Lok Sabha Question No. 1493 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-13
Subject: Zero-Waste-Management
Ministry: HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Shyamkumar Daulat Barve

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1493 TO BE ANSWERED ON FEBRUARY 13, 2025

## ZERO-WASTE-MANAGEMENT

## NO. 1493.   SHRI SHYAMKUMAR DAULAT BARVE:

Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)    whether  the  Government  is  adopting  technologies  and  models  of Zero-Waste-Management  from  the  countries  with  high  recycling rates, viz. Germany (66.1%), Singapore (60.6%), South Korea (59%), if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the  manner  in  which  the Government is pursuing the issue;
- (b) whether it is true that the Government considers recycled products and  substitutes  under  the  same  GST  bracket  as  products  made from  virgin materials, thereby  not  providing any  provision to encourage  the  use  of  recycled  products  or  substitutes  and  if  so, the details thereof; and
- (c)  whether the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 are aligned with the waste management policies of the European Union, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (SHRI TOKHAN SAHU)

(a):   Swachh Bharat Mission- Urban (SBM-U) 2.0 has been launched on October 1, 2021 with a vision of achieving Garbage Free Status for all cities  through  100%  source  segregation,  door  to  door  collection  and scientific management of all fractions of waste. For achieving the vision of  mission,  Govt.  adopted  various  models  and  technologies  for  refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle through minimisation, collection, segregation and processing  waste  such  as  compost,  bio-methanation,  waste-to-energy, Material  Recovery  Facility  (MRF),  Construction  &  Demolition  etc.  The selection of treatment technologies is open to ULBs/State Governments.

The Mission encourages to adopt locally innovated, cost-effective solutions and business models in sanitation and solid waste management  by  small  scale  and  private  entrepreneurs  and  start-ups, through investments in R&D, technology challenges, and facilitation for inclusion in GeM, in order to take forward the government's vision of an ' Aatma Nirbhar Bharat ' and ' Make in India'.

Solid Waste Management (SWM) is a state subject and function of ULBs.    All  the  statutory  towns/cities  are  mandated  to  implement  the SWM Rules 2016 and carrying out the functions of municipal solid waste management.

- (b): The  GST  rates  and  exemptions  are  notified  on  the  basis  of recommendations  of  GST  Council,  which  is a constitutional  body comprising of representatives from both the Union and State/UT Governments. Based on the recommendations of GST Council, products such as plastic, rubber, iron and steel, copper, aluminum, nickel, lead, zinc,  tin,  electronic  items  etc.  and  their  waste  and  scrap  generally attract 18% GST.
- (c): The  Solid  Waste  Management  Rules,  2016,  under  Environment (Protection)  Act,  1986,  were  notified  on  8th  April,  2016.  These  Rules provide the statutory framework for environmentally sound management of  solid  waste.  The  rules  follow  the  principles  of  circular  economy  by mandating source segregation of waste and processing of waste through appropriate technologies. The local bodies are mandated to allow only the non-usable, non-recyclable, non-biodegradable, non-combustible and non-reactive  inert  waste  and  pre-processing  rejects  and  residues  from waste processing facilities to got to sanitary landfills also emphasizing that every effort shall be made to recycle or reuse the rejects to achieve the desired objectives of zero waste going to landfill.

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