Need for Circular Waste Management in India

Context

1. Since 2014, India has focused on waste management as it launched the Swachh Bharat Mission (’Clean India Mission’) to end open defecation and make cities clean and garbage free.
2. In 2021, at COP26 held at Glasgow, India gave the idea of circular waste management through mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment).
3. At the COP30 held in Belém, Brazil (November 2025), waste was formally recognised as a climate issue, not just a municipal problem.
4. A new initiative, No Organic Waste (NOW), was launched to cut methane emissions, and circularity was highlighted as a pathway to inclusive growth, cleaner air, and healthier populations.
5. This makes urban waste and sanitation management a climate, health, and governance issue, not merely an aesthetic concern.

What is Circular Waste Management?

1. It is a model where waste is treated as a resource, not as garbage.
2. It focuses on reducing waste, reusing materials, recycling products, and recovering energy so that resources stay in circulation for as long as possible.
3. It has twin objectives:
   1. Minimize waste.
   2. Recover energy and resources.

Why is there a growing need for circular waste management in Urban India?

1. Urbanisation in India is irreversible. The real choice is between well-managed cities and waste-ridden cities.
2. Indian cities lag behind global standards in providing clean and healthy environments.
3. NCR and several Indian cities rank among the world’s most polluted.
4. Citizen grievances are rising despite regulatory and judicial interventions.
5. By 2030, Indian cities will generate 165 million tonnes of waste annually, emitting 41 million tonnes of greenhouse gases.
6. By 2050, with 814 million urban residents, waste could rise to 436 million tonnes, leading to dangerous levels of emissions which will adversely affect people’s health, economy and overall climate.
7. The goal of Garbage Free Cities (GFC) by 2026 is not just about aesthetics – it is a survival necessity.
8. Under Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0, 1,100 cities have been rated free of dumpsites, but complete garbage freedom requires adopting the circular economy model in all 5,000 cities and towns.
9. So, India needs to move away from a linear model (use → throw → landfill) to a circular model (reduce → reuse → recycle → recover energy) for sustainable waste management.

What is the Composition of Urban Waste in India?

To design effective circular waste management systems, it is first necessary to understand what urban waste consists of.

1. Organic wet waste:
   1. More than 50% of municipal waste is organic (consisting of kitchen waste, food scraps, and garden waste).
   2. This category of waste is the easiest to manage under a circular model.
   3. It can be:
      1. Composted at household or community level
      2. Processed in large-scale bio-methanation plants
   4. Such treatment:
      1. Produces compost for agriculture and horticulture
      2. Generates biogas or compressed biogas (CBG) as a green fuel

• Reduces methane emissions from landfills

1. Thus, effective management of wet waste directly contributes to climate mitigation and resource recovery.

2. Dry Waste and Plastics:
   1. Around one-third of urban waste is dry waste, which includes paper, plastic, metal, glass, and textiles.
   2. Among these, plastic waste poses the greatest challenge due to its non-biodegradable nature and harmful impacts on ecosystems and human health.
   3. Effective management of dry waste depends heavily on:
      1. Segregation at source by households
      2. Efficient material recovery facilities (MRFs)

• Strong recycling markets

1. While some dry waste can be recycled, not all plastics are recyclable.
2. Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF), made from non-recyclable dry waste, is increasingly used by cement and other industries as an alternative fuel.
3. However, this sector still faces challenges related to:
   1. Market linkages
   2. Quality standards

• Financial viability

3. Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste:
   1. India generates nearly 12 million tonnes of C&D waste annually, driven by rapid and often unplanned urban construction.
   2. It is a major contributor to urban pollution.
   3. Common issues include:
      1. Illegal dumping on roadsides and vacant land
      2. Mixing of C&D waste with household waste

• Dust pollution and environmental degradation

1. Much of this waste can be recycled into cost-effective construction material, reducing pressure on natural resources.
2. However, recycling capacity has not kept pace with the volume of waste generated.
3. To address this, India notified:
   1. Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016
   2. Environment (Construction and Demolition) Waste Management Rules, 2025, effective from April 1, 2026
4. These rules seek to:
   1. Fix responsibility on large waste generators
   2. Levy charges on bulk waste producers

• Improve accountability and compliance

4. Wastewater and Faecal Sludge:
   1. Water and sanitation are State subjects, and States play a crucial role in recycling and reusing wastewater in agriculture, horticulture and industrial purposes.
   2. Urban missions such as AMRUT and the Swachh Bharat Mission emphasise:
      1. Used water management
      2. Faecal sludge and septage management
   3. With India’s limited freshwater availability, recycling and reuse are the only sustainable options to meet rising urban water demand.

What has India achieved so far under the Swachh Bharat Mission?

1. Since 2014, Swachh Bharat Mission has shifted India from a focus on toilet construction to sanitation sustainability.
2. Universal toilet access exposed the next critical challenge: management of faecal waste generated by toilets.
3. This led to the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase II, with emphasis on ODF Plus.
4. ODF Plus goes beyond infrastructure and focuses on:
   1. Solid and liquid waste management
   2. Safe collection, transport, and treatment of faecal sludge
   3. Behavioural change and service-chain based sanitation
5. As of October 2025, over 68 lakh villages (nearly 97%) have been declared ODF Plus, reflecting significant national progress.
6. However, faecal sludge management (FSM) remains a major gap, especially in peri-urban and rural areas, necessitating innovative institutional models.

What are some successful models of faecal sludge management that can be scaled up?

1. Urban-Rural Partnership Model: Satara, Maharashtra
   1. An under-utilised urban faecal sludge treatment plant was linked with nearby villages to manage septic tank waste safely.
   2. Scheduled desludging was introduced through gram panchayats, with costs recovered via a modest sanitation tax.
   3. The model optimises existing urban infrastructure while extending sanitation services to rural areas.
2. Standalone Rural Cluster Model: Mayani
   1. Villages adopted scheduled desludging managed by private operators or self-help groups.
   2. A cluster-level faecal sludge treatment plant was planned under SBM-G to serve multiple villages together.
   3. Demonstrates how rural clusters can pool resources to create financially and technically viable sanitation systems.

These models show that India has moved beyond toilet construction to system-based sanitation, and that both urban-linked and standalone rural FSM models are scalable, provided there is coordination between governments, private actors, and communities.

What are the existing Challenges and Way Forward in Achieving Circular Waste Management?

Conclusion

India’s waste challenge is no longer limited to cleanliness. It is deeply linked to climate change, public health, urban governance, and resource security.

By shifting from a linear to a circular waste management model and strengthening sanitation systems through urban–rural partnerships, India can convert waste from a liability into a resource.