Quarantined segregation, landfill ban: Will India's new solid waste rules make a difference

India’s environment ministry announced the new solid waste management rules of 2026 on January 27, replacing the 2016 rules. The new rules mark a shift towards a more systematic approach to waste management, with clearer responsibilities for waste generators, a revised definition of Bulky Waste, and increased fees for waste collectors for mixed waste to encourage segregation.
Well-intentioned as the new rules are, experts have cautioned against the implementation gaps that have hampered waste management in India for decades.

New Delhi's massive garbage dumping sites—Bhalswa, Ghazipur, and Okhla—illustrate the city's historical failure to segregate waste at source. Delhi leads all Indian cities in waste generation, generating approximately 600 grams of waste per person per day.

According to the Central Pollution Control Bureau, approximately 64% of collected waste is processed, while the remaining 36%, or 4,241 tons, ends up in insanitary dumping sites every day.

When biodegradable waste is left to accumulate and rot, it produces methane gas, which has a warming potential 80 times greater than carbon dioxide, and is the second largest contributor to global warming over a 20-year period. According to another study, high-temperature areas within the Ghazipur landfill are widening and reaching the surface, which is unsuitable.

What the new rules say

The new rules, which come into effect on April 1, mandate four-part segregation of waste. This is a change from the previous three-part segregation system, which divided waste into dry, wet, and household hazardous waste. Now, waste must be separated into dry, wet, sanitary, and special-care waste, which includes medicines, paint cans, bulbs, and mercury thermometers.

In addition, the regulations mandate the mapping and assessment of all heritage waste and provide for biomining and bioremediation. These are microorganism-based technologies - the first extracting metals from waste and the latter helping to break down toxic substances.

"I think the 2026 rules have corrected some of the gaps from the 2016 framework. The move to four-way separation is a step up - it shows high interest, and it's still good," said Lakshmi P, Head of Impact, Cleanhub, an environmental technology company that focuses on solid waste collection.

A web portal is being developed to monitor all stages of solid waste management, including waste generation, collection, transportation, processing at Material Recovery Facilities, and disposal. Local bodies are central to these activities.

According to Bose, it is not clear whether the new plan and portal will improve the functioning of ULBs. "The real challenge lies in rewriting the old contracts with the waste factories, registering them on the portal, and maintaining compliance on that scale," he said.