Waste management has undergone a significant evolution in India over the years, with a focus on environmental sustainability and responsible governance. In a recent interview with R. Keerthana, waste management experts shed light on the developments in the country’s waste management system, outlining the challenges, policy interventions, and the current state of affairs. 

Aditi Ramola, Technical Director, International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), provided insights into regulations that govern India’s waste management system. “The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 offers a comprehensive set of directives that bring all the stakeholders including municipalities, waste management companies, businesses and industries and citizens under the ambit. The rules cover various waste streams, including plastics, healthcare waste, and electronic waste. Among other things, it mandates citizens to separate household waste into three categories - the wet waste, the dry waste and the hazardous waste - such as batteries, sanitary napkins etc. There are separate rules for materials, namely the Plastic Waste Management Rules (PWMR), 2016, the E-Waste (Management) Rules 2022 in India, and the Bio-medical Waste Management Rules - 2016. “These rules are comprehensive and include details on the EPR, e-waste handling etc.” 

Commenting that a country’s GDP growth and waste generation go hand-in-hand, she said, “As we move up the GDP ladder, the waste generation tends to increase.” Ramola went on to explain the scope and challenges of India’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, which holds producers accountable for managing the disposal of their products. “The government has given the polluters several options to fulfill their EPR obligations.” She also pointed out that many innovations are emerging in India.  

Mitigating methane emission 

One of the other issues raised by Ramola was the prevalent practice of open dumping and burning of waste, leading to environmental and health concerns.  

Organic waste, which constitutes nearly 60% of municipal waste, often ends up in landfills and emit methane gas when they decompose. Landfill methane emissions are a significant contributor to global warming. Ramola emphasised the potential of converting organic waste into useful products. “Focusing on organic waste is a good place to start working towards waste mitigation. There are many treatment technologies that industries, hotels and even  households can engage in.”  Biogas production is a promising technique for food wastes and MSW management, she noted, adding that producing fertilizers from waste will go a long way for an agrarian country like India.  

Inclusion of the informal sector

The discussion highlighted the importance of integrating the informal sector in waste management discussions. She spoke about the challenges faced by waste pickers and recyclers, emphasising the need for proper protection and support to enhance their role in sustainable waste management.

Speaking about the challenges in waste collection, she highlighted how budget has been an issue for waste collection.  “Some municipalities, which have sufficient funds, have a good system in place. Some have started using battery-operated vehicles for waste collection, cutting down on fuel cost. Many are also engaging in sensitising people on source segregation.” 

Ashish Jain , Founder, Indian Pollution Control Association highlighted the pivotal moment in 2000 when the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management & Handling) Rules, 2000 (MSW Rules) came into effect. “The absence of clear guidelines before this period led to confusion and inefficiencies,” he noted. The roles of various stakeholders, including the government, producers, and importers, were outlined to ensure a structured approach. 

Over the years, India has witnessed several amendments and additions to waste management rules. The focus has expanded to cover specific waste categories such as plastic, biomedical, hazardous, and demolition waste. The introduction of rules in 2016 further emphasised the need for a comprehensive framework for waste management, he said. 

“A significant shift occurred in 2016,” Jain added, “with the Indian government involving producers, brand owners and importers in waste management. These stakeholders became responsible for introducing different types of waste into the market, emphasising their role in post-consumer waste management. This move aimed to create a more sustainable and accountable system.”

Online portals and reporting mechanisms

Jain highlighted the use of online portals developed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for effective waste management reporting. Producers, brand owners, and importers are required to register and declare their waste generation, consumption, and disposal. “This transparent reporting mechanism ensures accountability and compliance with environmental regulations.”

The Swachh Bharat Mission, introduced in 2014, served as a catalyst for change. He emphasised its impact on motivating citizens and creating a sense of social responsibility regarding waste management. The mission encouraged citizen participation, leading to increased awareness and improved waste segregation practices. “It has had a great impact on the citizens and has improved community participation in waste management. Although the source segregation has not improved, littering has reduced.” 

Jain acknowledged the challenges posed by rapid urbanisation, globalisation, and increased consumerism in India. The generation of waste has surged due to higher per capita purchasing capacity and lifestyle changes. The infrastructure to handle this surge has struggled to keep pace, requiring continuous adaptation and policy refinement, he noted. 

A positive trend highlighted by Jain is the integration of the informal sector into formal waste management. “Policies such as EPR could enable transition of the informal sector to mainstream leading to better documentation, compliance, and improved working conditions.”

While exact statistics on waste disposal are not available, Jain indicated a reduction in the percentage of waste reaching landfill sites. Initiatives at the municipal level, including the removal of legacy waste and the creation of medical recovery facilities, contribute to sustainable waste management practices.

When asked about the prospects of waste-to-energy projects in India, he said, “WtE initiatives have gained prominence in India, with municipalities planning and implementing various projects.” He emphasised the importance of diverse waste management models based on the characteristics of waste in different regions. Waste-to-energy projects, when suitable, offer an additional solution to address the complex waste management scenario in the country. “In India, the volume of waste is so high and the characteristics of waste are also very different. So we have to utilise different models and we have to use multiple applications.  I am not promoting waste to energy as the only viable solution to handle waste, but it can be an additional option, depending on the characterisation of waste in that particular region.” 

