Around 2.01 billion tonnes of municipal waste is generated annually across the world. In India alone, an estimated 277 million tonnes of municipal solid waste is produced each year. Of this, 77% is disposed of in open dumps, 18% undergoes composting, and only 5% is recycled.
India’s growing waste challenge has also brought it to the forefront of global discussions, including the recent United Nations-led Global Plastic Treaty negotiations in Busan, South Korea, where India called for leveraging technology to tackle waste management effectively. These international forums, coupled with domestic policy initiatives, highlight how technology-driven solutions are transforming India’s waste management practices by addressing inefficiencies, promoting collaboration, and ensuring compliance with sustainability goals.
Enhanced Efficiency in Waste Management
Automating waste management is a key to improving efficiency. It eliminates manual errors, delays, and resource waste. The traditional waste collection and disposal system is often inefficient and causes cost overruns. Modern technologies have revolutionized waste collection scheduling and route optimization.
Recent efforts, such as India’s push for digitization through Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, focus on using real-time data for smarter waste collection and processing. Automated platforms streamline entire workflows, from waste collection and segregation to transportation and disposal, significantly reducing resource wastage.
Automated platforms that cover the entire waste management process have simplified key tasks such as waste collection and transport. These platforms allow for real-time data exchange between stakeholders. It reduces delays and ensures that waste is collected on time. Technology allows for better handling of industrial waste through pre-approved logistic contracts and automated workflows. It also reduces the need for manual intervention.
Transparency through Blockchain
Producers, Importers, and Brand Owners (PIBOs) can comply with EPR requirements by purchasing certificates from Plastic Waste Processors (PWPs). These EPR certificates are generated by PWPs by uploading procurement and sales invoices. The latest guidelines from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) state that all the GST invoices are mapped with Government of India’s GST portal, thereby improving the audit process and reducing the number of fake EPR certificates generated against underpriced and irrelevant sales invoices. This GST portal integration with CPCB portal will help push genuine certificates and obviously have an impact on EPR certificate pricing.
Blockchain integration for data transparency and traceability is one of the most important contributions technology has made to waste management. The traditional systems lack reliable mechanisms to track waste from its origins all the way through to its final disposal. This lack of accountability leads to inefficiency, fraud, and non-compliance.
Blockchain technology solves this problem by creating tamper-proof records of waste management. The data is immutable, and all parties can access it. QR codes that are linked to blockchain records enhance traceability and allow real-time compliance verification.
Blockchain can be used to provide valuable insights into India’s e-waste management sector. Between 2010 and 2022, India experienced a 163% surge in electronic waste generation from screens, computers, and small IT and telecommunication equipment (SCSIT), the highest growth globally, according to a United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report. Blockchain-based systems can further enhance compliance with India’s EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) framework by tracking materials across their lifecycle.
Scalability for Large-Scale Waste Management
India’s diverse waste production patterns and vast geography require scalable solutions that can handle operations in both urban and rural areas. For instance, metro cities like Delhi and Mumbai generate thousands of tonnes of waste every day. It requires technology that is able to efficiently manage large-scale operations without compromising environmental compliance.
Scalable platforms are already making inroads, with features like geospatial analytics enabling more efficient resource allocation in cities. In rural regions, mobile-enabled platforms bridge the gap by connecting communities with logistics providers and waste management services.
The Plastic Waste Management Rules 2022 have also highlighted the need for scalable solutions to address the 24 million tonnes of plastic packaging introduced annually into India. Of this, only 9.8 million tonnes can be mechanically recycled. Scaling up recycling infrastructure and adopting advanced technologies are critical to meeting the demands of this regulation.
Empowering stakeholders through collaboration
Technology has turned waste management into an effort of collaboration by connecting stakeholders via digital platforms. Advanced tools allow for seamless interaction and partnership between producers, recyclers, industries, and regulatory agencies. Digital marketplaces for waste commodities have been one of the most significant advancements. These platforms link buyers and sellers, ensuring waste is reused instead of thrown away. Real-time notifications of matching leads for buy and sell and secure transaction systems enable stakeholders to make quick decisions. India’s advocacy for international collaboration at the Global Plastic Treaty negotiations also reflects its stance on waste management as a shared responsibility. The country has called for a global effort to transfer technology and financial support to developing nations, emphasizing that only collective action can address the scale of the plastic waste problem.
Drive compliance and sustainability.
Several industries are required to meet their obligations in waste management following strict environmental regulations such as the EPR. The technology simplifies compliance through the automation of critical processes and transparent records that can be audited and reported. It requires producers to take responsibility for the end-of-life disposal of their product and ensure that it is recycled or reused responsibly.
Technology is not only about compliance but also promotes sustainability through the circular economy. Digital solutions are aligned with sustainability goals by encouraging the reuse and recycling of waste materials, as well as reducing dependence on virgin resources.
(The author, Nimit Aggarwal, is the Founder and Managing Director of EcoEx.)
