Waste to Worth: The Secret of Indore’s Success
Indore is considered the cleanest city in India – a title otherwise only held by cities like Helsinki, Copenhagen or Singapore. In a country more commonly known as a waste hotspot, this metropolis shows how it’s done: With a clear vision, citizen participation and innovative strategies, waste becomes a resource. From Waste to Worth – a motto for the future, with great potential for both material and thermal recycling.
The city of just under 3 million inhabitants in the heart of India is a showcase of the Swachh Bharat Initiative (Clean India Mission) and demonstrates how conscious waste handling can improve both the cityscape and the quality of life of its residents.
From Waste to Mission: The Difference is in the Approach
“Waste management in Indore is efficient and scalable resulting from segregation at source, with benchmark recovery rates in India.” says Vagish Dixit, Managing Director of the Indian subsidiary of Austrian packaging manufacturer ALPLA. In addition, campaigns support the separation of waste into six instead of the usual two to four categories, including correct disposal. This has earned Indore the title of “Cleanest City in India” eight times and a pioneering role in the Asian subcontinent.
Especially in the area of plastics, Indore shows how innovation and awareness go hand in hand, says Dixit. He adds: “RRR centers – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle collection points for used everyday items – encourage active citizen involvement. These tie into the Indian Government’s Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, which is aimed at 100percent scientific management of municipal solid waste in 4,041 statutory towns in India.” The metropolis proves that waste does not have to be a burden through responsible action – it can instead create value for people, the economy and the environment.
From Plastic to Circularity: Plastic as Potential
The South Asian country doesn’t just want to avoid plastic waste, but use it productively. Around 9.3 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated in India every year – with huge potential for both material and thermal recycling. While certain single-use items have been banned since 2022, plastic remains indispensable in many economic and everyday sectors. “Plastic is essential for packaging, logistics and the consumer goods sector. It has revolutionized ten industries and plays a key role in pharma, drinking water and food packaging,” explains Vagish Dixit.
The manager adds: “Plastic packaging protects against counterfeiting, builds trust and secures brands. It offers barrier functions, is easy to handle, transport and cost-efficient – the list of benefits is virtually endless.” Plastic is not the problem, but part of the solution – as long as it remains in the loop. A central aspect of this: the thermal conversion of waste into energy.
From Waste to Fuel: Waste-to-Energy as a Path Forward
India generates over 62 million tonnes of municipal waste every year, more than half of which is disposed of uncontrolled. With population growth and urbanization, this volume of waste could double over the next ten years[1].
The thermal conversion of waste into energy (Waste-to-Energy, WtE) offers enormous potential in light of these volumes – for both waste disposal and energy supply. If half of the currently uncontrolled waste – around 16 million tonnes – were processed via WtE, approximately 7 million households could be supplied with electricity and 3.3 million with heat[2].
Following the Swedish model, up to 50 percent of India’s total waste – around 31 million tonnes – could be treated, providing electricity to over 14 million households and heat to up to 11 million.
In addition, there would be environmental relief and CO₂ savings thanks to reduced landfilling, clean flue gas filtration, and the reuse of ash.
From Plastic Waste to Power Source: Plastic as a Catalyst
There is still a lack of capacity for efficient waste-to-energy conversion. Currently, India operates only around 14 active WtE plants – far below the global average. For comparison: China already had 330 plants in 2017, according to Guinness World Records, making it the country with the most waste-to-energy facilities[3]. Today, there are estimated to be over 400, with plans for around 1,000. India, too, is planning to expand this technology.
Since 2015, the Indian government has introduced feed-in tariffs of around 8 rupees per kWh, providing financial incentives for the development of WtE plants. However, waste often falls below the required calorific value of 6 MJ/kg[4], leading to inefficient operation. Plastic would be the solution: with its high energy content, it could significantly increase the energy yield.
[2] Average energy content of 8 MJ/kg
