PUBLICATIONS

Enhancing Circular Economy Perspectives - Plastic Waste Management Strategy and Action Plan for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation

Authors
(Editorial team) Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, CCET, ICLEI
Copyrights
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Telangana India
Publication Date

This strategy and action plan is based on information from a year-long baseline assessment of the existing plastic waste management system and scenario in Hyderabad, and recommendations identified through a consultative process with key stakeholders for efficient management of plastic waste in the city. 
The suggested strategies are in line with national regulations, including Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016 and the guidelines on solid waste management developed by the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO) for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA). Each suggestion was duly arrived at through allotting the utmost consideration, in terms of waste management hierarchy, where maximum importance is given to the reduction of waste generation at source, while the disposal of plastic waste is rendered as the least preferred option.  The strategy focuses on municipal plastic waste and not on industrial plastic waste. However, the roles and responsibilities of industries in contributing to the generation of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) were taken into account in drawing up recommendations for the best practices to be adopted by the sector. 
The strategy, with a 10-year timeline, adopts a holistic approach, wherein different aspects of plastic waste including generation, storage, collection and transportation, as well as processing and disposal are addressed. Developing the capacity of all major stakeholder involved in each stage of the process was considered critical to realising a flawless, fool-proof system for plastic waste management. The targets to be achieved laid out in the strategy were arrived at by taking into account the complexity of the current management and administrative structure. The strategy includes viable and cost-efficient actions that are predominantly technology-based. It also includes systemic/operational approaches where required; which are designed to be inclusive and have no negative impact on the socially and economically vulnerable sections of the society.