changeadminIndia’s Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, today addressed the Circular Economy Conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi.
He highlighted India’s efforts to translate policy intent into meaningful action through clear policies, regulatory reforms, digital compliance systems and a whole-of-government approach to advance the circular economy.
In his address, Yadav said that the Government had progressively strengthened the legal framework governing waste management by introducing sector-specific rules.
The government has introduced rules for nine waste streams: plastic waste, battery waste, e-waste, waste tyres, used oil, end-of-life vehicles, construction and demolition waste, non-ferrous scrap metal and solid waste.
These rules focused on waste prevention, recycling, reuse, remanufacturing and resource recovery across the product lifecycle.
The Minister also highlighted that as of date, nearly 499.60 lakh metric tonnes of waste had been processed across regulated waste streams, with more than 86,043 producers and 4,880 recyclers registered under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks.
Highlighting the role of EPR, the Minister said that the framework requires producers, importers and brand owners to ensure environmentally sound management of products at the end of their life.
The transfer of EPR certificates provided financial incentives to recyclers, encouraging capacity expansion, technological advancement and increased recycling, while contributing to job creation and livelihoods across the recycling value chain.
Minister Yadav emphasised that regulation alone could not create a circular economy and highlighted the importance of the Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) initiative, which calls for mindful and deliberate resource utilisation instead of destructive consumption.
On industry concerns regarding digital compliance, EPR market operations and transaction timelines, Mr Yadav invited stakeholders to continue sharing practical problems and suggestions.
He said the Government is working on a market-based approach and urged industry representatives to engage openly to resolve outstanding issues.
On plastic waste management, the Minister called for greater coordination between producers and recyclers to address concerns over the availability of recyclable material and recycling capacity.
He said the objective went beyond issuing certificates to creating jobs, strengthening local industry capacity, promoting knowledge-sharing and advancing technology.
While discussing the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, Mr Yadav stressed the need for technology adoption, capacity building, online monitoring, stronger accountability, and financial sustainability for urban local bodies.
The Minister also highlighted the importance of four-stream segregation of solid waste – wet, dry, sanitary and special-care waste – and public participation.
Mr Yadav concluded by emphasising that effective implementation of the SWM Rules would help control legacy waste and strengthen urban systems.
He called for coordinated efforts by the government, industry and urban local bodies to advance the circular economy.
He further called for stronger recovery of critical minerals from e-waste and batteries, and greater industry participation in developing secondary raw-material markets and strengthening supply-chain traceability.
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