NEW DELHI: The Union environment ministry has notified the solid waste management rules, shifting the burden of processing waste from overextended municipal governments to large-scale commercial and residential entities that produce it.
The new Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, which supersede the 2016 framework, require BWG such as large housing societies, government offices, malls, hotels and hospitals to treat their own organic waste on-site. These large groups produce about 30% of all city waste, a government statement on the new rules said.
If they can’t process it on-site, they must hire professional waste managers and obtain an EBWGR (extended bulk waste generator responsibility) certificate to demonstrate that their waste was handled safely.
Under the new rules, “bulk waste generators” include entities with a floor area exceeding 20,000 square metres, those with water consumption of at least 40,000 litres per day, or solid waste generation of at least 100 kg per day.
The new rules will come into effect from April 1 and will integrate the principles of the circular economy and extended producer responsibility.
Bulk waste generators must ensure that the trash is collected, transported and processed in an environmentally sound manner, a move designed to significantly reduce the burden on urban local bodies and promote decentralised waste management.
The rules also allow for the levy of user fees on waste generators as per the bye-laws of local bodies.
Under the 2026 rules, everyone must now sort their trash into four categories: wet waste, dry waste, sanitary waste and special care waste. In the 2016 version of the rules, waste was divided into three streams: bio-degradable, non-biodegradable and domestic hazardous waste.
Wet waste includes kitchen waste, vegetables, fruit peels, meat, flowers, which shall be composted or processed through bio-methanation at the nearest facility.
Dry waste comprises plastic, paper, metal, glass, wood and rubber, etc., and shall be transported to Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) for sorting and recycling.
Sanitary waste includes used diapers, sanitary towels, tampons and condoms, etc., which shall be securely wrapped and stored separately.
Special care waste includes paint cans, bulbs, mercury thermometers and medicines, etc., which shall be collected by authorised agencies or deposited at designated collection centres.
The rules also introduce graded criteria for development around solid waste processing and disposal facilities to facilitate faster land allocation.
A buffer zone is to be maintained within the total area allotted for facilities having an installed capacity exceeding 5 tonnes per day. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will develop guidelines specifying the size of the buffer zone and permissible activities within it, based on the facility’s capacity and pollution load. This is expected to expedite land allocation for waste processing facilities by States and Union Territories, the ministry said.
The revised rules mainly integrate the principles of circular economy and extended producer responsibility, with a specific focus on efficient waste segregation and management.
The rules provide for the levy of environmental compensation based on the ‘polluter pays’ principle for non-compliance, including cases of operating without registration, false reporting, submission of forged documents or improper solid waste management practices. The CPCB will prepare the relevant guidelines, while state pollution control boards and pollution control committees will levy the environmental compensation, it said.
Curated by Shiv Shakti Mishra
