Effective policy mix for plastic waste mitigation in India using System Dynamics

Mitigation of plastic waste is a serious concern for policymakers. The present waste management system in India is grossly ineffective, with a significant proportion of mismanaged plastic waste. This paper identifies the effective policy mix to mitigate the plastic waste problem in India using system dynamics modelling. It simulates four major policy interventions - charging disposal fee, provision of recycling subsidies, provision of kerbside recycling facilities and a new intervention - imposing a plastic ban - and studies their relative impacts on the accumulated plastic waste stock under different implementation scenarios and combinations. The findings suggest that while composite combinations of policies offer more effective policy mix than individual policy interventions, a suitable choice of policy mix along with its timing and extent is crucial. Phased implementation of policies has a better impact than the constant rollout of equivalent magnitude. A phased composite mix of the provision of kerbside recycling facilities with either charging disposal fee or provision of recycling subsidies is the most effective policy mix, followed by the phased mix of charging disposal fee and provision of recycling subsidy. The plastic ban has a detrimental impact in the absence of proper enforcement mechanisms and substitutes. The paper presents a reliable roadmap to policymakers for the rollout of the effective policy mix. It contributes to theory-building by providing few novel insights about different policy mix and suggests new research directions.