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Over 8 billion servings of instant noodles yearly, 120 million milk pouches daily: Report highlights India’s rising dependency on single-use plastics

The report by environmental research group Chintan calls for urgent action to tackle the plastic menace through sustainable alternatives, industry accountability, and systemic policy changes.

In Chandigarh, 43 challans were issued for selling or using plastic carry bags. (File image)

India consumed a staggering 8.68 billion servings of instant noodles in 2023, with 6 billion being Maggi packets alone, according to a report released Wednesday by Chintan, an environmental research and action group. This alarming rise in plastic dependency is one of the key findings of the report named Home Truths: A Deep-Dive into 5 Common Single-Use Plastics in Our Households.

The report explores the growing role of single-use plastics in everyday consumption, focusing on five commonly used items: milk pouches, instant noodle packets, detergent packets, edible oil sachets, and quick commerce food packaging. It also highlighted how these plastics became embedded in daily life, reflecting broader economic shifts, revolving gender roles and changing consumption patterns.

According to the report, India’s plastic consumption is escalating at an alarming rate; 100-120 million plastic milk pouches every day, and by 2025, 47 per cent of all milk in the country will be packaged in plastic, up from 30 per cent in 2022. Additionally, over 26.8 billion plastic detergent packets are sold annually, adding to the growing waste crisis. Meanwhile, India discards 3.3 billion 1-litre plastic oil pouches yearly, most of which are non-recyclable multi-layered plastic, as per the report.

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Chintan’s report calls for urgent action through sustainable alternatives, industry accountability, and systemic policy changes. Regarding the urgency of the issue, Bharati Chaturvedi, founder of Chintan, remarked, “Science and global negotiations have made it clear—plastics are harming our health, environment, and economy. The real question is, what do we do now?”

Environmental journalist Nidhi Jamwal said, “40-45 per cent of global plastic is used for packaging, and plastics account for nearly 3.4 per cent of global emissions—a number expected to more than double by 2060. In a rapidly changing climate, we simply cannot afford this.”

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