Key Facts and Data Points

  • EV sales growth: 50,000 units in 2016 → 2.08 million in 2024.
  • Target: 30% EV share in total vehicle sales by 2030.
  • Projected ELVs: 23 million in 2025 → 50 million by 2030.
  • E‑waste generation: 6.19 MMT in 2024 → 14 MMT by 2030.
  • Lithium‑ion battery demand: 29 GWh in 2025 → 248 GWh by 2035.
  • Municipal solid waste: ~1.68 lakh tonnes/day; projected 436 million tonnes/yr by 2050.
  • Current waste processing: only 55‑60% of waste is treated; rest becomes residual waste.

Background and Context

  • Circular Economy (CE): An economic model that aims to reduce, reuse, recycle, refurbish, recover and repair resources, moving away from the linear take‑make‑dispose approach.
  • India’s resource constraints: 18% of world population but only ~7% of mineral resources and ~4% of freshwater.
  • Policy backdrop: Swachh Bharat Mission, Solid Waste Management Rules (2026), e‑Waste Management Rules (2022), Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules (2022), Mission LiFE, and participation in GACERE.

Significance for India / Governance / Policy

  • Resource security: CE reduces dependence on imported critical minerals and fossil fuels.
  • Climate mitigation: Avoids ~41 Mt CO₂‑eq emissions from landfill methane by 2030.
  • Employment: Potential to generate >1 crore man‑days in recycling, bio‑methanation, and refurbishing sectors.
  • Urban governance: Formalising informal recyclers and expanding scrappage infrastructure can free up >10,000 ha of land currently occupied by dumpsites.
  • Energy transition: Efficient recycling of lithium‑ion batteries supports EV rollout and renewable‑energy storage.

Related Constitutional / Legal Provisions

  • Article 48A – Directive Principle to protect and improve environment.
  • Article 21 – Right to a clean, healthy environment as part of the right to life.
  • Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) – Embedded in the e‑Waste Management Rules, 2022 and Plastic Waste Management Rules.
  • Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 – Mandates segregation, processing and minimisation of waste.

Recommendations to Strengthen CE in Mobility

End‑of‑Life Vehicles (ELVs)

  • Expand Automated Testing Stations (ATS) and Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSFs) nationwide.
  • Link vehicle deregistration to Aadhaar‑based Certificate of Deposit.
  • Formalise informal dismantlers with technical assistance and liability waivers.

Waste Tyres

  • Restrict Tyre Pyrolysis Oil (TPO) use to refineries; mandate conversion to recovered Carbon Black (rCB).
  • Issue national standards for TPO and rCB; rationalise GST/HSN codes for recycled tyre products.
  • Provide financial incentives and training to informal recyclers via Udyam Assist.

E‑waste & Lithium‑Ion Batteries

  • Broaden EPR coverage to include critical minerals beyond current metals.
  • Update BIS IS 16046 for battery composition testing and purity.
  • Create shared, technologically advanced recycling facilities and promote PPP models with Urban Local Bodies.

Conclusion

Adopting a robust circular economy framework in the mobility sector can transform India’s burgeoning waste challenge into a catalyst for resource security, green employment, and climate resilience, aligning with the nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Drishti Mains Question: India’s waste problem is not merely a sanitation issue but an economic and governance challenge. Discuss.