from 12 countries, including India, China, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, Russia, Mexico, the United States, Saudi Arabia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, and Kazakhstan.
It states that nearly 68,642,999 tonnes of additional plastic waste will end up in nature this year.
India specific findings
- According to EA’s Mismanaged Waste Index (MWI), India ranks fourth, with 55% of its generated waste being mismanaged.
- India is categorized as ‘The Waste Sponges’. It refers to a low consumption yet a high level of plastic pollution.
- Annual per capita plastic consumption is 3 kg/capita/year.
  - This is significantly lower than the global average of 20.9 kg.