Report launch by (left to right)

Gayatri Divecha, Head CSR & Sustainability, Godrej

Industries limited,
Mahesh Patil, Chairman, Goa State Pollution Control
Board,
Dr. Prashant Gargava Former Member Secretary, Central
Pollution Control Board
Hon. Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral,
Arun Sinha IAS, Secretary Environment,
Dr. Sheila Monteiro Member secretary Goa State Pollution
Control Board.
 Scaling our
Waste
Mountains Fixing solid waste
management in
India’s cities

September 2023

Scaling our Waste Mountains: Fixing Solid Waste Management in India’s Cities
SCALING THE
WASTE MOUNTAINS
Solid waste affects everyone at Solid Waste Management Journey
an individual, community and Each waste stream is composed of a variety

India’s solid waste journey

public level. of stakeholders, across various stages, from
waste generation to disposal.

With India’s per capita, per day waste generation WASTE MANGEMENT WASTE
WASTE DOOR- WASTE
WASTE WASTE PROCESSING & WASTE
estimated at 0.6 kg, and notwithstanding TO-DOOR COLLECTION FROM
POLICY AND GENERATION TRANSPORTATION TREATMENT FACILITY DISPOSAL
COLLECTION PUBLIC SPACES
industrial solid waste generation, solid waste REGULATION
management (SWM) is a daily million-ton
problem for India – and it is projected to increase.

As we try to make good on economic goals –

India’s demographic, migratory, consumption
and waste patterns are changing. India
continues to urbanize, and its cities face
compounding challenges in waste management
due to increasing population, limited space,
overburdened systems, and vast socio-economic
disparities.

The cascading effects of this gap are for all to

see – openly dumped garbage, waste mountains
in decades-old landfills, polluted land and
waterbodies, breakdown in public health, and
stagnating neighborhoods.

This report takes a deep dive into solid waste

management in India’s cities, with a focus on the
human dimension of SWM, and the roles and
challenges of three of these actors: Urban Local
Bodies, Informal Waste Workers, and Citizens.

GOVERNMENT ACADEMIC AND CITIZENS BULK WASTE URBAN WASTE INFORMAL INFORMAL NGOS AND

26
only AGENCIES RESEARCH GENERATORS LOCAL MANAGEMENT WASTE RECYLING COMMUNITY-

%
INSTITUTES BODIES COMPANIES WORKERS INDUSTRY BASED ORGS

India's Ministry of
Environment oversees waste
management laws, while the
the Central Pollution Control
of urban areas are Board (CPCB) and state
boards ensure compliance.
covered by waste
Other agencies, like the
management Ministry of Housing and
systems deployed Urban Affairs, implement
by municipal bodies. initiatives like the Swachh
Bharat Abhiyan.
Academic and research
institutions in India are
actively engaged in research
and development of new
technologies and solutions
for waste management. They
also provide training and
education to students and
professionals in the field of
waste management.
Citizens are the generators of
waste and play a critical role
in waste management. They
can reduce waste generation
by adopting sustainable
practices such as reducing,
reusing, and recycling.
Businesses are also the
generators of waste and
play a critical role in waste
management. They have to
follow local laws of waste
disposal and they can
reduce waste generation
by adopting sustainable
practices such as reducing,
reusing, and recycling.
Urban Local Bodies Waste management Workers sort materials The informal recycling They help influence
manage waste collection, companies handle from household sector comprises waste management,
transportation, and collection, transportation, and business waste, small-scale industries collaborating with
disposal, collaborating and disposal. They reducing landfill processing materials municipal bodies and
with waste pickers and run composting and volumes and supporting like paper and plastic. waste management
companies. They depend recycling plants, with India's informal Employing thousands, entities. They promote
on central and state roles spanning recyclers, recycling sector. They they bolster India's sustainable practices
government funds and co-processors, and bridge the gap between circular economy. and offer training to
sometimes collect user composters. Registered waste segregation However, many remain waste pickers and
fees from residents, recyclers ensure and formal recycling, unregistered with informal recyclers,
though the sufficiency of traceability in waste ensuring efficient waste pollution control boards enhancing their
these fees is debated. processing. management. due to systemic and work conditions and
procedural challenges. boosting their income.

Download the complete

report here

Scaling our Waste Mountains: Fixing Solid Waste Management in India’s Cities
Overview of challenges of Overview of insights and actions
key stakeholders for each stakeholder
However, they also contain inherent
opportunities for various stakeholders to anchor
State and Civil Society

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

Innovate to move away from Focus on bulk waste generators Bolster data driven ULB empowerment
toxic materials
Plastic taxes on manufacturing Use data to empower local
Innovate towards non-toxic materials and imports bodies
ULBS

overburdened

lack of funds

human resources Bolster flexible, supportive and co- Build fair and inclusive compliance Design intersectoral programmes
improper contracts with collectors creative partnerships for circularity mechanisms spotlighting climate and workers

waste from informal settlements is Entrepreneurial and innovative A combination of legislative, facilitative Policy action must address convergence
dumped in public spaces causing
problems in collection and increasing thinking within partnering institutions and governance actions constitute the of higher temperatures, increased solid
NGOS WASTE INFORMAL WASTE
burden on infrastructure MANAGEMENT WORKERS is a key success factor for long-term preconditions for fair compliance waste and the effects on health, such as an
lack of optimum use of vehicle size to source segregation COMPANIES existence of partnerships increased risk of vector-borne diseases
behaviour change lack of safety and
transport waste that doesn’t add to the
cost of the waste management working conditions and
lack of funding to waste management basic work amenities
scale models contracts with ULBs and
adequate manpower to transport waste clearly defined terms
bound by grant
of engagement and
payments
stigma of their work
and harsh working Citizens
electricity supply guidelines conditions
composting pits knowledge and waste isn’t picked up
systematically from safety issues while
awareness and loading and unloading
storage facility behaviour change informal settlements
and not included in the waste
from people
terms of agreement
lack of exposure for senior officers of exposure to hazardous
ULBs retaining human
source segregation in working environment
technical talent
lack of convergence with cement plants to handhold and community bins and Segregate waste at source Hold governments accountable for Work co-operatively with Resident
provide trainings and overflow of waste no dignity of labour
for disposal refuse-derived fuel Sorting waste is the best way to waste management Welfare Associations (RWA)
awareness and recognition of their
hardwork
regional variation in terms of recycling lack of adequate ensure the likelihood of waste to be Citizens have a crucial role to play in At a community level, citizens should
facilities infrastructure leads to
increase in costs no recognition from recycled policy change. Like lobby to expand the work to hold RWAs accountable for
public
fluctuation in cost of resource recovery range of goods that can be recycled. workers’ safety
lack of tech know-how
in processing and lack of source
infrastructure in processing facilities disposing waste segregation increases
(toilets, drinking water) burden of processing
the waste manually
technology investment and infrastructure cost of storage of which is hours of back
waste after sorted and
processed waste
breaking work Funders
partnerships to safely disposing of
domestic bio-medical waste takes a toll on health
transport cost of and well-being going
processed waste to the through waste all day
poor source segregation, hence high disposal areas
percentage of mixed waste

lack of sanitary landfill site

Fund innovations Strengthen collaborative action Support human centered interventions

between funders and governments
There is a need for innovative financing such Focus on behavioral change
as blended venture capital, seed money, or The philanthropic ecosystem, CSR communications for citizens and improve
Download the complete targeted grant that can be channeled only funders, and institutional donors can professional pride among waste pickers

report here for waste management start-ups together address the complex issues
of waste management