Government Policies on Waste Management in India

🏛️ Government Policies on Waste Management in India

🗑️ 1. Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016

• Mandatory segregation of waste at source (wet, dry, hazardous).

• Emphasis on composting, recycling, and RDF recovery before landfilling.

• Targets 100% door-to-door collection and scientific landfill closure.

🔥 2. Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Initiatives

• Promoted by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

• Financial incentives for WtE plants using RDF or MSW.

• Supported by states like Delhi, Telangana, Maharashtra.

🧼 3. Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 (SBM-U), 2021–2026

• Urban waste processing focus: composting, biomethanation, RDF.

• ₹1.41 lakh crore budget allocation.

• Push for Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and decentralized waste systems.

♻️ 4. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

• Applies to plastics, batteries, and e-waste.

• Producers/importers responsible for post-consumer waste collection and processing.

🚛 5. National Action Plan for Waste Management

• Released by CPCB/MoEFCC.

• Focus on RDF utilization, landfill diversion, waste audit mandates.

🔮 Future Outlook: 2025 and Beyond

✅ Key Priorities

• 100% scientific waste processing in all urban local bodies by 2026.

• Ban on landfilling unprocessed waste in most states.

• RDF co-processing in cement kilns and industries to reduce fossil fuel use.

💡 Emerging Trends

• Use of AI and IoT for smart waste collection and tracking.

• Public-private partnerships (PPPs) for large-scale WtE and MRF projects.

• Emphasis on circular economy: reuse, recycle, and resource recovery.

Challenges Ahead

• Lack of segregation at source.

• Low awareness and participation at household level.

• Funding and capacity issues in smaller municipalities.