Waste

India's waste management crisis has serious implications for its environment, economy and public health. We focus on creating technologies and solutions that minimize waste generation and convert all waste into useful products. This includes initiatives to promote a circular economy through resource efficient and cleaner production in industries, and maximize resource recovery and recycling for landfill-free cities.

waste

NEW IN WASTE

  • oilzapper

     

    Policy Brief

    Maximising Resource Efficiency and Circularity in the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Value Chain and the E-Waste Sector

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  • energy access

     

    Article

    Refurbishing Plastic for Climate Action: Finding Value in 'Waste'

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  • micro credit

    Event

    WasteMAP Workshop on 'Key Strategies for Organic Waste Management'

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  • rural-energy

    Policy Brief

    Internationalizing Lifestyles For Environment: Messages For G20

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  • plenary landfill

    Blog

    Creating awareness among school children for leveraging the use of treated wastewater in India

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Projects

Articles

Towards a Circular Plastics Economy: India’s Actions to #BeatPlasticPollution

Dr Girija K Bharat

World Environment Day 2023 serves as an important reminder that the actions we take to mitigate plastic pollution have a significant impact. Now, more than ever, we must intensify these efforts and swiftly transition to a circular economy. Avanti Roy-Basu and Girija K Bharat say that as the world celebrates World Environment Day in 2023, focusing on “solutions to plastic pollution under the campaign #BeatPlasticPollution”, it is crucial to understand that each one of us has multiple roles to play in addressing this global crisis.

Microbeads: A Brewing Environmental Concern

Mr Kaushik Chandrasekhar

The prevalence of microplastics in the environment has become a major global concern. Plastics based on their size are broadly classified as Macro and Microplastics (<5 mm) and enter the environment through various routes.

A link towards integrating informal sector may complete the EPR mechanism

Mr Kaushik Chandrasekhar
,
Dr Suneel Pandey

India generates close to 3.46 million tonnes of plastic waste annually and CPCB estimates suggest close to 60% of this waste is recycled.

नए प्लास्टिक नियमों के ठोस निष्पादन से हो सकता है कचरा प्रबंधन में सुधार

Mr Kaushik Chandrasekhar

सरकार की इतनी बड़ी मात्रा में जमा हो रहे कचरे से निपटने की प्रतिबद्धता का पता प्लास्टिक अपशिष्ट प्रबंधन नियम 2016 से चलता है जिसमें सरकार ने अगस्त 2021 में तीसरी बार संशोधन किया है। अगस्त 2021 में भारत सरकार द्वारा किए गए संशोधन से यह पता लगता है कि भारत इस मुद्दे का समाधान खोजने के लिए नए-नए प्रयास कर रहा है। हालांकि इस मामले में राजनीतिक सहमति के साथ-साथ नीतिगत हस्तक्षेपों के नतीजे सकारात्मक रहे हैं, लेकिन नीतियों का जमीनी स्तर पर निष्पादन अब भी एक बड़ी चुनौती बना हुआ है।

A Sustainable Development Agenda: Plastic and Biomedical Waste Post COVID-19

In this article, Hans Nicolai Adam, Emmy Noklebye, and Girija K Bharat discuss biomedical and plastic waste management in the post COVID-19 world. The authors focus on the role of the informal sector, which plays a significant role in India's waste management systems, and is assuming a growing role in plastic waste management. Yet, the informal waste management sector remains highly vulnerable, as evidenced by the authors' study.

Events

Webinar on “Achieving Sustainable Waste Management: Circular Economy Approach”

May 24, 2023
to May 24, 2023

24 May 2023 | 14:30 hrs to 16:30 hrs

INOPOL Final Dissemination Event

October 17, 2022
to October 17, 2022

On 17th October 2022 | 10:30 AM - 02:00 PM

Webinar on Plastic Waste Management and impact on Human Health

October 8, 2021
to October 8, 2021

The interactive webinar aims to expand on the issue of plastic waste management and its impact on human health.

Webinar Series on Waste-Derived Nanomaterials: Part-I Industrial Wastes to Nano-commodities: Status, Impact and Future Prospects

October 7, 2021
to October 7, 2021

The webinar aims at highlighting various leads being taken to derive nano-materials from different waste resources via a 'Circular Economy' model.

