Solutions · Waste Management · Audit, process, recover · Waste tested in our NABL lab
Solid and industrial waste management
less to landfill, more recovered.
We help factories, campuses, hotels and cities meet India's waste rules: waste audits, segregation systems, on-site composting and biogas, material recovery, RDF, legacy dumpsite biomining and safe handling of hazardous waste and sludge. Every plan starts by measuring what you actually throw away.
- 1.6lakh TPD
- Municipal solid waste generated in India every day
- 50%
- Share of that waste that is treated
- 25crore t
- Legacy waste lying at about 2,479 dumpsites
- 4streams
- Waste streams to be segregated at source under the 2026 rules
In short
What waste management means for a waste generator.
Waste management is the planned handling of everything a site throws away: separating it at source, processing what can be processed on site, selling what can be recycled, and sending only what is left to authorised facilities. Under Indian rules the generator is responsible for its own waste. The Solid Waste Management Rules make large premises (bulk waste generators) segregate and process their waste, the Hazardous and Other Wastes Rules, 2016 make industries get authorisation and use manifests and authorised disposal sites, and the Plastic, E-Waste and Battery rules put extended producer responsibility (EPR) on the companies that put those products on the market.
Sources: CPCB Annual Report on Solid Waste Management 2020-21; PIB release on the Solid Waste Management Rules 2026; DD India on legacy dumpsite remediation (2026).
The basics
Why waste is now the generator's problem.
For years, most sites handed mixed waste to a contractor and forgot about it. That no longer works. Landfills are full, cities charge for mixed waste or refuse it, and the rules now place the duty on whoever produces the waste. Inspectors ask for segregation records, authorisations, manifests and processing evidence, and environmental compensation can follow when they are missing.
Good waste management also saves money. Wet waste processed on site does not need daily lifting. Clean, sorted cardboard, plastics and metals sell; mixed, they cost money to dispose of. Hazardous waste that is kept separate from general waste stays small, and disposal at a treatment, storage and disposal facility (TSDF) is charged by the tonne.
Four kinds of waste, four sets of rules
Solid waste is everyday waste: food and garden waste (wet), paper, plastic, glass, metal and cloth (dry), and sanitary and domestic hazardous items. Hazardous waste is waste from industrial processes that is toxic, flammable, corrosive or reactive: ETP sludge from many sectors, spent oil, spent solvents, contaminated containers, process residues. Plastic packaging, electronics and batteries come under EPR rules, which make producers, importers and brand owners pay for their collection and recycling. Bio-medical waste from hospitals and clinics has its own rules and is treated at common bio-medical waste treatment facilities.
Waste management and waste-to-energy
Waste management covers the whole system. Waste-to-energy is one part of it: turning the organic fraction into biogas or Bio-CNG, or the dry combustible fraction into refuse-derived fuel (RDF) for cement kilns.
The rules
Which waste rules apply to your site?
These are the rules our audits and plans are prepared against. Each sets duties for a different kind of waste and a different kind of organisation.
| Rule | Who it applies to | What you must do |
|---|---|---|
| Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 (in force since 1 April 2026; replaced the SWM Rules, 2016) | Every waste generator; extra duties for bulk waste generators such as large housing societies, campuses, hotels, hospitals, markets and offices | Segregate at source into four streams; bulk generators register, and process their waste on site or hand it to registered processors; only inert, non-recyclable waste may go to landfill |
| Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 (earlier framework) | Waste generators and local bodies until 31 March 2026 | Three-way segregation (biodegradable, non-biodegradable, domestic hazardous); bulk generators to process wet waste on site as far as possible; high-calorific non-recyclable waste to energy recovery or RDF |
| Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 | Industries that generate, store, transport, recycle or dispose of hazardous waste | Authorisation from the SPCB; labelled, safe storage for a limited period; transport with a manifest; disposal only at a TSDF, authorised recycler or co-processor; annual return to the SPCB |
| Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 (as amended) and EPR guidelines | Producers, importers and brand owners of plastic packaging, plastic waste processors, and waste generators | Register on the CPCB centralised EPR portal, meet collection and recycling targets by category of packaging; identified single-use plastic items are banned |
| E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 | Producers, manufacturers, refurbishers, recyclers and bulk consumers | EPR registration and targets for producers; bulk consumers hand e-waste only to registered producers, refurbishers or recyclers |
| Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022 | Battery producers, recyclers, refurbishers and bulk users | EPR for producers; used batteries go only to registered recyclers or refurbishers |
| Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 | Hospitals, clinics, labs and other health-care facilities | Colour-coded segregation at the point of generation and handover to a common bio-medical waste treatment facility |
| CPCB co-processing guidelines | Cement plants and waste suppliers | Rules for using RDF and suitable wastes as fuel or raw material in cement kilns |
This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Thresholds, forms and deadlines are set in each rule and in your consent and authorisation; we check them for your site during the audit. Bio-medical waste must go to an authorised common facility; we do not treat it.
