Circular Economy in Toxic and Hazardous Industrial Waste
While there is a need to sustain industrial growth as the Indian economy emerges as a manufacturing hub, it is equally important to identify sustainable and innovative practices which does not weigh down the resource constraints in India.
The idea of a Circular Economy is to use resources in a more sustainable way, keeping them in use for as long as possible, extracting the maximum value from them while in use, then recovering and regenerating the materials at the end of their life.
The issue of managing toxic and hazardous industrial waste is clearly considered as a priority to ensure a high level of protection of health and the environment, and is central to looking towards a resource-efficient economy.
The hazardous wastes in India are mounting at a rate of 2% - 5% per year, with approximately 10% - 15% of industrial waste in India being classified as hazardous.
The development of Circular Economy solutions in treating industrial wastes will give an impetus to innovative pathways for utilization of discarded materials. Indian government is actively striving to drive the country towards a Circular Economy.
In order to expedite the implementation of Circular Economy and ensure the transition of the country from a linear to a circular economy NITI Aayog has identified 11 focus areas and assigned them to the concerned line ministries.
Department for Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC) has been assigned Toxic and Hazardous Industrial Waste as the focus area. A Report and Action Plan on how to limit toxic and hazardous industrial wastes from entering into the economy was submitted to NITI Aayog.
Areas are being identified where various types of toxic and Hazardous Industrial Wastes can be sustainably reutilized / recycled and accordingly develop SOP’s and technologies which would also be commercially viable through R&D with the academic and research institutions.
Promotion of circular processes /industries using suitable technologies will be undertaken as business models with viability gap funding through incentives when these processes / technologies are not financially viable.
As a part of the Action Plan, a number of quarterly workshops, seminars, awareness programs on Green Chemistry, Circular Economy and related subjects are being organised.
For better data input, subsequent analysis of the data and sustainable management of the wastes, the location of industries generating toxic and hazardous industrial waste are being geographically mapped.
Most of the Action Plans are under various stages of implementation and this Department is regularly monitoring the progress of the same.
