CM Naidu: Single-use plastics to be banned in four AP cities from October 2

Amaravati: In a move aimed at strengthening the waste management system in the State, chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to finalise and bring out a new policy on the circular economy within two months.

What is circular economy?

The circular economy is a system that produces zero waste from the materials it uses for various purposes, and nature is regenerated. In a circular economy, products and materials are kept in circulation through maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling and composting.

Action plan on waste segregation

He instructed that three circular economy parks be established in different regions of the State within a year and called for increased deployment of modern machinery in waste-to-energy plants. He also ordered immediate clearance of legacy waste and an action plan on waste segregation and recycling to be submitted within 90 days.

On Tuesday, the chief minister conducted a review with officials at the Secretariat on circular economy strategies. The discussions focused on wealth creation from waste and the reuse of resources.

Circular economy parks

Proposals from the Material Recycling Association of India regarding the establishment of circular economy parks were also reviewed. In the first phase, a park will be set up on 400 acres in Visakhapatnam, designed to meet international standards. The chief minister advised studying similar parks in other countries and attracting significant investments through these initiatives.

Focus on 11 sectors and 3 departments

The chief minister directed officials to develop a comprehensive plan focusing on 11 sectors identified by the central government under the circular economy framework: municipal waste, vehicles, lithium batteries, gypsum, tyres, rubber, electronics, agriculture, industry, and aqua waste.

Additionally, he instructed that the departments of mining, handlooms and animal husbandry also be included. Urban and rural local bodies should strive to achieve the goal of zero waste.

To encourage best practices, the chief minister proposed that Swachhta Awards be introduced from October 2 next year for individuals and institutions demonstrating excellence in waste management. Awards will be distributed across categories such as local bodies, self-help groups, anganwadis, schools and colleges, bus stands, hospitals, NGOs and other organisations.

Plastic-free cities

By October 2 this year, CM Naidu directed that single-use plastics be completely banned in four major cities, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Tirupati and Rajahmundry, along with 17 other municipal corporations.

He called for increased usage of cloth bags in these areas. Furthermore, 157 Reduce-Reuse-Recycle centres are to be established across 87 urban locations.

52 waste clusters set up

Officials briefed him that a total of 52 waste clusters have been established across the state, with two in each district, covering urban and panchayat areas.

Every year, Andhra Pradesh generates 36,588 tonnes of battery and automotive waste, 61,996 tonnes of plastic and PET bottle waste, 23,928 litres of engine and hydraulic oil waste, and 59,654 metric tonnes of tyre and rubber waste.

Agriculture contributes over 4 million metric tonnes of waste annually, while the livestock, aqua and poultry sectors together generate 34.7 million metric tonnes.

In rural areas, 1,329 metric tonnes of waste are generated daily from 8.8 million households. Officials also presented incentives provided for circular economy initiatives in Rajasthan, Karnataka and Maharashtra for the chief minister’s consideration.

Benefits of the circular economy

Effective implementation of the circular economy model in Andhra Pradesh could boost the State’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) by an estimated Rs 15,000 crore annually.

Additionally, it would allow the supply of materials worth Rs 10,000 crore to the manufacturing sector. This value addition is expected to generate Rs 3,000 crore annually in GST revenue.

The initiative could also create direct employment for 1,00,000 people and support 10,000 micro-entrepreneurs, indirectly providing livelihoods to over 1 million individuals. Environmental benefits include reduced carbon emissions and significant control over land, water and air pollution.