Waste management Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment, and disposal of waste, together with monitor ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

falls under the purview of the Union

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is an Government of India, Indian government Ministry (government department), ministry. The ministry Portfolio (government), portfolio is currently held by Bhupender Yadav, Union ...

(MoEF&CC). In 2016, this ministry released the Solid Wastage Management (SWM) Rules, which replaced by the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, and 2000 of which had been in place for 16 years. This national policy plays a significant role in the acknowledgment and inclusion of the informal sector ( waste pickers) into the waste management process for the first time. India generates of waste each year. About 43 million tonnes (70%) are collected, of which about 12 million tonnes are treated, and 31 million tonnes are dumped in

landfill A landfill is a site for the disposal of waste materials. It is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of waste with daily, intermediate and final covers only began in the 1940s. In the past, waste was ...

sites.

With changing

consumption pattern Consumption may refer to: * Eating *Resource consumption *Tuberculosis, an infectious disease, historically known as consumption * Consumer (food chain), receipt of energy by consuming other organisms * Consumption (economics), the purchasing of n ...

s and rapid

economic growth In economics, economic growth is an increase in the quantity and quality of the economic goods and Service (economics), services that a society Production (economics), produces. It can be measured as the increase in the inflation-adjusted Outp ...

, it is estimated that urban

municipal solid waste Municipal solid waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage in the American English, United States and rubbish in British English, Britain, is a List of waste types, waste type consisting of everyday items that are discarded by the public. ...

generation will increase to 165 million tonnes in 2030.

Household waste generation and composition

Solid waste management (SWM) is a major problem for many urban local bodies (ULBs) in India, where

urbanization Urbanization (or urbanisation in British English) is the population shift from Rural area, rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. ...

industrialization Industrialisation (British English, UK) American and British English spelling differences, or industrialization (American English, US) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an i ...

, and economic growth have resulted in increased

(MSW) generation per person. Effective SWM is a major challenge in cities with high population density. Achieving sustainable development within a country experiencing rapid population growth and improvements in living standards is made more difficult in India because it is a diverse country with many different religious groups, cultures, and traditions. Despite development in social, economic and environmental areas, SWM systems in India have remained relatively unchanged. The informal sector has a key role in extracting value from waste, with approximately 90% of residual waste currently dumped rather than properly landfilled. There is an urgent need to move to more sustainable SWM, which requires new management systems and waste management facilities. Current SWM systems are inefficient, with waste having a negative impact on public health, the environment, and the economy. The Waste Management and Handling Rules in India were introduced by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), yet, compliance is variable and limited.

E-waste in India

The global

e-waste Electronic waste (or e-waste) describes discarded electrical or electronic devices. It is also commonly known as waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) or end-of-life (EOL) electronics. Used electronics which are destined for refurbi ...

monitor, a collaboration between the

International Telecommunication Union The International Telecommunication Union (ITU)In the other common languages of the ITU: * * is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for many matters related to information ...

(ITU) and the

United Nations University The is the think tank and academic arm of the United Nations. Headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, with diplomatic status as a UN institution, its mission is to help resolve list of global issues, global issues related to Human development ...

, estimated that India generated 1.975 million tonnes of e-waste in 2016 or approximately 1.5 kg of e-waste per capita. The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (

ASSOCHAM The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India () is a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group based in New Delhi, India. The organisation represents the interests of trade and commerce in India, and acts as an interface ...

) stated rapid economic growth and changing

consumer behaviour Consumer behaviour is the study of individuals, groups, or organisations and all activities associated with the Purchasing, purchase, Utility, use and disposal of goods and services. It encompasses how the consumer's emotions, Attitude (psy ...

was likely to increase e-waste generation in India to 5.2 million tonnes per year by 2020.

