ABSTRACT
Solid waste, especially plastic is an inevitable component of present-day life. Twenty million tons of plastic flow into the ocean every year, and much of this is toxic. The question of waste disposal is the point of discussion that always appears with environmental issues. The corporate social responsibility of the economic, social, and environmental improvements by reusing, treating and recycling waste is a much-debated issue. The growing awareness of sustainable development led to the initiation of the concept of the circular economy and several corporates have started environment-friendly projects. But many corporates acquired the concept of the green economy as part of their greenwashing business strategies. As we are living in a ‘throwaway society’ the corporate manufacturers design many of the products especially the electronic equipment for a brief period as it is not meant for long-term usage. We can expect more e-waste in the coming future as the planned obsolescence continues. The packaging industry is booming and most of the materials are plastic components. But this has no use-value. Many of them are non-biodegradable. Since plastic materials are low and durable to get more profit, other alternatives are not considered by the industry. A change in production pattern is a prerequisite to manage waste. Since the ethical foundations of corporations are essentially meant for the generation of profit and not for environmental sustainability, many corporates are not ready to change their manufacturing procedure. It is not only the scale of production, but it requires a change in the design of the production. The present attempt is to review the multifaceted threat of waste creation and the requirement of a comprehensive plan for waste management with an emphasis on the role of corporates in the administration of waste.
