With the Indian market growing and consumption widening, waste management is one of the major challenges facing the nation. Solid waste solution in India are of growing importance, not just because of the quantity of waste, but also because there are over 45 million tons of waste-or about 3 million truckloads-remaining untreated in the country. Much of that waste is being handled in unsanitary and unsafe ways by public agencies, and this puts public health at risk while also compromising environmental integrity.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight the importance of waste management alongside other sustainable solutions. It is possible to develop solid waste solutions in India; solid waste resolution will provide numerous environmental benefits by minimizing the pollution of land, air, and water when not disposed of or treated properly. Currently, approximately 75% of waste produced in India is not treated and disposed of properly and is often disposed of in open dumps or vacant land. The untreated waste poses a severe risk to human health, including cancer, birth defects, respiratory illness, and more, due to the leaching of harmful chemicals to soils, emissions of harmful gases to air, and the runoff or leaching of pollutants to waterways.
The matter of solid waste is not only an environmental one but also a social and economic one. Currently, there are about 20 million people in India who make a living by collecting waste from dump sites. If effective solid waste solutions can be implemented, there will be immense financial opportunities across the whole value chain that can provide jobs and allow the recovery, reuse, and refurbishment of secondary materials. The World Health Organization indicates that the world could potentially prevent or manage up to 22 diseases through improved solid waste management in India. India’s most prominent metropolitan cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, and Kolkata, produce the largest solid waste stream, generating between 6000 and 10000 tonnes of solid waste per day and affecting environmental conditions from improper management and disposal of solid waste, so the need for sustainable solid waste management is very pertinent.