India's waste will double in the next 25 years. If we are to avoid drowning in garbage, adopting zero waste management is a must.
INDIA HAS a population of 1.25 billion and generates 47 million tonnes of waste per year. This means less than 100 g of waste per person per day. In comparison, the figure for the US, one of the most developed nations, is a huge 2.17 kg.
Despite producing only a fraction of what the US generates, why are we unable to manage it? The problem has more to do with governance, institutions and infrastructure, than anything else. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, 91 per cent of waste produced in urban India gets collected, but only 27 per cent is treated; the remaining 73 per cent is disposed of in dump yards. As far as rural India is concerned, waste collection is still a dream. The US, on the other hand, recovers 34 per cent of its total waste through composting and recycling; the rest is disposed of in landfills or sent for incineration. In fact, it enacted the Resource Recovery and Conservation Act to govern its waste management way back in 1976—some 24 years before India for the first time framed the Rules of Solid Waste Management, the implementation of which leaves a lot to be desired.
Unlike India, the US has legal frameworks to implement extended producer responsibility (or epr, so that companies that produce packaging or products ensure that the products are properly disposed of when they reach the end of their life), packaging regulations and buyback schemes.
Denne historien er fra May 1, 2017-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Denne historien er fra May 1, 2017-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