Solid Waste Management Rules

Solid Waste Management Rules were inaugurated in 2016. Highlights include: Sign

* Waste segregation at source is mandatory. Households are required to separate waste into three streams – Organic or

biodegradable Biodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. It is generally assumed to be a natural process, which differentiates it from composting. Composting is a human-driven process in which biodegrada ...

waste, dry waste (such as plastic, paper, metal, and wood), and domestic

hazardous waste Hazardous waste is waste that must be handled properly to avoid damaging human health or the environment. Waste can be hazardous because it is Toxicity, toxic, Chemical reaction, reacts violently with other chemicals, or is Corrosion, corrosive, ...

(diapers, napkins, mosquito repellents, cleaning agents). Further, bulk waste generators such as hotels and hospitals are expected to treat organic waste either onsite or by collaborating with the urban local body. * Municipalities and urban local bodies have been directed to include informal

waste picker A waste picker also known as waste collector or garbage collector is a person who salvages reusable or recyclable materials thrown away by others to sell or for personal consumption. There are millions of waste pickers worldwide, predominantly ...

s and rag pickers into their waste management process. This is the first time that national policy has acknowledged and included the informal sector into the waste management process. India has over 1.5 million subsistence informal waste pickers and including them into the formal waste management system represents an opportunity for urban local bodies to streamline their operations, while provide the waste pickers with better income opportunities. * Manufacturers of fast-moving consumer goods

FMCG Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), also known as consumer packaged goods (CPG) or convenience goods, are products that are sold quickly and at a relatively low cost. Examples include non-durable household goods such as packaged foods, bevera ...

that use non-biodegradable packaging are required to put in place a system to collect the

packaging waste Packaging waste, the part of the waste that consists of packaging and packaging material, is a major part of the total global waste, and the major part of the packaging waste consists of single-use plastic food packaging, a hallmark of throwawa ...

generated due to their production. * Urban local bodies have been given a provision to charge bulk generators a user fee to collect and process their waste. Additionally, spot fines may be levied on people burning garbage or discarding it in public places. * No non-recyclable waste having a

calorific value The heating value (or energy value or calorific value) of a substance, usually a fuel or food (see food energy), is the amount of heat released during the combustion of a specified amount of it. The ''calorific value'' is the total energy release ...

of 1,500 Kcal/kg or more is permitted in landfills. These wastes should either be utilized for generating energy or for preparing

refuse derived fuel Refuse-derived fuel (RDF) is a fuel produced from various types of waste such as municipal solid waste (MSW), industrial waste or commercial waste. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development provides a definition: ''"Selected waste ...

. It may also be used for

co-processing Co-processing is the use of waste as raw material, or as a source of energy, or both to replace natural mineral resources (material recycling) and fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and gas (energy recovery) in industrial processes, mainly in ener ...

in cement or thermal power plants.

Waste management market in India

Business case into Waste Management in India

By 2025, the waste management market size in India is projected to be worth ~USD 15 Billion, with annual growth around 7 percent. A growing economy, soaring urban population, rising

living standard Standard of living is the level of income, comforts and services available to an individual, community or society. A contributing factor to an individual's quality of life, standard of living is generally concerned with objective metrics outside ...

s and increasing consumption levels are common trends in

emerging economies An emerging market (or an emerging country or an emerging economy) is a market that has some characteristics of a developed market, but does not fully meet its standards. This includes markets that may become developed markets in the future or we ...

across the globe. Similarly, in India, an increase in the purchasing power parity has led to more affordability, accessibility to resource use and a rapid surge in the waste volumes as well. Considering the current trend toward urbanization in India, the MSW quantum is expected to double the existing volumes within ten years. At approximately 80-85 MTs by 2030, presenting a business opportunity estimated at US$20 Billion.

City-based initiatives

In 2014 India inaugurated the

Swachh Bharat Mission Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, or Clean India Mission is a country-wide campaign initiated by the Government of India on 2 October 2014 to eliminate open defecation and improve solid waste management and to create Open Defe ...