What we deliver
Six waste management services, one team.
Most sites need two or three of these, not all six. The audit tells us which.
| Service | What it involves | Typical equipment and outputs |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Waste audit and characterisation | Measure how much waste each area produces, what it is made of and where it goes today. Know exactly what you generate before you invest. | Composition and quantity studies, moisture and calorific value tests, a baseline for SWM Rules 2026 reporting |
| 2. Segregation systems | Bins, colour coding, signage, storage areas and staff training so waste is separated where it is produced, plus records that an inspector can check. | Four-stream segregation plan, collection routes, training sessions |
| 3. Wet waste to compost and gas | Treat organic waste where it is produced instead of trucking it away. | Composters and organic waste converters for campuses and hotels, biomethanation and Bio-CNG, compost quality testing |
| 4. Material recovery facilities (MRF) | Sort dry waste into saleable streams and bale it for buyers. | Manual and mechanical sorting lines, balers, shredders and conveyors, buyer linkages for recyclables |
| 5. RDF and co-processing | Turn non-recyclable, combustible dry waste into fuel for cement kilns. | Shredding and drying lines, RDF quality testing, links to cement kiln co-processing |
| 6. Legacy waste biomining | Excavate and screen old dumpsites to recover land. | Trommels and screening plants, separation into soil-like material, RDF and inerts, leachate and landfill gas control |
| 7. Hazardous waste and sludge | Keep risky residues out of the environment and the paperwork in order. | TCLP and leachate analysis, sludge dewatering and drying, manifest and authorisation support |
How we work
- AuditWaste quantity, composition and current practice.
- PlanSegregation, processing and buyer or disposal routes.
- DesignEquipment, layout, approvals and budget.
- BuildSupply, installation and staff training.
- ReportMonitoring and compliance reporting on the central portal.
Our NABL-accredited laboratory runs TCLP, leachate, heavy metal, moisture and calorific value tests on solid waste and sludge, so you know whether it must go to a TSDF or can be recycled, co-processed or used on land.
Processing options
How should you process your waste on site?
The right choice depends on how much waste you have, how wet it is, how much space you have and what you can do with the product.
| Option | Best for | Product | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organic waste converter (OWC) with curing | Campuses, hotels and housing societies with a few hundred kg a day of wet waste | Compost after a curing period | Needs a bulking agent such as sawdust, curing space and an operator; poor segregation gives poor compost |
| Aerobic composting (windrow, pit or in-vessel) | Larger quantities with open space; garden waste | Compost | Takes weeks; odour and flies if too wet or not turned; leachate must be collected |
| Biomethanation | Kitchen and food waste from about a tonne a day upwards; food factories | Biogas for cooking or boilers, plus digestate manure | Needs well-segregated feed and steady feeding; see biogas plants |
| Material recovery facility | Dry waste from townships, industrial estates and cities | Baled recyclables for sale | Only pays if waste arrives dry and segregated and buyers are lined up |
| RDF and co-processing | Non-recyclable, combustible dry waste and biomining rejects | Fuel for cement kilns | Moisture and chlorine content decide acceptance; needs a kiln within reach |
| Biomining | Old dumps and legacy waste on factory or municipal land | Soil-like material for filling, recyclables, RDF, inerts | Leachate, gas and fire risk during excavation; a market for each fraction |
| TSDF or authorised recycler | Hazardous waste that cannot be recycled or co-processed on site | Secure landfill, incineration or recovery | Cost by the tonne; needs authorisation, manifest and an authorised transporter |
What happens to material recovered from biomining? Soil-like material can be used for filling and landscaping, recyclables go to recyclers, and combustible fractions are processed into RDF for cement kilns. Only the inert remainder goes to a sanitary landfill.
