With the Niti Aayog readying a draft of the Material Recycling Policy, aimed at more than doubling the quantity of goods recycled in India, over 1,000 delegates, including 350 from 40 countries, will deliberate on methods to increase recycling of anything from paper and clothes to rubber and steel, at the 6th Indian Material Recycling Conference that will be held at Grand Hyatt here on Sunday and Monday.
The policy, aimed at bringing about zero waste and to generate wealth from waste, is awaiting the Union Cabinet’s approval. It has the potential to generate ₹10 lakh crore by 2025.
Addressing the media here on Saturday, Sanjay Mehta, president, Material Recycling Association of India (MRAI), said the policy would shortly be available in public domain. Sadly, only 30% of scrap and other materials are recycled in India as compared to 80% globally. Even China has massive recycling parks, some spread over 150 sq km area, while India is yet to have any such mega venture.
“The new policy will redress all the above issues. Workshops hosted by us over the years have seen experts from other countries share their know-how on the best practices adopted worldwide for recycling. It is a $2.1-trillion annual business globally,” he added.
“The advantages are many. Recycling provides much more employment than producing goods, while at the same time ensuring the availability of economically-priced goods. It also entails much less usage of energy, while ensuring the availability of minerals and other raw materials used to manufacture goods, for a longer period,” Mr. Mehta said.
Large-scale recycling must be done for all types of goods, including steel, plastic, e-waste, paper, glass, batteries, automobile components, and rubber. Many of them are used in landfills, and it is not advisable. Disposal of demolition waste is another area of concern.
India is among the few countries which have imposed tax on imported scrap, said Dhawal Shah, vice president, MRAI. Ragpickers, of whom 30% are women, and other stakeholders must be trained, for the best results, he added.
Other office-bearers spoke of the need to switch from linear to circular economy for a better quality of life and safer living. The absence of laws governing the scrap sector has resulted in it being unregulated. The implementation of the recycling policy will change the scene, while recycling zones and clusters must be set up around ports, they said.