Hazardous, Construction Waste Disposal Norms Set to Tighten

Environment min drafting guidelines to extend producer responsibility to such waste

- PUJA DAS

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is drafting guidelines to extend producer responsibility to construction and demolition (C&D) waste, used cooking oil, and toxic and hazardous waste, following previous efforts to regulate plastic packaging and electronic waste, according to two senior officials.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy approach that holds producers accountable for the environmental impact of their products throughout their lifecycle, including after disposal by consumers. The aim is to encourage sustainable practices and support circular economy models.

EPR regulations for C&D waste are designed to mandate the use of a certain percentage of recycled materials in the construction of buildings and roads, while those for toxic and hazardous waste seek to enable these materials to be repurposed into new products.

In the case of used cooking oil, the plan is to recycle it for uses such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), animal feed, and soap making.

"We are finalising EPR rules for C&D waste. There has been an issue with the usage of C&D waste processing plants that produce usable material. We are now incorporating a mandate requiring a percentage of recycled material in construction wherever permitted," one of the officials said.