, a five-year nationwide cleanup effort. Before this national consolidated effort for systematic and total waste management came into common consciousness, many cities and towns in India had already launched individual efforts directed at municipal waste collection of segregated waste, either based on citizen activism and/or municipal efforts to set up sustainable systems. Some examples are Swach based in

Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...

(formed in 1993), Clean Cities Championship in Warangal, ''Nirmal Bhavanam, Nirmal Nagaram'' or Clean Homes, Clean City in Alappuzha, Engage 14 campaign in Gangtok, Zero Waste in Bobbili, Andhra Pradesh, Waste Management in Mysore and Solid Waste Management Round Table, Bangalore (formed in 2009). Bangalore's

Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) was the administrative body responsible for civic amenities and some infrastructural assets of the Greater Bengaluru metropolitan area. It was the fourth largest Municipal Corporation in India and ...

was directed by the High Court of

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

to implement mandatory segregation of municipal waste at the household level before collection – a first for the country. It is a representation of citizen-based activism at a local level, and the litigation was led by notable activists such as Almitra Patel and

Nalini Shekar Nalini Shekar (born 1964) is an Indian social activist and entrepreneur who co-founded Hasiru Dala (Green Force), a non-profit helping marginalised waste pickers in Bengaluru, India, become recognised for their work and developing a more sustain ...

. Following this High Court ruling, other cities in India have followed suit to make segregation of municipal waste mandatory at the generator level,

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

, in typical. As per the Swachh Survekshan 2020 (Clean Survey, released in August, 2020) of the Govt. of India, the order of top 20 cleanest cities, with name of the respective state in parentheses, in India are as follows: 1. Indore (Madhya Pradesh) for the fourth consecutive year, 2. Surat (Gujarat), 3. Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra), 4. Ambikapur (Chhattisgarh), 5. Mysuru (Karnataka), 6. Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), 7. Ahmedabad (Gujarat), 8. New Delhi (Delhi), 9. Chandrapur (Maharashtra), 10. Khargone (Madhya Pradesh), 11. Rajkot (Gujarat), 12. Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), 13. Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), 14. Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), 15. Gandhinagar (Gujarat), 16. Chandigarh (Union Territory), 17. Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh), 18. Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh), 19. Nashik (Maharashtra) and 20. Raigarh (Chhattisgarh).

Information technology (IT) initiatives

MoEFCC launched a web based application in 2016 to track and monitor waste management in India. The application, ''Integrated Waste Management System'', collects information and assists in coordinating waste generators, recyclers, operators of disposal facilities and state agencies.

Public-private partnership initiatives

Public-private partnerships (PPP) have been promoted by the Government of India for improving waste management services, yet, have remained problematic. The challenges of improving solid waste management services in India are caused by lack of financial resources, lack of appropriate skills and technological competencies with the

public sector The public sector, also called the state sector, is the part of the economy composed of both public services and public enterprises. Public sectors include the public goods and governmental services such as the military, law enforcement, pu ...

. Governments have started to explore PPPs as an alternative. The progress and improvement achieved remained low. Research on this has suggested recommendations in accordance with some issues uncovered. For example, PPP in MSW is considered immature, yet, high pre-qualification requirements were established. The urban local bodies (ULBs) found difficulties in defining an appropriate scope for some PPP projects. The specific issue encounters include a dire need of services are the primary reason behind opting for PPP mode; the perception that PPP gives greater benefit to the public; third and interconnected: PPPs avoid financial stress on the public sector; and fourth, PPPs are thought to constrain transaction costs and give value for the money invested. The research also revealed some serious negative issues that have crept-in while using PPP mode. They are often procured in an incompetent manner, and as opposed to the expectation, they have resulted in high transaction costs and ineffective projects. The

private sector The private sector is the part of the economy which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government. Employment The private sector employs most of the workfo ...

appeared to be exploiting the sector without any beneficial projects.

References

External links

{{Waste