Facts

• India currently has at least 21 waste-to-energy plants in operation and 133 biogas facilities.
• This comes under the Solid Waste Management Rules 2026, which mandates waste segregation and increased refuse-derived fuel (RDF) in order to reduce the burden on landfills.

March 2025

Indore to set up India's first PPP Green Waste Processing Plant

Under the Swachh Bharat Mission - Urban, Indore is poised to achieve a major milestone with the launch of India's first green waste processing plant, developed through PPP model.

February 2026

WtE technology

Technology to convert non-recyclable waste materials into usable fuel, typically heat or electricity.

Methods used

1. Incineration, in which trash is burned at a high temperature to boil the water off, creating steam that runs the turbine to generate power.
2. Gasification, which uses a large quantity of heat with little oxygen to turn waste into gas.
3. Anaerobic digestion, where bacteria breaks down organic waste to produce biogas.

Benefits

• Reduces the volume of waste by around 90%
• Extends the life of existing landfills and reduces the need for new ones
• Diverts organic waste from landfills can prevent release of methane

Challenges

Burning waste releases carbon dioxide, especially in over-controlled environments. It also releases pollutants like dioxins, furans, and heavy metals.

Solutions

Contemporary facilities use advanced scrubbing and filtration systems to trap these toxins. But, this may discourage more sustainable practices like recycling and composting.