Making Waste to Wealth A Reality
India’s Construction Sector is ready to embrace the Circular Economy principles, which are being driven by government policies, innovative entrepreneurs, and responsible businesses – all of whom hold the key to a sustainable future. The circular model, designed to encourage waste recycling and converting waste into a valuable resource, and transition to renewable resources, will benefit both the country’s economy and the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waste, and pollution.
India, home to 1.3 billion people, faces pressing resource constraints in the wake of rapid urbanization and environmental challenges. The urban population is expected to grow to 600 million by 2030 and 814 million by 2050. A report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reveals that India generates 62 million tons of waste every year, of which 70% is collected, 12 million tons is treated, and 31 million is dumped in landfill sites. The average collection efficiency of municipal solid waste (MSW) ranges from 22% to 60%. As per Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India report, India is set to generate 165 million tons of waste by 2030 and 436 million tons by 2050.
To address the issue of overflowing landfills, the Indian government is seriously imbibing the concept of a circular economy - deemed a sustainable, restorative and a regenerative approach to economic growth and sustenance, with benefits to industry, society, and the environment. Unlike the traditional linear economy, which follows a ‘take-make-dispose’ model, a circular economy operates on the principles of reuse, reduce, recycle, refurbish, repair, and re-manufacture.
Municipal solid waste is categorized as wet waste, dry waste and construction & demolition waste. Recognizing the urgency of finding solutions for their disposal, the Government has implemented Plastic Waste Management Rules, Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules 2016, and other policies. The government’s circular economy agenda for handling municipal solid and liquid waste has given it a significant push at the national, state and city levels with the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) in 2014.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari has time and again stressed the importance of constructing sustainable business models. According to him, waste materials can be converted into a usable resource in infrastructure development; for instance, the Road Ministry is successfully using waste plastic and steel slag to build sustainable roads. He has urged the development of homegrown technologies in the field of energy, electric highways, and sustainable utilization of mining wastelands. He has proposed using bamboo for afforestation of wastelands and as an alternative fuel source and highlighted the potential of hydrogen from water and ethanol. Adopting a circular economy will bring down the costs of manufacturing and imports significantly; for instance, recycling metals like copper and aluminum can decrease auto component manufacturing expenses by 20-25%.
Making an observation on the development of the revolutionary steel slag road technology by CSIR-CRRI, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, said that use of steel slag in paving roads also addresses the problem of environmental degradation caused by waste steel slag and unsustainable mining and quarrying of natural aggregates. He informed that Surat is the first city in the country to get a processed steel slag road; while NHAI has successfully tested the technology on NH-66 (Mumbai- Goa), and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has used steel slag of Tata Steel to construct a heavy-duty road in Arunachal Pradesh. Steel slag roads cost about 30% less, are more durable, and resistant to weather vagaries.
Success stories abound with states like Chhattisgarh having attained zero-landfill, and cities like Indore practising 100% source segregation of waste. Scientists at CSIR-CRRI and NPL are developing technologies for converting multi-layered plastics and fly ash into high-quality tiles and other construction materials. Industrial waste such as red mud and blast furnace slag is already finding use in geopolymers and aggregates. Entrepreneur Dr. Binish Desai, known as the ‘Recycle Man of India’ for pioneering innovative solutions for waste management, has come up with his latest invention Brick 2.0 by repurposing discarded face masks into bricks, a solution to the plastic crisis.
However, implementation of such solutions and technologies is painfully slow, with only a few cities boasting of solid and C&D waste processing facilities.
In the construction industry, sensitisation of recycling C&D waste is gaining momentum due to the rising cost of construction materials like sand, stone, and gravel, in addition to the cost of labour and waste disposal. This scenario strongly favours the use of secondary raw materials which can be recovered from the waste stream and reused in all applicable areas across the construction sector.
