Moving away from the ‘take-make-dispose’ model

Source: The post is based on the article “Moving away from the ‘take-make-dispose’ model” published in “The Hindu” on 26th July 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests & GS3- Economy and Environment conservation

News: India prioritizes the circular economy and resource efficiency during its G-20 presidency. They’ve introduced themes like circularity in the steel sector; Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR); circular bioeconomy and establishing an industry-led resource efficiency and circular economy industry coalition.

What are the needs of circular economy?

1. Circularity in the Steel Sector:

Reduction in Emissions: Steel production accounts for about 7% of global energy sector emissions. Adopting a circular model can drastically reduce this.

Resource Optimization: As the demand for steel rises, especially in growing economies like India, it’s essential to use steel efficiently to avoid wastage.

2. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR):

Waste Management: Over 20,000 Producers, Importers, and Brand Owners are registered under India’s EPR framework, managing over 3.07 million tons of waste.

Promotion of Recycling: EPR promotes the growth of recycling infrastructure and a streamlined waste collection system.

3. Circular Bioeconomy:

Addressing Biowaste: G-20 countries have seen 2.5 times increase in biowaste since 1970.

Alternative Resources: India uses biowaste as raw materials, turning agricultural residue into bioethanol. This reduces the extraction of virgin resources.

4. Industry-led Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Coalition:

Collaborative Effort: Industries play a pivotal role in advancing the circular economy.

Technological Advancement: This coalition focuses on technological collaboration and finance mobilization.

Engaging Private Sector: By involving the private sector, the transition to a circular economy can be accelerated.

What are the government initiatives towards circular economy?

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR):

India boasts a large Extended Producer Responsibility system.

Over 20,000 entities registered, managing 3.07 million tons of waste.

Bioeconomy and Biofuels:

Launched the Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana to support bio-ethanol projects using waste like crop residues.

Mandated power plants to blend 5% biomass pellets with coal.

GOBAR Dhan Scheme:

Converts cattle dung and organic waste into compost, biogas, and biofuels.

Over 500 functional biogas plants were established.

Alternative Fuels:

SATAT Scheme launched in 2018 promotes Compressed BioGas (CBG) as green transportation fuel.

Helps in infrastructure development for CBG production and distribution.