Towards more Responsible Waste Management

After a decade of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and promulgation of various rules in year 2016, pertaining to waste management and achieving circular economy,? it is being endeavoured to replace Existing Solid Waste Management Rules,2016 to the new revised, improved and comprehensive rules. Also, it is proposed to introduce New Extended Producers Responsibility Rules for Paper , Metals , Glass Packaging and Sanitary products. It is proposed to bring in force New Solid Waste Management Rules and EPR Rules from October 1, 2025 and April 1, 2026 respectively. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India has sought public opinion on these through recent gazette notifications. By revision and introduction of new rules, the government is taking a leap forwardto make the system more responsible and also to create clarity on some of the ambiguous issues.?

Since 2014, with the election of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India, Waste Management has come on the forefront of priorities by setting up the ambitious Swachh Bharat Mission as the top most priority of the government. It has become the largest Sanitation and Waste management programme of the world. Results of taking it up on the mission mode can be seen on the ground. The major impact of? comprehensive rules, systematic but dynamic? initiatives can be seen not only through creation of infrastructure, enhanced services but also in the form of increased awareness and attitude of the common man to adapt better waste management practices. It was designed to involve all stakeholders with incremental targets of service delivery and upscaling interventions. Also, with continuous monitoring through Swachata Sarvekshan and reporting mechanism local bodies have become more responsible and answerable? to the growing menace of waste.?

During the last decade, with change in lifestyle, it has been noticed that newer types of waste streams have surpassed the older ones.? Shopping behaviour has also changed drastically with more dependence on online shopping. In this era of change, steep growth in online shopping, growing apathy towards use of plastic, more environmentally conscious behaviour and concern for mother earth have impacted waste management significantly. As a result, consumption of packaging material has increased many folds creating newer challenges. Increased quantity of waste has been seen not just that of plastic but paper, glass, board, non-ferrous metal etc. also. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s draft rules on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for paper, glass, metal, and sanitary products mark a pivotal step toward a truly circular economy. These rules, set to take effect from, are not just a regulatory mandate but an incredible opportunity for industries to rethink their approach to packaging sustainability.

In the recent past, businesses have shifted from plastics to alternatives like paper and glass, often driven by public perception rather than scientific evaluation of environmental impact. Proposed rules challenge that paradigm, urging the industry to select materials based on their life cycle impacts and appropriate use cases. By emphasizing recycling, use of recycled content, and end-of-life disposal, the draft rules intend to ensure that materials are optimized for their environmental benefits, not assumptions.

Moreover, this initiative aligns with global efforts to reduce virgin resource extraction, create green jobs, and foster innovations in waste management. It encourages producers, importers, and brand owners to take ownership of their packaging materials from cradle to grave. The result? A harmonized approach that benefits the environment, promotes resource conservation, and creates economic opportunities. This is a significant leap forward for India’s sustainable development journey.

Unfortunately, proposed EPR rules do not cover the problem in a holistic manner. In draft rules focus is majorly to make packaging responsible and to establish a mechanism to set off environmental damages caused due to use of material. Rules are drafted keeping singular focus on the packaging industry with an assumption of having Paper, Glass, Metal used predominantly for the purpose of packaging but have ignored significant indirect uses in events and other industries. The unscientific notion of these materials being environment friendly leads to non-judicious consumption patterns. Draft rules are having its application limited to Producer, Importer and Brand Owners who introduce any packaging made from glass, metal and paper including paper board as well as sanitary products in the market and Waste processor of packaging.

Another major game changer step in unveil is introduction of Solid Waste Management Rules 2024 with a transformative approach to accelerate pace of Waste Management in India adopting more responsive and scientific approach, overcome existing ambiguities, increase its scope and coverage and define stakeholders with more clarity. With promulgation of new rules, all stakeholders including rural or urban, private or public, residential, industrial or commercial, religious or archaeological, transport or defence and likewise will have to comply with Solid Waste Management Rules 2024. Rules have defined duties of waste generators, bulk waste generators, local body and/or the concessionaire/ third party authorized by local body involved in collection, segregation and transportation of solid waste, entities involved in sorting of recyclable/ non-recyclable waste at Material Recovery Facility MRFs. Besides all other stakeholders making everyone responsive towards managing waste.

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Earlier, amongst waste producers, bulk waste generators had a mention but were not defined appropriately. Proposed rules have elaborately defined Bulk Waste Generators (BWG) as entities, irrespective of their ownership or uses but with any one of the following criteria:

·? ? ? Buildings with a floor area of 20,000 sq.m or above.

·? ? ? Daily water consumption of 5,000 liters or more.

·? ? ? Daily solid waste generation of 100 kg or more.

·? ? ? In this regard, one major compliance fulfilment expected from Bulk Waste Generators is to get Extended Generator Responsibility (EGR) Certificate from local authorities by adhering to compliance norms. This ensures accountability and promotes sustainable waste management practices. In compliance with Extended Bulk Waste Generator Responsibility (EBWGR), BWGs are made responsible to ensure proper segregation, storage, and management of waste. They will also be responsible for:

·? ? ? Segregating waste into four streams: wet, dry, sanitary, and special care waste.

·? ? ? On-site processing of wet waste through composting, bio-methanation, or other approved methods.

·? ? ? Handing over segregated waste to authorized collectors

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After these rules come into force, online registration of Bulk Waste Generators will become mandatory. Every BWG will have to get registered on a centralized online portal and regularly submit compliance reports to local bodies. This will enable better accountability,? promote resource recovery and recycling along with reduction in dependency over landfill.

Proposed rules have also made it mandatory for Industrial units using solid fuel to use Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF), Solid Combustible Fraction (SCF), or agri-residue sourced from solid waste plants. Drafts rules have provided with duties of Industrial Units located within specified distances from RDF plants to make arrangements to replace their conventional solid fuel requirement with CPCB-approved combustible fractions.??

A major step to achieve sustainable waste management is to minimise landfill requirement means least should go to final disposal. Rules have made provision in this direction by introduction of landfill user fee. BWGs will have to pay landfill user fees for non-recyclable waste, incentivizing efficient waste processing and segregation. The draft rules are game-changer, aligning with circular economy principles and ensuring that everyone contributes to sustainable waste management.

Let’s embrace these changes and ensure effective implementation of waste segregation, recycling, and safe disposal practices.

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