Decentralised wastewater solutions the need of the hour for India

With the country hurtling towards a water crisis and treated wastewater a possible alternative, using models that are different from the …

Zeroing in on discharge

Innovative ZLD technologies can power wastewater recovery through solar thermal application

'Change perception about wastewater'

Blanca Jimnez-Cisneros, director of the division of water sciences and secretary of International Hydrological Programme, Unesco, talks to …

Emerging hazard: Radioactive contamination increasingly found in scraps for recycling, says UN body

Radioactive contaminated metal, if used to manufacture household goods, could pose a potential health problem to unsuspecting consumers: …

Polyester recycling: Sector largely informal; home furnishing makers in Panipat, Delhi found flouting norms

Downcycled products made at Panipat factories cannot be recycled again; are sent to landfills or burned at the end of their life-cycle

Municipalities responsible for dirty India, says NITI Aayog CEO

Amitabh Kant says civic bodies are entering various businesses while forgetting that their primary job is to clean their jurisdiction

Doubling ship recycling capacity by 2024: Are we ready?

The industry is an economic driver for India, but entails several occupational hazards and environmental implications 

Jal Shakti Abhiyan: What can make it more impactful

While the government has ambitious plans to solve the ongoing water crisis, there is a need to clearly spell out the scheme’s outcomes and …

Food can have toxic chemicals from recycling e-waste

A new study shows that recycling black plastic from electronic waste is introducing harmful chemicals such as bromine and lead into everyday …

New Battery Waste Management Rules make producers accountable for recycling

But they need to be more holistic in design to enable sustainability standards 

Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (September 14, 2023)

Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal

Plastic-free planet: Recycling increases toxicity of plastics, warns Greenpeace study

Plastics contain more than 13,000 chemicals and 3,200 of them known to be hazardous to human health

Wastewater resource, not liability: Moving towards circular economy

If recovered fully from wastewater, there would be a reduction in global demand for nutrients in agriculture  

Recycling e-waste: ‘CPCB’s competence must be raised’

Swedish academic Thomas Lindhqvist, who introduced extended producer responsibility, says India doesn’t need better recycling rules, but …

What will we do with all those solar panels when their useful life is over?

As solar power booms, businesses are exploring ways to ensure valuable components don’t end up in landfills

Nigeria is Africa’s leading rice producer, but still needs more — reusing wastewater for irrigation would boost farming

If a quarter of Lagos's daily volume of wastewater were to be recycled for rice production, nearly 75 per cent of Nigeria’s rice …

How centuries of self-isolation turned Japan into one of the most sustainable societies on Earth

The people of Edo Period Japan lived with time as it changed with the seasons, cherished materials and used the wisdom of reuse as a matter of …

Working with waste pickers crucial for post-COVID-19 economic recovery: Report

Governments can transition to a zero-waste future by forging partnerships with informal recyclers, notes report

Recycling of e-waste in India and its potential

Since India is highly deficient in precious mineral resources while untreated e-waste goes to landfill, there is need for a well designed, …

E-waste: How should India defuse a ticking time bomb?

Safe disposal practices, consumer awareness and cooperation between organised and unorganised sectors is needed to solve the issue

Life of Plastic: India is not collecting and recycling its polymer waste properly; here is how

Plastic waste in India is collected mostly by ragpickers, rather than the authorities; 68% of the plastic waste generated in India is …

Single-use plastics: A make or break ban

Plastic items difficult to collect or recycle should be eliminated from use. This is where the current ban, however limited, fits in

IISc researchers devise new wastewater recycling system

The new wastewater treatment and recycling system has saved 180,000 litres in a Karnataka village in a year

How to resolve Karnataka water crisis

At the peak of Karnataka’s water crisis, the state’s deputy chief minister, G Parameshwara, made a desperate suggestion. He said the …

Your future food will be grown with waste water

If used properly, waste water can provide important nutrients for plant growth and act as a replacement for mineral fertilisers