"Generation Plastic"

#13258642

31 January 2026

A rag picker boy searches and collects items from the garbage thrown at the roadside in Siliguri, India, on January 31, 2026. Urban India generates 62 million tons of trash annually. This includes 5.6 million tons of plastic waste, of which only 8% is recycled. On the front lines of India's daily battle with mounting waste, there is an estimated 1.5 million-strong army of rag pickers.

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#13169275

8 January 2026

Plastic waste is seen at an open-air storage area for plastic waste in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on January 07, 2026. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB, 2022), nearly 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated annually in India. India ranks third globally in single-use plastic waste generation, producing approximately 5.5 million tonnes per year (Ghanshyam and Minakshi, 2024). Mismanaged plastic waste is widespread and is a major contributor to plastic pollution in air, water, and soil.

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#13169277

8 January 2026

Plastic waste is seen at an open-air storage area for plastic waste in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on January 07, 2026. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB, 2022), nearly 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated annually in India. India ranks third globally in single-use plastic waste generation, producing approximately 5.5 million tonnes per year (Ghanshyam and Minakshi, 2024). Mismanaged plastic waste is widespread and is a major contributor to plastic pollution in air, water, and soil.

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#13045796

1 December 2025

A man wears a pink hoodie and black cap and sits on the weathered stone steps of a monumental building, eating a sandwich from a white paper plate in Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy, on November 22, 2025. A plastic bottle of water and a wooden barrel are visible nearby.

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#13045801

1 December 2025

A man wears a pink hoodie and black cap and sits on the weathered stone steps of a monumental building, eating a sandwich from a white paper plate in Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy, on November 22, 2025. A plastic bottle of water and a wooden barrel are visible nearby.

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#12677371

26 August 2025

A senior citizen carries shopping bags and a basket while walking along a street in Gauting, Bavaria, Germany, on August 22, 2025.

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#12599437

30 July 2025

In Tangerang Selatan, Banten, Indonesia, on July 30, 2025, at the Recycle Business Unit (RBU), a grassroots initiative under Koperasi Pemulung Berdaya, workers sort, press, and shred discarded plastic beverage bottles into recyclable flakes. This micro-industry generates millions of rupiah in monthly revenue and provides crucial employment for local residents. More than just an economic engine, RBU plays a pivotal role in reducing plastic waste, turning pollution into potential, and advancing environmental sustainability across urban Indonesia.

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#12599438

30 July 2025

In Tangerang Selatan, Banten, Indonesia, on July 30, 2025, at the Recycle Business Unit (RBU), a grassroots initiative under Koperasi Pemulung Berdaya, workers sort, press, and shred discarded plastic beverage bottles into recyclable flakes. This micro-industry generates millions of rupiah in monthly revenue and provides crucial employment for local residents. More than just an economic engine, RBU plays a pivotal role in reducing plastic waste, turning pollution into potential, and advancing environmental sustainability across urban Indonesia.

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#12599439

30 July 2025

In Tangerang Selatan, Banten, Indonesia, on July 30, 2025, at the Recycle Business Unit (RBU), a grassroots initiative under Koperasi Pemulung Berdaya, workers sort, press, and shred discarded plastic beverage bottles into recyclable flakes. This micro-industry generates millions of rupiah in monthly revenue and provides crucial employment for local residents. More than just an economic engine, RBU plays a pivotal role in reducing plastic waste, turning pollution into potential, and advancing environmental sustainability across urban Indonesia.

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#12599440

30 July 2025

In Tangerang Selatan, Banten, Indonesia, on July 30, 2025, at the Recycle Business Unit (RBU), a grassroots initiative under Koperasi Pemulung Berdaya, workers sort, press, and shred discarded plastic beverage bottles into recyclable flakes. This micro-industry generates millions of rupiah in monthly revenue and provides crucial employment for local residents. More than just an economic engine, RBU plays a pivotal role in reducing plastic waste, turning pollution into potential, and advancing environmental sustainability across urban Indonesia.

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#12599441

30 July 2025

In Tangerang Selatan, Banten, Indonesia, on July 30, 2025, at the Recycle Business Unit (RBU), a grassroots initiative under Koperasi Pemulung Berdaya, workers sort, press, and shred discarded plastic beverage bottles into recyclable flakes. This micro-industry generates millions of rupiah in monthly revenue and provides crucial employment for local residents. More than just an economic engine, RBU plays a pivotal role in reducing plastic waste, turning pollution into potential, and advancing environmental sustainability across urban Indonesia.

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#12599442

30 July 2025

In Tangerang Selatan, Banten, Indonesia, on July 30, 2025, at the Recycle Business Unit (RBU), a grassroots initiative under Koperasi Pemulung Berdaya, workers sort, press, and shred discarded plastic beverage bottles into recyclable flakes. This micro-industry generates millions of rupiah in monthly revenue and provides crucial employment for local residents. More than just an economic engine, RBU plays a pivotal role in reducing plastic waste, turning pollution into potential, and advancing environmental sustainability across urban Indonesia.

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#12599444

30 July 2025

In Tangerang Selatan, Indonesia, on July 30, 2025, a worker at Koperasi Pemulung Berdaya sorts plastic bottles along a conveyor belt in the designated ''Area Pilah'' (Sorting Area), surrounded by sacks filled with recovered PET waste. This labor-intensive process is part of a community-led recycling effort that diverts tons of plastic from landfills, providing both a source of income and a practical solution to growing urban waste challenges.

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#12184799

22 March 2025

Two women sort through piles of paper, plastic, and other discarded materials in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 22, 2025.

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#12184797

22 March 2025

A striking urban contrast exists in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 22, 2025. In the foreground, people sort through piles of paper, plastic, and other discarded materials in a cluttered alleyway. Makeshift structures line the street, with bags, bins, and tools scattered across the ground. In the background, a sleek modern high-rise building with a glass facade towers over the scene, highlighting the disparity between rapid urban development and the persistent presence of informal economies and living conditions.

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#12184798

22 March 2025

A striking urban contrast exists in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 22, 2025. In the foreground, people sort through piles of paper, plastic, and other discarded materials in a cluttered alleyway. Makeshift structures line the street, with bags, bins, and tools scattered across the ground. In the background, a sleek modern high-rise building with a glass facade towers over the scene, highlighting the disparity between rapid urban development and the persistent presence of informal economies and living conditions.

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