The union ministry of environment, forest and climate change has notified the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026, superseding the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. The rules have been issued under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and will come into full effect from 1 April 2026. The revised framework integrates the principles of circular economy and extended producer responsibility, with a specific emphasis on efficient waste segregation and sustainable waste management.
The rules provide for the levy of environmental compensation based on the ‘polluter pays’ principle in cases of non-compliance. These include operating without registration, false reporting, submission of forged documents, and improper solid waste management practices. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will frame the relevant guidelines, while state pollution control boards and pollution control committees will be responsible for levying environmental compensation.
Four-stream segregation of solid waste at source
The SWM Rules, 2026 mandate four-stream segregation of solid waste at source. Waste is required to be segregated into wet waste, dry waste, sanitary waste, and special care waste.
Wet waste includes kitchen waste, vegetable and fruit peels, meat, flowers, etc., and is to be composted or processed through bio-methanation at the nearest facility. Dry waste comprises plastic, paper, metal, glass, wood, rubber, etc., and is to be transported to material recovery facilities (MRFs) for sorting and recycling.
Sanitary waste includes used diapers, sanitary napkins, tampons, condoms, etc., and must be securely wrapped and stored separately. Special care waste includes paint cans, bulbs, mercury thermometers, medicines, etc., and is to be collected by authorized agencies or deposited at designated collection centres.
Clear definition of bulk waste generators
Bulk waste generators are defined as entities having a floor area of 20,000 square meters or more, or water consumption of 40,000 liters per day or more, or solid waste generation of 100 kg per day or more. These include central and state government departments, local bodies, public sector undertakings, institutions, commercial establishments, residential societies, and other similar entities.
Bulk waste generators are required to ensure that the waste generated by them is collected, transported, and processed in an environmentally sound manner. This provision is expected to significantly reduce the burden on urban local bodies and promote decentralized waste management. The rules also permit the levy of user fees on waste generators in accordance with the bye-laws of local bodies.
The rules introduce extended bulk waste generator responsibility (EBWGR), under which bulk waste generators are made accountable for the solid waste generated by them. Bulk waste generators must process wet waste on-site to the extent feasible or obtain an EBWGR certificate where on-site processing is not possible. This framework seeks to strengthen waste management practices, given that bulk waste generators account for nearly 30% of total solid waste generation.
Faster land allocation
The rules introduce graded criteria for development around solid waste processing and disposal facilities to facilitate faster land allocation. A buffer zone is required to be maintained within the total area allotted for facilities with an installed capacity exceeding 5 tons per day. The CPCB will issue guidelines specifying the size of the buffer zone and permissible activities within it, based on the facility’s capacity and pollution load. This is expected to expedite land allocation for waste processing facilities by states and union territories.
The rules provide for the development of a centralized online portal to track all stages of solid waste management, including waste generation, collection, transportation, processing and disposal, as well as biomining and bioremediation of legacy waste dump sites. Registration and authorisation of waste processing facilities with local bodies and state pollution control boards or pollution control committees will be carried out online through the CPCB-developed portal.
Submission of reports by solid waste processing facilities will also be undertaken online, replacing multi-step physical reporting processes. The rules mandate audits of all waste processing facilities, with audit reports to be uploaded on the centralized portal.
Duties of local bodies and MRFs
Under the revised rules, local bodies are responsible for the collection, segregation and transportation of solid waste, in coordination with MRFs. MRFs may also function as deposition points for e-waste, special care waste, sanitary waste and other waste streams for further processing. MRFs have been formally recognised as facilities for the sorting of solid waste.
Local bodies have also been encouraged to generate carbon credits. Further, the department responsible for sanitation and solid waste management in rural areas of a State or Union Territory has been mandated to pay special attention to peri-urban rural areas.
Use of refuse-derived fuel
The rules define refuse-derived fuel (RDF) as fuel produced by shredding and dehydrating municipal solid waste with high calorific value, primarily comprising non-recyclable plastic, paper and textiles. Industrial units, including cement plants and waste-to-energy plants that currently use solid fuel, have been mandated to replace such fuel with RDF. The fuel substitution rate will be increased from the existing 5 per cent to 15 per cent over a six-year period.
Landfilling and dumpsites
The rules further strengthen restrictions on landfilling and address the remediation of legacy waste dumpsites. Landfills are strictly restricted to non-recyclable, non-energy recoverable waste and inert material. Higher landfill fees have been prescribed for local bodies for disposing of unsegregated waste at sanitary landfills. The landfill fee for unsegregated waste will exceed the cost of segregation, transportation and processing of segregated waste.
The rules also mandate annual audits of landfills by state pollution control boards, with landfill performance to be monitored by district collectors. In addition, mapping and assessment of all legacy waste dumpsites has been mandated, along with time-bound biomining and bioremediation, supported by quarterly progress reporting through the online portal.
Solid waste management in hilly areas and islands
Special provisions have been introduced for solid waste management in hilly areas and islands. These include the levy of user fees on tourists and regulation of tourist inflow by local bodies based on available waste management capacity. Designated collection points will be established for non-biodegradable waste in such areas. Local populations will be encouraged to hand over waste to local bodies and discouraged from littering.
Hotels and restaurants in these regions will be required to undertake decentralised processing of wet waste in accordance with norms prescribed by State Pollution Control Boards or Pollution Control Committees.
The rules also provide for the constitution of central- and state-level committees for effective implementation. At the state or union territory level, a committee chaired by the chief secretary or the head of the union territory administration will recommend measures to the CPCB to ensure effective implementation of the rules.