India established its first plant for recycling construction waste in 2010 and today there are around 400 C&D waste recycling plants. Recently, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) initiated trial runs for its largest C&D waste plant in Burari. The facility, known as Delhi Burari, has a capacity to process 2,000 tons of waste daily, making it the largest C&D Waste Recycling Plant in Asia. With one of the world’s most advanced technologies, the plant produces various grades of output material with utmost precision. The material generated from the C&D waste includes stone aggregate, coarse sand and sprained soil and are utilised in making tiles, CC Blocks and interlocking paver blocks. With the full operation of its all four plants, MCD will be able to process 5,500 tonnes waste per day, 1.5 lakh C&D waste per month and 18 lakh tonne per year, which is close to the (requirement of) waste generated in the city (20 lakh tonnes per day).
Moreover, Indian businesses and Start-ups are also making a concerted effort to use recycled and renewable resources to reduce their energy consumption and trash pile ups. The establishment of the largest plastic recycling plant in India by the Shakti Plastic Industries and LyondellBasell is a commendable step towards plastic waste recycling, and for creating employment opportunities.
Erode-based solid waste management firm Zigma Global Environ Solutions is carrying out biomining to segregate and process accumulated solid waste at Ariyamangalam - the biggest dumping yard in Tiruchi. A sum of ₹25 crore was sanctioned for phase II of the project to clear over 3.3 lakh cubic meters of waste under the Smart Cities Mission initiative.
By enforcing waste management across industries, taking a systemized approach, and with favourable economic conditions, India has the wherewithal to become a sustainable manufacturing hub in the coming years. The process may be painfully slow and may take years to achieve fully, but embracing a circular economy will benefit the country at large.
This feature explores how the Construction Industry is adopting circular economy principles and following sustainable construction practices, given that recycled construction materials offer a practical solution to our depleting natural resources and rising cost of traditional building materials. It highlights the current scenario, identifies key challenges and gaps in government policies, and the initiatives being taken by environmentally responsible companies.
Experts from environment-focused organizations like CSE, TERI, Niti Aayog, waste management companies and construction industry stalwarts give insights into the economic and environmental impact of construction waste, financial implications of improper waste management, such as increased project costs, delays, and decreased productivity, and the solutions being offered by waste recycling equipment manufacturers. But all the stakeholders will have to walk the talk to make the government’s ‘Waste to Wealth’ mission a success.
India, home to 1.3 billion people, faces pressing resource constraints in the wake of rapid urbanization and environmental challenges. The urban population is expected to grow to 600 million by 2030 and 814 million by 2050. A report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reveals that India generates 62 million tons of waste every year, of which 70% is collected, 12 million tons is treated, and 31 million is dumped in landfill sites. The average collection efficiency of municipal solid waste (MSW) ranges from 22% to 60%. As per Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India report, India is set to generate 165 million tons of waste by 2030 and 436 million tons by 2050.
To address the issue of overflowing landfills, the Indian government is seriously imbibing the concept of a circular economy - deemed a sustainable, restorative and a regenerative approach to economic growth and sustenance, with benefits to industry, society, and the environment. Unlike the traditional linear economy, which follows a ‘take-make-dispose’ model, a circular economy operates on the principles of reuse, reduce, recycle, refurbish, repair, and re-manufacture.
Government policies driving change
The Government of India has set up 11 committees to accelerate the transition from a linear to a circular economy in areas like municipal waste, electronic waste, and agriculture waste. SEBI’s new guidelines mandate companies to disclose their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance, in promoting sustainability. Sovereign Green Bonds (SGrBs) will fund green projects and reduce the economy’s carbon intensity.Municipal solid waste is categorized as wet waste, dry waste and construction & demolition waste. Recognizing the urgency of finding solutions for their disposal, the Government has implemented Plastic Waste Management Rules, Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules 2016, and other policies. The government’s circular economy agenda for handling municipal solid and liquid waste has given it a significant push at the national, state and city levels with the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) in 2014.