Cost
How much does waste management cost?
Waste management costs are a mix of one-time equipment and recurring service charges. These ranges help you budget; your quote depends on the audit.
| Item | Typical scale | Indicative cost* |
|---|---|---|
| Waste audit and segregation plan | One factory, campus or hotel | ₹50,000 to ₹3 lakh |
| Organic waste converter with curing | 100 to 500 kg of wet waste a day | ₹5 to 25 lakh |
| Biomethanation plant | About 1 tonne of food waste a day | ₹15 to 50 lakh |
| Material recovery facility | 5 to 20 tonnes of dry waste a day | ₹30 lakh to ₹1.5 crore |
| Legacy waste biomining | Per tonne of waste processed | Varies widely with site; usually quoted per tonne after a survey |
| Hazardous waste disposal at a TSDF | Per tonne | Depends on route (landfill, incineration, co-processing) and the TSDF's tariff |
*Indicative 2026 ranges for planning only: equipment and installation, excluding civil sheds, land, taxes, operator salaries and transport. We give a firm price after an audit and, where needed, laboratory tests of your waste.
What drives cost
- Quantity and moisture of the waste
- How well it is segregated at source
- Space available for processing and curing
- Distance to buyers, kilns and TSDFs
- Hazardous fraction and its disposal route
What brings money back
- Sale of sorted recyclables
- Compost and manure sale or own use
- Biogas replacing LPG or fuel
- Lower lifting and landfill charges
- Smaller hazardous fraction to dispose of
Where money is usually wasted
- Composters bought without a segregation system
- Equipment sized on guessed quantities
- Hazardous and general waste mixed together
- Wet sludge sent for disposal without dewatering
- No records, so compliance is hard to prove
We measure what you generate, test samples in our lab and give you a costed plan: what to process on site, what to sell, what to send away, and the paperwork each route needs.
Troubleshooting
Common waste management problems, and how we fix them.
- 01The problem
Mixed waste is no longer accepted at landfills or by the city.
What we doFour-stream segregation plans with bins, signage and staff training, and simple daily records.
- 02The problem
As a bulk generator, you must now process your own waste.
What we doOn-site composting, biomethanation or tie-ups with registered processors, sized on audited quantities.
- 03The problem
The composter smells, attracts flies or produces wet, unusable compost.
What we doFix segregation and moisture first, correct the bulking agent and curing time, and test compost quality in our lab.
- 04The problem
Old dumpsites block valuable land.
What we doBiomining separates soil, recyclables and RDF so land can be reclaimed, with leachate and gas control during the work.
- 05The problem
Hazardous residues and ETP sludge need safe disposal, and the disposal bill keeps rising.
What we doTCLP and leachate testing in our lab, sludge dewatering and drying to cut tonnage, and routing to authorised facilities with manifest and authorisation support.
Where it fits
Built for the sites that produce the waste.
Cities and urban local bodies
MRFs, wet waste processing, RDF and legacy dumpsite biomining.
EIA and clearances →Hotels and resorts
Kitchen waste to compost or cooking gas, and bulk generator compliance.
Hotels guide →Campuses and townships
Segregation, composting and dry waste recovery for thousands of residents.
Biogas plants →Food processing
Peels, rejects and ETP sludge turned into gas and manure instead of disposal.
Pea processing guide →Industrial estates
Hazardous waste authorisation, sludge reduction and shared recovery facilities.
Effluent treatment →Buying guide
What to ask any waste management company.
Use this list with any supplier, including us.
- Did you measure my waste before sizing the equipment? Quantities and composition over several days, not a guess.
- Where does each stream end up? Named buyers, processors, kilns or TSDFs, all registered or authorised.
