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India's waste management crisis has serious implications for its environment, economy and public health. We focus on creating technologies and solutions that minimize waste generation and convert all waste into useful products. This includes initiatives to promote a circular economy through resource efficient and cleaner production in industries, and maximize resource recovery and recycling for landfill-free cities.
Operation Flood catapulted India as the highest producer of milk in the world and the same needs to be replicated to revolutionize the bioenergy sector.
Rapid industrialization, urbanization, and shifting consumption patterns have led to a dramatic rise in municipal solid waste (MSW) generation.
Oil spills are a worldwide phenomenon that pose a major threat to ecosystems and their flora and fauna. Despite the greatest efforts of the petroleum industry and consumers, oil spills throughout the country are increasing. Aside from oil spills, oil refineries produce a significant amount of toxic hydrocarbon waste that must be managed in an environmentally responsible manner. Physical (storing oil sludge and drill cutting in secured pits) and chemical techniques of removing these hydrocarbons are both costly and harmful to the environment.
As we observe International Zero Waste Day on March 30, the global spotlight is on the critical need to eliminate waste from one of the most waste intensive and environmentally impactful industry: fashion and textiles. The sector utilizes substantial amount of resources like water, chemicals, energy and in turn generates massive amounts of waste, threatening the overall human and environmental welfare and underscoring the urgency of adopting sustainable and circular practices.
Urbanization and industrialization have placed a heavy load on the environment by generating billion tons of harmful garbage every year. A study by TERI found India, in a year, produces over 62 million tons (MT) of waste, making it a leading cause of environmental and public health concerns in the country.
World Environment Day 2023 serves as an important reminder that the actions we take to mitigate plastic pollution have a significant impact. Now, more than ever, we must intensify these efforts and swiftly transition to a circular economy. Avanti Roy-Basu and Girija K Bharat say that as the world celebrates World Environment Day in 2023, focusing on “solutions to plastic pollution under the campaign #BeatPlasticPollution”, it is crucial to understand that each one of us has multiple roles to play in addressing this global crisis.
India’s sustainability transition is unfolding at an unprecedented scale and speed. Rapid urbanization, climate variability, increasing water stress, and rising energy demand are placing complex pressures on urban systems—particularly water supply, wastewater management, and climate resilience infrastructure. Addressing these challenges requires not only strong policy frameworks and public investment but also the deployment of proven, scalable, and context-appropriate technological solutions.
The Energy and Resources Institute, in collaboration with Tetra Pak, brought together leaders and experts from government, industry, and waste management networks for a conference titled “Closing the Loop: Advancing Carton Recycling for a Circular Economy.”
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), under its EIACP programme, hosted a vibrant one-day workshop “Breath of Change” on 12 August, 2025, at the Govt. Co-ed Senior Secondary School, Singhu (Narela), bringing together residents, students, Resident Welfare Associations, and environmental experts to champion cleaner air and sustainable waste practices.
Poorly maintained garbage dhalaos in Delhi exposes residents and waste workers to unhygienic conditions, reflecting gaps in effective urban waste management and enforcement according to Dr Suneel Pandey, Director, Circular Economy & Waste Management Division, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
In its report, jointly prepared with the The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), the Aayog has called for additional incentives to manufacturers under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cells to promote the uptake of recycled materials saying advancing the circular economy framework for E-waste and Lithium-ion Battery scrap is a national priority.
India has made remarkable progress in recycling used beverage cartons, with rates more than doubling over the past decade. The sixth edition of the Used Beverage Carton (UBC) Management Study by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), commissioned by Tetra Pak, reveals a sharp rise in post-consumer carton recycling — from 29% in 2011 to 63.66% in 2025 across 24 surveyed cities.
India has made significant strides in recycling used beverage cartons, with rates more than doubling over the past decade, according to the sixth edition of the Used Beverage Carton (UBC) Management Study released by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
India has made significant strides in recycling used beverage cartons, with rates more than doubling over the past decade, according to the sixth edition of the Used Beverage Carton (UBC) Management Study released by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
Dr Suneel Pandey, Director of the Circular Economy & Waste Management Division, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), remarked that the regulations are in place, and their comprehensive enforcement would significantly mitigate the issue. He stated a significant deficiency exists in regulatory capacity, compliance monitoring, and the training of officers to effectively implement the regulations.
There is significant potential to increase waste diversion in India, which can extend the lifespan of disposal sites, advance a circular economy, reduce emissions, and improve air quality and public health.
In 2020, global municipal solid waste (MSW) generation reached 2.24 billion tonnes, a figure projected to rise to 3.88 billion tonnes by 2050. This increase will be largely driven by the fastest-growing regions, including sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East, where waste levels are expected to double or even triple.
Plastics not only are enduring, lightweight, and available at low prices, but also have very good thermal and electrical insulation properties. The versatile properties of various plastic polymers— being water-resistant, non-porous, ductile and malleable—make them suitable for manufacturing a wide range of products that also bring medical and technological advances in our modern society.
Fostering circularity in plastic use is an effective way to reduce contamination of marine and coastal environments with plastics and man-made debris. However, there are many challenges down this path.
Anthropogenic activities like (i) agriculture fertilisers, (ii) coastal pisciculture, (i) sewage discharge, (iv) industrial activity, (v) burning fossil fuels and (vi) effluents from ports increase nutrients in surface water and seas. Nitrate pollution is largely caused by agriculture run-off, discharge from industry and manure or sewage. Phosphate pollution is tied to improper treatment of detergents in wastewater and from agro-fertilisers.
