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A circular approach to industrial waste management can play a transformative role in resource conservation and carbon emission reduction, according to a new report by Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
The report, Good Practices in Industrial Waste Circularity, highlighted the potential for reusing 750 million tonnes (MT) of industrial waste by 2030, conserving over 450 million tonnes (MT) of natural resources and reducing 50-60 MT of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).
The study estimated the potential for circularity in various industrial waste applications, including steel slag, refuse-derived fuel (RDF), fly ash, red mud, biomass and hazardous waste. Adopting circular economy principles can significantly mitigate the environmental impact of industrial activities, it found
Speaking at a National Dialogue based on the report, CSE Director General, Sunita Narain said: “Industries contribute over 30 per cent of India’s GDP and are significant consumers of natural resources and generators of waste. They are also major sources of pollution and carbon emissions.”
Circularity has emerged as a critical focus area globally and nationally, emphasising on the principle that waste is not merely waste, but a valuable resource
CSE Director General Sunita Narain
The dialogue was organised to explore how circularity can serve as a tool not only for effective waste management but also for achieving co-benefits such as decarbonisation, cleaner air, resource conservation and cost optimisation, stated Nivit Yadav, programme director for industrial pollution, CSE.
Narain underscored the importance of a strategic shift in industrial waste management. “A new approach is needed in management of industrial waste. We must avoid simply transferring toxins from one place to another. Instead, waste from one industry should become a resource for another. Industrial activity should not contribute to pollution but instead follow a path of responsible circularity,” she stated.
States like Gujarat, Goa and Karnataka have already taken steps towards implementing circular waste practices, but more need to follow in their stead.
“Many Indian industries are already taking steps to improve circularity — they have a number of good practices that need to be scaled up,” Shobhit Srivastava, programme manager for industrial pollution at CSE said, highlighting the potential for integrating industrial waste into existing manufacturing processes.
By 2030, around 35.3-41 MT of the projected 52.5 MT of steel slag can be used in cement production, the paper found. Similarly, 208-231 MT of fly ash from an expected 437 MT could be utilised in the cement industry. Using RDF in cement kilns and co-firing biomass in thermal power plants could contribute to CO2 emission reductions of 46.6 to 85.6 MT of CO2e by 2030.
Biomass co-firing in thermal power plants has the potential to be one of the key pathways for decarbonisation, said Srivastava. “Both RDF and biomass circularity in industries is expected to be improved with the recently introduced notification for Solid Waste Management Rules, 2024,” he said.
While the benefits of industrial waste circularity are clear, challenges remain. K Murugesan, member secretary of the Odisha Pollution Control Board and speaker at the dialogue, pointed out, “One of the biggest roadblocks towards scaling up industrial circularity practices is the absence of attractive taxation policies for industries utilising waste.”
Satish Upadhyay, mission director of the National Mission on Use of Biomass in Power Plants and another speaker, echoed the need for economic incentives. “We need a strong economic case to drive funding and make circularity viable. A ‘push’ strategy is ineffective for circularity – we need a ‘pull’ strategy. Demand must drive the market, ensuring maximum utilisation of resources to achieve full circularity,” he said.
Yadav stressed the urgency for a national framework: “There is an urgent need for India to have a national vision and mission towards industrial waste circularity. A national circular economy action plan is the need of the hour and it should include sectoral action plans for industries.”
The report called for a comprehensive mapping and inventory of industrial waste across the country. It also advocated for incentivisation policies to encourage industries to adopt circularity.
With the potential to drastically cut emissions, conserve resources and create a more sustainable industrial ecosystem, waste circularity is poised to be a game-changer in India’s environmental and economic landscape.
