The Rajya Sabha on December 05, 2025, proposed the Solid Waste Management Bill 2025, which seeks to establish a statutory framework for segregation, recycling, waste-to-energy utilisation, and scientific disposal of municipal solid waste across the country. The Act will come into force on a date to be notified by the Central Government in the Official Gazette.
The Bill places primary responsibility on waste generating units, including households and large manufacturing facilities (investment exceeding ₹20 crore), to segregate waste at source into biodegradable, non-biodegradable, recyclable and non-recyclable categories. Large manufacturing facilities are additionally mandated to ensure reuse and recycling at source, transport recyclable waste to waste-energy plants, and send non-recyclable waste to notified landfills. It also introduces a “pay for waste” principle, making waste generators liable to pay based on the weight of waste sent to landfills.
Further, the Bill assigns clear duties to municipal authorities, including collection of segregated waste, prevention of mixing during transport, treatment of organic waste through approved bio-degradation methods, and safe transportation of non-recyclable waste to landfills. Non-compliance attracts penal consequences, including imprisonment up to three months or a fine up to ₹20,000. The Central Government is empowered to provide financial assistance to States and to frame rules for effective implementation, ensuring that the proposed Act operates in addition to existing environmental and municipal laws.
[BillNo.LIof2025]
