Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues, as rapidly increasing production of disposable plastic products overwhelms the world’s ability to deal with them. Plastic pollution is most visible in developing Asian and African nations, where garbage collection systems are often inefficient or nonexistent. But the developed world, especially in countries with low recycling rates, also has trouble properly collecting discarded plastics. Plastic trash has become so ubiquitous it has prompted efforts to write a global treaty negotiated by the United Nations.

How did this happen?

Plastics made from fossil fuels are just over a century old. Production and development of thousands of new plastic products accelerated after World War II, so transforming the modern age that life without plastics would be unrecognizable today. Plastics revolutionized medicine with life-saving devices, made space travel possible, lightened cars and jets—saving fuel and pollution—and saved lives with helmets, incubators, and equipment for clean drinking water.

The conveniences plastics offer, however, led to a throw-away culture that reveals the material’s dark side: today, single-use plastics account for 40 percent of the plastic produced every year. Many of these products, such as plastic bags and food wrappers, have a lifespan of mere minutes to hours, yet they may persist in the environment for hundreds of years.

Microplastics

Once at sea, sunlight, wind, and wave action break down plastic waste into small particles, often less than one-fifth of an inch across. These so-called microplastics are spread throughout the water column and have been found in every corner of the globe, from Mount Everest, the highest peak, to the Mariana Trench, the deepest trough.

Microplastics are breaking down further into smaller and smaller pieces. Plastic microfibers, meanwhile, have been found in municipal drinking water systems and drifting through the air.

Morocco is a country of approximately 36 million people located on the north-west coast of Africa. Both local and foreign investors are increasingly exploring new business opportunities in Morocco. Being an important player in the EMEA region and featuring high economic growth in recent years, Morocco is now considered a fresh market for new projects and investments. It is increasingly considered as a favorable gateway for investors  to invest in the fast growing African continent. This is due to its stable business environment and support services, combined with good air links to many other African countries.

The paper industry has huge potential to grow as the per capital consumption of India is only 11 kgs as compared to 26 kgs in Asia and 56 kgs globally.

The Rs 50,000 crore paper industry is providing employment to four lakh people directly and 15 lakh people indirectly.

Demand for better quality packaging of FMCG products marketed through organized retail, rising healthcare spends, over-the-counter medicines and increasing preference for ready-to-eat foods are the key demand drivers for paperboard.
‘Make in India‘ will further boost demand for packaging. The market for writing and printing paper is expected to grow by about 6 per cent annually over the next five years. As a result, market for printing and writing paper will expand from the current 4.8 million tonnes in 2015-16 to about 5.8 million tonnes per year by 2018-19.

The demand for packaging board continues to grow at a rate of around 15 per cent per annum. The industry saw entry of two new players last year, with Emami having capacity of 150,000 MT and TNPL 200,000 MT. The overall industry, including paper and board, will surpass 20 MT by 2020 from the current size of 15 MT. 

Important facts about the Indian Paper Industry

• The total share of India in the paper market on a global level is 5%. As per reports and statistics, the per capita consumption of paper in India is 15kg, much less than the global average of 57kg. 
• The estimated annual turnover of the paper industry in India is INR 70,000 crore, with a domestic market size of INR 80,000 crores. The contribution of the paper industry towards the exchequer is INR 5,000 crore, 
• The old paper mills used different types of raw materials to manufacture paper. 
• Interestingly, the Indian paper industry is where the first machine manufacturing machine was set up in 1812. The first paper mill established in India was at Serampore in West Bengal. However, due to a lack of demand, the paper mill and its business failed. 
• The second industry was set up in 1870 at Ballygunj, and this led to the birth of the core paper Industry in India. 
• As per the geographical location, Maharashtra is the major paper producing state. Maharashtra consists of the largest number of paper mills and produces the majority percentage of paper in India. 
• The Indian paper industry’s annual turnover of 700 billion INR provides over 0.5 million individuals direct employment. 
• The overall consumption of paper is expected to hit 24 million tonnes in 2024 – 25. In the past 5 to 7 years, more than 5 USD billion investment has been made towards the paper industry for setting up state of the art infrastructure.