Dr Vivek S Agrawal, Chairman, Institute of Chartered Waste Managers,  and Managing Director at Greentech Infra Private Limited, provided a comprehensive view of the waste management landscape since India’s independence.  

Agrawal spoke about the sustainability practices prevalent in India before the British era. “During this time, waste management was primarily driven by private entities, with individuals responsible for the disposal of their waste. Sustainable attempts towards waste management were common, forming the foundation of a robust system.”

With the advent of British rule, there was a shift towards government-driven waste management. The public sector took responsibility for basic amenities and services, leading to a decline in private-driven waste management. The introduction of user fees during this period marked a change, but it was eventually abolished post-independence, he noted.

After gaining independence, India became more dependent on the state for waste management. The user fee system was discarded, leading to a lack of accountability among waste producers. He noted a decline in segregation systems for recyclables, although some efforts were made until the year 2000.

Turning Point in 1994

The year 1994 proved to be a turning point when a pneumonic plague outbreak prompted public interest litigation. This event led to a petition advocating for the rights of waste producers, better sanitation and better waste management practices. It also marked the development of a total garbage collection system in cities, focusing on primary collection at the source.

Initiatives Post-2014

The chairman highlighted significant developments post-2014, especially with emphasis on cleanliness and the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. “Subsequent campaigns, funding, and revised waste management rules aimed to address environmental concerns, waste producer responsibility, and realistic timelines for compliance,” he said.  

Speaking about India's strength, he identified cultural practices, vast population, and inherent recycling habits as strengths. The expert advocated for a model that involves technology supporting micro-entrepreneurs in waste management, emphasising the need for public sector regulation rather than direct service provision.

He also spoke about addressing the current state of landfills, pointing out issues with improper landfill management and the need for effective bio-mining practices to address the environmental impact.

Challenges and opportunities

He said that challenges such as limited recycling facilities for certain waste streams such as C&D and e-scrap, technological limitations, and the integration of informal waste collectors still persist in the country. Agrawal acknowledged EPR as a positive step, but there is a need for further implementation and the inclusion of informal sector workers. “The micro-entrepreneurs (I do not call them informal workers, I call them micro entrepreneurs) are deprived of their livelihood. Some robust system is required where their livelihood is not challenged.”

Calling Polluters Pay principle as an efficient system, Agrawal recommended, “Public sector should go out of waste management industry. They should remain a regulatory authority and not a service provider. It is not the duty of the public sector to deliver services. When the burden falls on the local government, waste management does not work.”

“Pollution is no longer an urban phenomenon. Rural India is getting affected when waste management becomes the responsibility of the state,” he added. 

Shekar Prabhakar, Co-founder & CEO,  Hasiru Dala Innovations, echoed the views of Agrawal. He said, “While India has been very progressive in setting up rules and guidelines at the central government level, it is yet to percolate fully to the urban local bodies and panchayats (village administration) level in terms of bye-laws and their implementation.  Swachh Bharat Mission, the initiative to clean up India, has provided some capital inflow from the Central Government to the local bodies to set up minimal infrastructure for collection, dry waste sorting and composting.” 

Prabhakar cited source segregation, 100% door to door collection and optimal resource recovery of recyclables as the challenging areas.  “Most cities still depend on landfilling as the disposal option, with waste pickers and the informal waste sector accounting for cherry picking tradeable, recyclable waste from the mixed waste.  It is estimated that 90% of the sorting, segregation and recycling still happens through the informal waste value chain,” he further added. 

Speaking of the opportunities in the industry, “In the past 10 years, there has been a growing number of organisations and startups coming up with innovative solutions to battle the waste management challenge.  From processing of different waste streams, upcycling innovations and growth of the recycling infrastructure.”  For example, bottle to bottle PET recycling will see nearly 20 times processing capacity infrastructure by the end of 2025.   The opportunities abound for innovative companies that use new business models, innovate in the supply chain and bring technology to bear both in terms of digitisation as well as core technology of recycling, he added. 

How has the country fared with EPR implementation? He opined that it started off well a couple of years ago, but the past 18 months has seen a challenge as the government tried to move to a portal-based implementation of the EPR guidelines. He pointed out to the recent uncovering of a massive fraud by a few plastic recycling companies that put up EPR credits on the portal which were multiple times its actual processing capacity. “This undermines faith in the system.”   

Both Hasiru Dala, the not-for-profit and Hasiru Dala Innovations, the social enterprise have been successful in creating operating and business models in both the public realm as well as the private sector that integrate waste pickers into the mainstream by giving them entrepreneurship and predictable livelihood opportunities. “We have been able to prove on the ground that such models are both possible and scalable.” 

Investment opportunities 

Commenting on the investment opportunities in India, he states, “It is our belief that the waste management and processing sector in India is poised to grow exponentially over the next 5 years with investment opportunities in basic collection and transportation segment as 100% door-to-door collection becomes imperative, organic wet waste processing through anaerobic digestion to bio-gas, and plastics recycling infrastructure and newer technologies such as chemical recycling to produce feedstock for petrochemical companies.” In addition, waste streams such as used tyres, sanitary waste, glass, batteries, solar panels and others present enormous market opportunities for innovative technologies and business models, he pointed out.