C&D waste a key source of air pollution. CSE study calls for making recycling plants in Indiaviable and effective through improved waste management and market uptake of recycled products
About 80-90 per cent of C&D waste can be repurposed for applications such as landscaping, earthworks and civil engineering projects. Using recycled aggregates causes 40 per cent lesser CO₂ emissions compared to using virgin materials, say CSE experts
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Find the proceedings of the national conference click here
New Delhi, November 11, 2024: With India’s construction industry booming,the country’s cities are all set to see a marked increasein the generation of construction and demolition (C&D) waste. This expected growth in the C&D waste stream is all the more alarming as it will add to the problem of air pollution that Indian cities have been struggling with.
“The existing operational C&D waste sector is projected to more than double in the coming years. If not fully recovered and recycled, construction waste can turn into a major polluter choking our cities. Though progressive steps are underway to set up C&D processing plants in cities, these have been marred by complaints of underutilisation and unviability due to inefficient waste management and market linkages,” says a new study by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) that was released here today. Debris Dilemma: Promoting self-sufficiency– as the study is titled –presents a detailed review of 16 C&D waste recycling plants spread across India.
Releasing the report in a national stakeholder conference held in New Delhi, AnumitaRoychowdhury, executive director, CSE, said: “C&D waste management and construction dust mitigation are integral to all clean air action plans of the 131 non-attainment cities (NACs) under the National Clean Air Programme of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Cities are mandated to set up recycling plants to process waste to produce value-added products such as recycled aggregates, paver blocks etc, that can be brought back as a resource to the construction industry itself.”
Roychowdhury added: “Recycling of C&D waste enables full recovery of resources and adds economic value to the waste, creates livelihood and jobs. But their utilisation and economic viability are compromised due to weak waste management system in cities and poor market uptake of the recycled products by the construction agencies.”
The CSE study
Of the more than 35 new C&D waste recycling plants that are being set up in India, CSE has investigated and assessed the performance of 16 plants to understand the current gaps and the requisite policy pathways to make them scalable and effective.
The field investigation has evaluated the multifaceted processes and technologies that are applied in a C&D recycling plant, the product range produced from waste, effectiveness of waste management in sustaining waste feed to the plants, market uptake of the recycled products, and the overall economic viability of these plants.
Says Rajneesh Sareen, director of CSE’s sustainable buildings and habitat programme: “What we have found is that despite making huge investments, most recycling plants are struggling economically. These plants continue to rely heavily on support from municipalities. Without a viable financial model and market integration, expanding such facilities will face difficulties and this can further weaken the overall waste management ecosystem.C&D waste is not just an environmental hazard; it's an efficiency hurdle for cities.”
Speaking in the conference, UjjwalMitra, ADG (training and research), National CPWD Academy, said: “Reconstruction is a new reality. C&D waste generation from reconstruction is expected to rise from 7 percent to 15-16 percent of the construction portfolio. This will have huge land and energy implications if not handled well.”
India's building space is projected to more than double in the next 20 years. There is enormous demand for sand and gravel,which increasesthe environmental footprints of mining. This rising demand has led to a six-fold increase in sand trade over the past 20 years, and to environmental issues like erosion, biodiversity loss and water salination. As a result, imports of sand have gone up.
Says Sareen: “Recycling of C&D waste can help substitute and reduce the demand for virgin material as approximately 80-90 per cent of C&D waste can be repurposed for various applications such as landscaping, earthworks and civil engineering projects. Using recycled aggregates causes 40 per cent lesser CO₂ emissions compared to using virgin materials – this is because it helps reduce embodied energy and lowers carbon footprints.”
Key findingsand areas of concern
The way forward
Says Roychowdhury: “To manage C&D waste effectively, cities need a more granular approach, such as implementing hyperlocal action plans and conducting source inventory studies.” The CSE assessment study lists a few do’s:
For more on this and for interviews, please contact Sukanya Nair, sukanya.nair@cseindia.org, 8816818864
For more on this and for interviews, please contact Sukanya Nair, sukanya.nair@cseindia.org, 8816818864
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