The government has notified the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026, which will come into effect from 1st April this year. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said that the revised rules will integrate the principles of circular economy and extended producer responsibility, with a specific focus on efficient waste segregation and management. It added that under the SWM rules 2026, four-stream segregation of solid waste at source has been made mandatory.

The new rules will also provide for the levy of environmental compensation based on the Polluter Pays principle for non-compliance, including cases of operating without registration, false reporting, and improper solid waste management practices. The Ministry further said that the rules will introduce graded criteria for development around solid waste processing and disposal facilities to facilitate faster land allocation.