Waste Segregation and Waste-to-Energy Plant | 25 Feb 2025

Source: TH 

Why in News? 

The Supreme Court (SC) emphasised the importance of waste segregation at source and questioned National Capital Region (NCR) states on the implementation of segregation of waste at source as per the Solid Waste Management Rules (SWM Rules, 2016). 

• The SC directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to report on the public health and environmental impact of waste-to-energy plants. 

What is Waste Segregation at Source? 

• About Solid Waste: It refers to any type of garbage, trash, refuse or discarded material generated from households, industries, businesses, and other human activities. 
  • They require proper management to prevent environmental and health hazards. 
• Waste Segregation at Source: It refers to the process of identifying, classifying, dividing, and sorting waste at the point of generation to facilitate proper disposal, recycling, and management.  
  • It categorizes waste based on its biological, physical, and chemical properties. 
• Provisions in SWM Rules, 2016: SWM Rules, 2016 categories waste into 3 categories i.e., biodegradables, non-biodegradables, and domestic hazardous waste. 
  • Biodegradables: Organic waste that can be degraded by micro-organisms into simpler stable compounds like food scraps, soiled wrappers, paper etc. Non-biodegradables: Recyclable/non-recyclable items like plastic, glass, metal, etc. 
  • Domestic Hazardous waste: Diapers, napkins, mosquito repellants, cleaning agents etc. 

• Significance: 
  • Prevents Contamination: Keeps hazardous and non-hazardous waste separate, reducing pollution. 
  • Reduces Landfill Waste: Sends only non-recyclable waste to landfills. 
  • Enhances Recycling: Improves resource recovery and reduces raw material use. Enables composting, recycling, and waste treatment. 
  • Minimizes Health Risks: Prevents disease from medical and hazardous waste. 
  • Promotes Responsibility: Encourages community participation in waste management. 

What is a Waste-to-Energy Plant? 

• About: Waste-to-energy (WtE) plants convert municipal solid waste (MSW) into energy in the form of electricity, heat, or fuel through various technologies like pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion etc. 
  • It also generates Biogas/ BioCNG/Syngas from urban, industrial and agricultural wastes/residues. 
• Related Provisions in SWM Rules, 2016:  
  • Utilization of Non-Recyclable Waste: Waste with a calorific value of 1500 Kcal/kg or more must be used for energy generation and cannot be disposed of in landfills. 
    • High-calorific waste should be co-processed in cement or thermal power plants. 
  • Mandatory Use of RDF: Industrial units using fuel and located within 100 km of a solid waste-based Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) plant must replace at least 5% of their fuel with RDF. 
    • RDF is made from municipal and industrial waste by removing non-combustibles, leaving plastics, paper, textiles, and biomass. 
• Methods of WtE Conversion: 
  • Incineration: Waste is burned at ultra-high temperatures, producing heat that generates steam to spin turbines and create electricity.  
  • Gasification: Biomass is processed at high temperatures without combustion to produce syngas, which serves as fuel for electricity generation or industrial use. 
  • Anaerobic Digestion: Microorganisms break down organic waste in an oxygen-free environment, producing biogas rich in methane. 
  • Fermentation and Distillation: Organic biomass is fermented and distilled to produce ethanol, an alternative fuel for engines. 
  • Pyrolysis: A thermo-chemical process that converts waste into clean liquid fuels (bio-oil, syngas, and char) under high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. 
  • Landfill Gas Recovery: Methane and other gases released from landfills are captured through wells using blowers and vacuums, then treated for energy production. 
• Significance: 
  • Utilization of Waste: Converts waste into heat and electricity, reducing the need for fossil fuels. 
  • Reduction in Landfilling: Reduces landfill waste and related environmental risks like emissions, land use, and groundwater contamination. 
  • Resource Recovery: Enables metal recovery after incineration and retains valuable materials in the circular economy. 
  • Reduction in GHG Emissions: Landfills produce methane emissions, a potent Greenhouse Gas (GHG) while waste-to-energy reduces them by diverting waste. 

Conclusion 

Effective solid waste management through source segregation and waste-to-energy solutions is crucial for sustainable urban development. While SWM Rules, 2016 provide a framework, challenges in enforcement, integration of the informal sector, and environmental concerns over waste-to-energy plants highlight the need for stricter monitoring and decentralized waste processing.