- Which rules does the plan cover? SWM, hazardous waste, plastic EPR, e-waste and battery rules as they apply to my site.
- What records will I have for inspectors? Daily logs, manifests, recycler certificates and annual returns.
- Is my sludge tested? TCLP and leachate results from a NABL-accredited laboratory.
- Who operates the composter or plant? Training, operator support and spare parts.
- What does it cost per month to run? Power, bulking agent, labour and transport, not only the equipment price.
Why Rispri
One accountable partner, from lab bench to running plant.
Our own NABL lab
We test waste, sludge, compost and RDF before we design, so equipment is sized for what you actually generate.
Engineering since 1999
1,498+ plants and turnkey projects for industries, hotels, hospitals and cities.
Water and waste together
ETP sludge, biogas and wastewater are planned as one system, so one stream does not become another's problem.
We stay after handover
Operator training, spares and compliance reporting keep the system working for years.
Questions
Waste management FAQs.
What do solid waste management services include?
They usually include a waste audit, a segregation system with bins and training, on-site processing of wet waste by composting or biogas, sorting and sale of dry recyclables, and safe routing of what is left. For industry they also cover hazardous waste authorisation, sludge handling and disposal records.
Who is a bulk waste generator under the 2026 rules?
Large premises such as big housing societies, campuses, hotels, hospitals, markets and offices that produce waste above the thresholds set in the rules. They must segregate, register and process their waste or hand it over to registered processors.
What changed with the Solid Waste Management Rules 2026?
The 2026 rules, in force since 1 April 2026, replaced the 2016 rules. They require segregation into four streams at source, make bulk waste generators responsible for their own waste and allow only inert, non-recyclable waste into landfills.
What is hazardous waste authorisation?
Under the Hazardous and Other Wastes Rules, 2016, an industry that generates hazardous waste must obtain authorisation from its State Pollution Control Board. The authorisation lists the waste types and quantities, how they may be stored, and the authorised facilities they may be sent to.
What is a hazardous waste manifest?
A manifest is the document that travels with each consignment of hazardous waste from the generator, through the transporter, to the receiving facility. Each party signs and keeps a copy, so the waste can be traced from source to final disposal.
What is a TSDF?
A treatment, storage and disposal facility (TSDF) is an authorised common facility that receives hazardous waste from industries and treats it, burns it in an incinerator or places it in a secure landfill. Waste that can be recycled or co-processed in a cement kiln can go to an authorised recycler or co-processor instead.
What is EPR compliance for plastic packaging?
Extended producer responsibility (EPR) under the Plastic Waste Management Rules makes producers, importers and brand owners responsible for collecting and recycling the plastic packaging they put on the market. They register on the CPCB centralised EPR portal and meet yearly targets by packaging category.
How should a company dispose of e-waste and used batteries?
Under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 and the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022, bulk consumers must hand e-waste and used batteries only to registered producers, refurbishers or recyclers and keep records of what they hand over. Selling them to the informal scrap market is not allowed.
Is ETP sludge hazardous waste?
Sludge from treating effluent of many industrial processes is listed as hazardous waste, but it depends on the process and its composition. A TCLP and leachate test in a NABL-accredited laboratory tells you whether it must go to a TSDF or can be recycled, co-processed or used on land.
Can Rispri test our waste before we buy equipment?
Yes. Our laboratory measures composition, moisture, calorific value and, for hazardous residues, TCLP and leachate. The results decide the right process and size.
What happens to material recovered from biomining?
Soil-like material can be used for filling and landscaping, recyclables go to recyclers, and combustible fractions are processed into RDF for cement kilns. Only the inert remainder needs a sanitary landfill.
Composting or biogas: which is better for food waste?
Composting with an organic waste converter suits a few hundred kilograms a day and needs little skill. Biomethanation suits about a tonne a day or more of well-segregated food waste and gives cooking gas as well as manure, but needs steady feeding.
How much does a waste management system cost?
Indicatively, a waste audit costs about ₹50,000 to ₹3 lakh, and an organic waste converter for 100 to 500 kg a day costs about ₹5 to 25 lakh including installation but excluding civil sheds. Larger MRFs and biogas plants cost more; we price after an audit.
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