India is one of the largest contributors producing Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). The landfills in India are overwhelmed and flowing with materials that shouldn’t be thrown in the trash. As 70% of the urban waste is dumped into the landfills, most of them are stuffed past their limit. India, is in dire need of a waste management strategy, structure and its implementation.

So, What is Waste Management?

Waste management is a process of collecting, transporting, disposing of, recycling and monitoring of waste that has been generated due to human activity. This term was developed to manage and avoid the adverse effects of waste materials on human beings and environment. The waste can be broadly be segregated into solid, liquid, gaseous and radioactive matter. The process of waste management differs from developed to developing nations, urban to rural areas, industrial to residential layouts.

Major metropolitan cities in India produce 10 Million tonnes of garbage every day out of which the biggest threat comes from the 3,500 tonnes of plastic waste produced every day. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan which was introduced to reduce the waste from the country is so far been unsuccessful due to poor implementation of strategies, lack of awareness and knowledge about the importance of waste management and its benefits to the environment.