From Waste to Wealth: Plastic Waste Management and Entrepreneurial Opportunities in West Bengal state, India

Abstract

West Bengal reportedly generates approximately 330,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually, of which slightly more than half is segregated and utilized for processing. While the state faces mounting challenges related to plastic waste management, it also presents significant opportunities for entrepreneurship that align environmental management with local economic development. This paper assesses the potential of plastic-waste utilization and recycling to stimulate entrepreneurial activities across West Bengal, with particular attention to collection and segregation systems, value-added manufacturing, innovations in road construction (such as plastic-modified pavements in Mainaguri), and the establishment of formal recycling units equipped with shredders, blenders, and other processing machinery. The Government of India’s Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016, along with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mandates, are accelerating the adoption of formal recycling practices. As industries increasingly seek compliant and sustainable material sourcing, recyclers are entering a rapidly expanding market characterized by consistent demand for recycled inputs. Consequently, investment interest in the profitability of plastic recycling businesses has grown as part of long-term sustainability strategies.

When supported by state agencies such as the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) and initiatives like Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), these ventures generate direct employment, secondary livelihoods in collection and transport, and new income streams—particularly for workers in the informal sector—while simultaneously reducing landfill pressure and dependence on imported raw materials. Plastic-waste recycling in West Bengal thus holds the potential to foster a resilient circular economy, provided that policy incentives, capacity building, access to affordable machinery, and market linkages are prioritized. The paper recommends targeted public–private partnerships, structured training programs for waste collectors, quality standards for recycled materials, and the scaling up of pilot plastic-mixed road projects to catalyze entrepreneurship and sustainable development across the state.