Lok Sabha Question No. 3277 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-13
Subject: Plastic Waste Management Centres
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: P.P. Chaudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3277

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.03.2020

## Plastic Waste Management Centres

## 3277. SHRI P.P. CHAUDHARY:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to set up more Plastic Waste Management Centres in addition to the proposed four centres currently;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the funds allocated for the same;
- (c) whether any private agency will be involved in the said initiative and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has conducted any studies on the concept of Zero Waste Cities and reached out to foreign Government and agencies for the same; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken by the Government to implement the same in the country

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO )

(a) to (c) The Ministry has notified the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. The Rules prescribe the waste generators to segregate the waste at  source  and  hand  over  the  segregated  waste to  authorized  waste  pickers  or  waste  collectors. Further,  the  Rules  prescribe    setting  up  of  material  recovery  facilities  (MRF)  with  sufficient space for sorting of recyclable materials.The Rules stipulate specific criteria to encourage the use of solid waste in Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) and waste to energy plants. There are 3 RDF plants with  input  capacity  of  1550  TPD  and  218  MRF  with  input  capacity  of  14,314  TPD  already established in the country. MoHUA is implementing the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) project under  which  various  projects  have  been  taken  up.  Under  this  programme  during  the  mission period of 2014-15 to 2019-20, an allocation of Rs. 7424.24 Cr has been made for Solid Waste Management Projects.

The  producers,  importers  and  brand  owners  have  now  initiated  the  process  to  set  up  material recovery  facilitiesby  their  own  or  through  the  Producers  Responsibility  Organizations  (PRO) under  the  EPR  obligation  for  collection  of  plastic  waste  and  are  tying  up  with  the  registered recyclers for the recycling of plastic waste.

(d) and (e) As  per  the  provisions  of  the  Rules,  only  the  non-usable,  non-recyclable,  nonbiodegradable,  non-combustible  and  non-reactive  inert  waste  and  pre-processing  rejects  and residues  from  waste  processing  facilities  are  allowed  to  go  to  sanitary  landfill  sites.  The  rules further  stipulate  that  every  effort  shall  be  made  to  recycle  or  reuse  the  rejects  to  achieve  the desired  objective  of  zero  waste  going  to  landfill.  The  Ministry  has  joined  hands  with  the Norwegian  Government  to  work  on  a  project  bilaterally  to  reduce  marine  litter  and  plastic pollution.  Similarly,  a  bilateral  project  with  German  Government  to  close  the  loop  of  marine litter in ecosystems is also underway.

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