The key to efficient waste management is segregation at source, multiple streams of recycling and resource recovery. The reduced final residue must be deposited scientifically in sanitary landfills.
India’s landfills are bursting at the seams, with more than 70 per cent of collected urban waste dumped in them.
The biggest threat to the environment comes from plastic: 60 major cities in India together churn out over 3,500 tonnes of plastic waste every day.
It is estimated that, on average, an affluent family throws away around 40 kg of recyclable plastic each year.
Mumbai generates the maximum e-waste — nearly 1.2 lakh tonnes annually. Delhi and Bengaluru follow with 98,000 and 92,000 tonnes, respectively.
The solid waste management rules of 2016 mandate segregation at the individual, corporate and community levels, but implementation remains poor.
The earliest account of rubbish recycling was in 1031 in Japan! They found a way to recycle paper and sold it again as new in shops.