Transiting from linear to a circular economy
The Government advocates for 7Rs of circular economy which includes Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Redesign, Remanufacture, Refurbish, and Repair. These should be considered as guiding principles while designing business parks, industrial clusters, manufacturing facilities, SEZs, etc.Success stories abound with states like Chhattisgarh having attained zero-landfill, and cities like Indore practising 100% source segregation of waste. Scientists at CSIR-CRRI and NPL are developing technologies for converting multi-layered plastics and fly ash into high-quality tiles and other construction materials. Industrial waste such as red mud and blast furnace slag is already finding use in geopolymers and aggregates. Entrepreneur Dr. Binish Desai, known as the ‘Recycle Man of India’ for pioneering innovative solutions for waste management, has come up with his latest invention Brick 2.0 by repurposing discarded face masks into bricks, a solution to the plastic crisis.
However, implementation of such solutions and technologies is painfully slow, with only a few cities boasting of solid and C&D waste processing facilities.
Concrete steps toward Circular Construction Waste Management
Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste not only poses environmental threats but also burdens businesses with financial implications. Costs associated with waste management, waste disposal fees and transportation add up, affecting project budgets. Additionally, inefficiencies caused by improper waste management lead to project delays, decreased productivity, and increased labor costs.In the construction industry, sensitisation of recycling C&D waste is gaining momentum due to the rising cost of construction materials like sand, stone, and gravel, in addition to the cost of labour and waste disposal. This scenario strongly favours the use of secondary raw materials which can be recovered from the waste stream and reused in all applicable areas across the construction sector.
India established its first plant for recycling construction waste in 2010 and today there are around 400 C&D waste recycling plants. Recently, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) initiated trial runs for its largest C&D waste plant in Burari. The facility, known as Delhi Burari, has a capacity to process 2,000 tons of waste daily, making it the largest C&D Waste Recycling Plant in Asia. With one of the world’s most advanced technologies, the plant produces various grades of output material with utmost precision. The material generated from the C&D waste includes stone aggregate, coarse sand and sprained soil and are utilised in making tiles, CC Blocks and interlocking paver blocks. With the full operation of its all four plants, MCD will be able to process 5,500 tonnes waste per day, 1.5 lakh C&D waste per month and 18 lakh tonne per year, which is close to the (requirement of) waste generated in the city (20 lakh tonnes per day).
Moreover, Indian businesses and Start-ups are also making a concerted effort to use recycled and renewable resources to reduce their energy consumption and trash pile ups. The establishment of the largest plastic recycling plant in India by the Shakti Plastic Industries and LyondellBasell is a commendable step towards plastic waste recycling, and for creating employment opportunities.
Erode-based solid waste management firm Zigma Global Environ Solutions is carrying out biomining to segregate and process accumulated solid waste at Ariyamangalam - the biggest dumping yard in Tiruchi. A sum of ₹25 crore was sanctioned for phase II of the project to clear over 3.3 lakh cubic meters of waste under the Smart Cities Mission initiative.
By enforcing waste management across industries, taking a systemized approach, and with favourable economic conditions, India has the wherewithal to become a sustainable manufacturing hub in the coming years. The process may be painfully slow and may take years to achieve fully, but embracing a circular economy will benefit the country at large.
This feature explores how the Construction Industry is adopting circular economy principles and following sustainable construction practices, given that recycled construction materials offer a practical solution to our depleting natural resources and rising cost of traditional building materials. It highlights the current scenario, identifies key challenges and gaps in government policies, and the initiatives being taken by environmentally responsible companies.
Experts from environment-focused organizations like CSE, TERI, Niti Aayog, waste management companies and construction industry stalwarts give insights into the economic and environmental impact of construction waste, financial implications of improper waste management, such as increased project costs, delays, and decreased productivity, and the solutions being offered by waste recycling equipment manufacturers. But all the stakeholders will have to walk the talk to make the government’s ‘Waste to Wealth’ mission a success.
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NBM&CW SEPTEMBER 2023
