What is Domestic hazardous waste?

• According to Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, Domestic hazardous waste is defined as “discarded paint drums, pesticide cans, cfl bulbs, tube lights, expired medicines, broken mercury thermometers, used batteries, used needles and syringes and contaminated gauge etc. generated at household levels”.

Issues surrounding Domestic hazardous waste management 

No official estimation:

• The country, which has close to 8,000 towns and cities as per Census 2011, has never officially estimated the domestic hazardous waste it generates.

Non exhaustive definition

• The definition is not exhaustive, and so leaves a lot to the imagination of individual households and local government bodies such as panchayats and municipalities. For example, the Rules leave out cigarette butts even though they contain traces of heavy metals and other chemicals.

Poor implementation of the rules

• As per the Rules, households must segregate waste into wet, dry and domestic hazardous

categories. Local government bodies must collect the hazardous waste, and/or set up collection centres every 20 km so households can deposit it on their own. The local authorities must then safely deliver the collected waste to disposal facilities. 

The Rules also direct the authorities to develop the necessary infrastructure and sensitise people by 2018. But none of these requirements have been translated on the ground.

No proper disposal facilities

• Even if the waste is collected, the country does not have enough disposal facilities to safely treat them. Currently, there are only 45 of these facilities, as per the Handbook on Chemicals and Hazardous Waste Management and Handling in India released in 2019 by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and also their distribution remains skewed.
• At least 18 states and Union Territories, including Delhi, Bihar and Assam, do not have safe disposal facilities.

(A disposal facility typically has engineered landfills that stop the percolation of toxic leachate into the ground, and/or controlled incinerators.) 

Significance of Domestic hazardous waste management 

• • While domestic hazardous waste is generated in small quantities, if not handled separately, it can contaminate the entire quantum of waste as more than half of the municipal solid waste is biodegradable, followed by dry waste and inserts.
  • Improper disposal of the domestic hazardous wastes can pollute the environment and pose a threat to human health.

• Indore Municipal Corporation is the only local government body in the country that segregates and treats domestic hazardous waste.

Way forward

• The country should consider including hazardous waste under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), a policy intervention where manufacturers have the responsibility of collecting and channelling their post-consumer products. 
• India currently has an EPR policy only for plastic products and electronic and electrical equipment while in Canada, domestic hazardous waste has been under epr since the 1990s.

Salient features of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016

• It extends the ambit of rules beyond Municipal areas to cover urban agglomerations, census towns, notified industrial townships, areas under the control of Indian Railways, airports, airbase, Port and harbour, defence establishments, special economic zones, State and Central government organizations, places of pilgrims, religious & historical importance.
• The source segregation of waste has been mandated to channelize the waste to wealth by recovery, reuse and recycle.
• Responsibilities of Generators have been introduced to segregate waste in to three streams, Wet (Biodegradable), Dry (Plastic, Paper, metal, wood, etc.) and domestic hazardous wastes (diapers, napkins, empty containers of cleaning agents, mosquito repellents, etc.) and handover segregated wastes to authorized rag-pickers or waste collectors or local bodies.
• Integration of waste pickers/ rag pickers and waste dealers/ Kabadiwalas in the formal system should be done by State Governments, and Self Help Group, or any other group to be formed.
• Generator will have to pay ‘User Fee’ to the waste collector and for ‘Spot Fine’ for Littering and Non-segregation.
• Bulk and institutional generators, market associations, event organizers and hotels and restaurants have been made directly responsible for segregation and sorting the waste and manage in partnership with local bodies.
• The bio-degradable waste should be processed, treated and disposed of through composting or bio-methanation within the premises as far as possible. The residual waste shall be given to the waste collectors or agency as directed by the local authority.
• New townships and Group Housing Societies have been made responsible to develop in-house waste handling, and processing arrangements for bio-degradable waste.
• All manufacturers of disposable products such as tin, glass, plastics packaging etc. or brand owners who introduce such products in the market shall provide necessary financial assistance to local authorities for the establishment of a waste management system.
• All such brand owners who sell or market their products in such packaging material which are non-biodegradable should put in place a system to collect back the packaging waste generated due to their production.
• Manufacturers or Brand Owners or marketing companies of sanitary napkins and diapers should explore the possibility of using all recyclable materials in their products or they shall provide a pouch or wrapper for disposal of each napkin or diapers along with the packet of their sanitary products.
• All such manufacturers, brand owners or marketing companies should educate the masses for wrapping and disposal of their products.
• Non-recyclable waste having calorific value of 1500 K/cal/kg or more shall not be disposed of on landfills and shall only be utilized for generating energy either or through refuse derived fuel or by giving away as feedstock for preparing refuse derived fuel.
• High calorific wastes shall be used for co-processing in cement or thermal power plants.
• Construction and demolition waste should be stored, separately disposed off, as per the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016
• An event, or gathering organiser of more than 100 persons at any licensed/ unlicensed place, should ensure segregation of waste at source and handing over of segregated waste to waste collector or agency, as specified by local authority.
• Construction of landfill on the hill shall be avoided. Suitable land shall be identified in the plain areas, down the hill, within 25 kilometers for setting up sanitary landfill.