Mint Explainer | Inside India’s tougher waste management regime

Mint explains what changes.The rules make it compulsory to segregate waste at source into four categories: wet, dry, sanitary, and special care waste. Wet waste—such as kitchen waste, vegetable and fruit peels, meat, and flowers—is to be composted or processed through bio-methanation at nearby facilities.

Dry waste, including plastic, paper, metal, glass, wood and rubber, must go to Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) for sorting and recycling. Sanitary waste, such as used diapers and sanitary napkins, must be securely wrapped and stored separately.

Special care waste, including paint containers, bulbs, mercury thermometers and expired medicines, is to be handled by authorised agencies or disposed of at designated centres.Individuals are legally required to segregate waste, and local bodies can refuse collection or impose spot fines if waste is mixed, shifting responsibility to households.Urban local bodies are tasked with collection, segregation and transportation of waste in coordination with MRFs, which are also recognized as sorting centres and potential drop-off points for multiple waste streams. The rules also allow local bodies to explore carbon credit opportunities and require rural sanitation departments to focus on peri-urban regions.Enforcement is backed by environmental compensation linked to the 'polluter pays’ principle, tightening accountability for both entities and operators.The rules aim to curb landfill dependence by restricting their use to non-recyclable, non-energy recoverable and inert waste.