In January 1993 alone, the US shipped almost 1,200 tons of plastic waste to India. Pepsi Cola has been shipping plastic waste to India, and in 1992 alone Pepsi shipped over 7,000 tons of plastic waste there. Although the practice of reuse and recycling is widespread throughout the nation, there is still about one thousand tons of solid waste- mainly wet organic matter- which needs disposal each day.
On the world scale India is becoming a major supplier of iron and steel, and nationwide there is a host of small-scale industries reusing materials, including small workshops that produce tools, water carriers and household utensils from scrap. Scissor-making from scrap steel and iron is an example of a traditional practice that is often carried on by the next generation. Each kilo of scrap produces about three pairs of scissors, but the preparation and grinding work is arduous and also dangerous. Small-scale repair workshops are also found everywhere; for a nation that produces 8% of the world's total number of bicycles, engineering spare parts and undertaking repair is an everyday practice.
Like so many other cities in developing countries, a strong informal recycling infrastructure exists. Salvaging other people's waste for recycling is a way of life for the people who live on and off rubbish dumps. In Dhapa, East Calcutta, the city's waste dump supports thousands of people who eke out a living by sifting through piles of rubbish for paper, glass, textiles, tin, rubber, cork, and other materials they can sell to traders for recycling.
Old clothes are recycled into quilts and cushion covers while shoes are frequently made from cut-up car tyres.