On 7 October 2021, 02:00 PM to 4:30 PM IST

Webinar on Plastic Pollution amidst COVID-19: Protector or Polluter

July 31, 2020
to July 31, 2020

During COVID-19, the management of single-use plastic (SUP) items remains a challenge in India. TERI is hosting a webinar on plastic waste management and raising public awareness on plastic pollution.

News

The Sanitation and Climate Nexus

November 18, 2023
| Dr Suneel Pandey
| Outlook India

Inadequate management or mismanagement of sanitation services has direct as well as indirect impacts on climate change says, Dr Suneel Pandey, Senior Fellow and Director, Environment and Waste Management Division, TERI.

GCC cracks down on big bulk waste generators, imposes fine

October 10, 2023 |
October 10, 2023
The Times of India

To tackle the menace, the GCC is in talks with TERI, a research think-tank to take sessions for BWGs on rules, penalties and impacts of dumping bulk waste in GCC bins. Ms V Videesha, research associate, waste management division, TERI, said they would be speaking on how BWGs could manage organic waste composting, producing bio-gas and outsourcing them.

Dhapa garbage hits recycle hurdle

July 8, 2023 |
July 8, 2023
The Telegraph

Items like metal, rags and paper have good demand in the recycling chain. The authorities must look into this issue. There is no reason why recyclers would not be interested in them said Dr Suneel Pandey, Senior Director, TERI.

Plastic bans created awareness but stricter enforcement needed

June 7, 2023 |
June 14, 2023
The Times of India

While most large businesses have shifted to non-SUP alternatives the problem persists with smaller vendors who find them costly compared with plastic, intense awareness drives, stricter monitoring and an incentive system will help the smaller vendors give up SUPs says Mr Suneel Pandey, Director of the Environment and Waste Management Division at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

PROMISE Sustainability Awards Conferred

May 31, 2023 |
June 14, 2023
Outlook India

The key focus of the conference was sharing of best practices in tackling marine litter across countries of the Maldives, Sri Lanka and India. In the first panel discussion on EPR framework for tackling marine litter which highlighted the EPR framework for plastics and its implementation aspects especially with regard to the MSME sector.

From Assembly to markets, plastics find their way around Delhi ban

April 24, 2023 |
June 14, 2023
The Hindu

Over the past ten months, the Delhi government restricted the use of 19 single-use plastic products and plastic bags under 120 microns in thickness; however, these products are still used openly. Dr Suneel Pandey, Director, Environment and Waste Management Division, TERI, said unchecked manufacturing of plastic items and lax implementation of the ban is responsible for the resurgence of SUP products. Mr. Pandey said one solution could be for the government to hand-hold manufacturers during the transition, accompanied by strict vigilance to ban the manufacturing of such items.

Policy

Plastic Waste Management: Turning Challenges into Opportunities

December 2, 2020

Plastics not only are enduring, lightweight, and available at low prices, but also have very good thermal and electrical insulation properties. The versatile properties of various plastic polymers— being water-resistant, non-porous, ductile and malleable—make them suitable for manufacturing a wide range of products that also bring medical and technological advances in our modern society.

G20 Circular Carbon Economy: Fostering Circularity in Plastics

October 27, 2020

Fostering circularity in plastic use is an effective way to reduce contamination of marine and coastal environments with plastics and man-made debris. However, there are many challenges down this path.

Nutrient pollution in the South Asia Seas (SAS)

December 3, 2019

Anthropogenic activities like (i) agriculture fertilisers, (ii) coastal pisciculture, (i) sewage discharge, (iv) industrial activity, (v) burning fossil fuels and (vi) effluents from ports increase nutrients in surface water and seas. Nitrate pollution is largely caused by agriculture run-off, discharge from industry and manure or sewage. Phosphate pollution is tied to improper treatment of detergents in wastewater and from agro-fertilisers.

Discussion Paper on Faecal Sludge Management in Urban India: Policies, Practices, and Possibilities

December 9, 2016

Urban Sanitation and Need for Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) in India The Government of India has undertaken an ambitious social change endeavour of clean and open defecation free (ODF) India. Sustained efforts in this direction has improved the sanitation scenario in India, which in turn would help in achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 6 of universal and equitable access to safe and aff ordable drinking water and adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all.

Director, Environment & Waste Management
Associate Director, Environment & Waste Management
Area Convenor, Bio-Waste Technologies
Area Convenor, Centre for Waste Management