The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has now decided to overhaul key guidelines governing WtE plants across the country to address this problem.

One of its most significant provisions is that waste with a calorific value below 1,500 Kcal/kg will no longer be allowed directly into incinerators.

Existing Solid Waste Management Rules (SWM), 2026, encourage source-level segregation of waste. The new CPCB guidelines seek to strengthen this framework.

Municipal waste must first undergo manual and mechanical segregation, after which only the combustible fraction — known as Segregated Combustible Fraction (SCF) or Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) — can be used for energy generation.

Anil C. Ranveer, Director and Divisional Head (R&D), CPCB, said, “The primary objective of the new guidelines is to promote scientific disposal of municipal waste while enhancing electricity and energy generation.”

The new rules are expected to mark the end of the mixed-waste era. Until now, mixed municipal waste was often transported directly to WtE plants or landfills.

Blue Category

Under the SWM Rules, urban and rural local bodies are required to establish Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs).

Citizens will be required to segregate wet, dry, and domestic hazardous waste at the household level itself. If mixed waste is received, it will undergo manual and mechanical segregation at the MRFs. Paper, plastic, textiles, and other combustible components will be separated.

The MRFs facilities will sort municipal waste, recover recyclable materials, and ensure that only high-calorific-value RDF or SCF reaches WtE plants.

In addition, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and plant operators will be required to maintain records related to waste quality, segregation, and processing to ensure compliance with the guidelines.

According to CPCB, Indian cities generate more than 1.86 lakh tonnes of solid municipal waste every day, a substantial portion of which consists of combustible materials such as plastics, paper, textiles and packaging waste. The corresponding figure for wet waste is about 90,000 tonnes a day.

CPCB data shows that India currently has 21 WTE plants, of which 17 are operational.

The Timarpur-Okhla WTE Plant in Delhi, regarded as the country’s first WtE project, processes around 2,000 tonnes of waste per day and generates approximately 16 MW of electricity. These plants help to reduce landfill volumes, contribute to thermal energy generation, lower methane emissions from dumpsites, and reduce the land required for waste disposal.

Ranveer noted that CPCB has classified WtE facilities under the newly created “Blue Category” in its industrial classification framework based on pollution potential. The categorisation considers the impact of waste generation on air and water.

The guidelines also mandate that incinerators and WtE plants maintain a minimum combustion temperature of 950°C with a gas residence time of at least two seconds to prevent the formation of toxic pollutants such as dioxins and furans.

The draft guidelines prescribe stringent emission standards for particulate matter (PM), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen chloride (HCl), dioxins, furans and heavy metals. The installation of advanced Air Pollution Control Devices (APCDs) will be mandatory for all facilities.

Other Environmental Concerns

Leachate generation and odour emissions — two of the most common environmental concerns associated with WtE plants — have also been addressed. CPCB has recommended compulsory installation of Leachate Treatment Plants (LTPs), negative-pressure storage systems, and bio-disinfectant spraying mechanisms to control odour and contaminated liquid discharge.

The guidelines further require all solid waste processing and disposal facilities with capacities exceeding 5 tonnes per day to maintain designated buffer zones. Additionally, a minimum 10-metre-wide green belt around plant premises has been proposed.

According to CPCB, scientifically managed WTE facilities can significantly reduce dependence on landfills, curb methane emissions, and contribute to India’s circular economy by converting waste into electricity and thermal energy.

Trouble With Waste Below 1,500 Kcal/kg

Waste with a calorific value below 1,500 Kcal/kg typically contains high levels of moisture and inert materials such as kitchen waste, garden waste, soil, and stones. Because of this composition, a significant amount of energy is consumed merely in drying the waste before combustion begins, reducing net power generation.

Plants often need supplementary fuels, such as diesel or gas, to sustain combustion, increasing operational costs and carbon emissions. Incomplete combustion results in higher emissions of carbon monoxide, dioxins, furans and other toxic pollutants.

Maintaining the mandatory 950°C combustion temperature becomes difficult, reducing boiler efficiency. Low-quality waste produces larger quantities of bottom ash and fly ash, increasing disposal and treatment costs.

Global Waste-To-Energy Landscape

More than 1,700 thermal WtE plants are currently operating worldwide, particularly in Japan, Germany, France, the US, and China.

Among the largest facilities globally are the Shenzhen East Waste-to-Energy Plant and the Dubai Waste Management Centre. Both facilities process over 5,500 tonnes of waste per day.

What Will Change

CPCB’s proposed framework clearly states that only RDF or SCF should be supplied to WtE facilities. This will require local bodies to establish Material Recovery Facilities across cities.

Under the proposed rules, waste with a calorific value exceeding 1,500 Kcal/kg will not be permitted in landfills and must instead be utilised for energy recovery, cement kilns, or other thermal applications.

By placing WtE facilities in the Blue Category, CPCB has effectively created a distinct regulatory identity for the sector. The plants are neither treated as fully green industries nor placed alongside the most polluting red-category industries.

All processing facilities above 5-tonne-per-day (TPD)-capacity will be expected to maintain buffer zones and develop at least a 10-metre-wide green belt around their premises.

The new framework introduces tighter limits for emissions of PM, sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxide, heavy metals, dioxins and furans. Installation of advanced APCDs will become mandatory.

Separate provisions have been proposed for bottom ash and fly ash management. Ash containing high concentrations of toxic metals will have to be disposed of at authorised hazardous waste facilities rather than conventional landfills.

WtE operators will be required to install LTPs, Negative Pressure Storage Pits, and comprehensive Odour Management Systems. The move is aimed at addressing complaints from residential communities near facilities in cities such as Delhi and Hyderabad.

The Bottom Line

By restricting low-calorific mixed waste, mandating segregation infrastructure, tightening emission norms, and redefining landfill eligibility, the regulator is attempting to make WtE projects both environmentally sustainable and economically viable.