Residential Training Programme: Waste to Resource: C&D waste and dust management for a circular economy

Construction and Demolition waste is an important puzzle piece of circular economy. This is mainly because this stream has tremendous potential to replace natural materials like sand and stone with relatively less processing which could save thousands of tonnes of embodied carbon. This trajectory is crucial as only 7.2 per cent of the global economy is circular according to the Circularity Gap Report 2023. Further, if not managed properly, C&D waste contributes to air pollution and causes water and land pollution when disposed of in ridges, storm water drains and water bodies, worsening environmental problems. 

To solve these challenges, the Government of India has launched several initiatives including C&D Waste Management Rules of 2016, Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, National Clean Air Programme, and the Fifteenth Finance Commission among others. CSE research has shown that 21 cities in India now have C&D waste processing plants and 27 more cities are constructing it and numbers are rapidly increasing. Despite that, many cities are still struggling to effectively manage C&D waste due to absence of an ecosystem. This involves C&D waste bye-laws, notification of user charges, proper segregation and storage, transportation, processing technologies and enforcement among others. Therefore, there is a strong need for building knowledge and capacity to address these issues as cities are starting to create their C&D waste management systems.

CSE's Anil Agarwal Environment Training Institute (AAETI) provides a residential course tailored for construction managers/developers, regulators, urban local bodies (ULBs) and others part of the construction industry, focusing on a cradle-to-cradle approach for C&D waste management and dust mitigation and required compliances at both site and city levels. The course also addresses gaps between policy and practice, offering insights into circular economy strategies for the construction sector.

Course Highlights

• Introduction to Circular Economy and Efficient Resource Utilization
• Rules and guidelines for C&D waste management and dust control -- their respective adherences/non-compliances and case studies from non-compliant cities.
• Legal, policy and administrative framework of C&D waste and dust management including roles and responsibilities of actors involved.
• Waste estimation and extrapolation at city and site levels of various streams.
• Planning for infrastructure such as collection points, transfer stations, transportation routes, vehicle fleets, processing technologies, recycling site identification etc.
• Technology and techniques for onsite and offsite waste reduction/recycling
• Impact assessment and self-declaration responsibilities for the construction sector
• Effective construction management at sites for mitigation of dust/air pollution and waste management.
• Reporting and micro-action planning requirements for clean air based on various legal/administrative needs
• Good practices from Indian cities working on C&D waste and dust control
• Understanding value and trade chain of C&D waste

Course Coordinator: 

Sayani Sen
Senior Research Associate
Sustainable Habitat Programme, CSE
8240061255, 7278204216
sayani.sen@cseindia.org

Course Director:

Rajneesh Sareen
Programme Director
Sustainable Habitat Programme, CSE
rajneesh.sareen@cseindia.org