People must leave the planet "much greener and much richer" than how they received it: Expert at CII meet

The international conference on Waste to Worth was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and was held under the aegis of the Office of the PSA, supported by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Efforts of 13 Indian companies and start-ups and two Municipal Corporations (MCs) with CII 3R Awards 2022 were recognised during the conference, according to the press release issued by CII.

During the inaugural, Prof Ajay K Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, stated that they must leave the planet "much greener and much richer" than how they received it. He called making the planet greener and richer the responsibility of people towards future generations.

Ajay K Sood pointed out that the landfills around Delhi are now 200 feet and had caught over 75 fires in the past four years. Sood appreciated the efforts of Indore city for its effective waste management techniques. He emphasised that the waste market is expected to reach around USD 54 billion soon, which he insisted can be a "huge opportunity."

In his speech, Sood highlighted the opportunities in the e-waste sector which he stressed cannot be ignored. He stated that the world is generating almost a billion worth of electronic waste that includes precious metals, gold, platinum and others worth around 10 billion, according to the press release issued by CII.

During the conference, discussion on various issues revolving around plastic and packaging wastes, e-waste recycling, market sustainability of Refuse Derive Fuel (RDF), best practices and innovative solutions for managing waste, policy, prospects and problems in the solid waste sector in India.

Meanwhile, Martine Aamdal Bottheim, Minister Counsellor & Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Norway called India an "important partner" of Norway for economic and trade relations. Bottheim said that India and Norway are key players in the global transition towards sustainability.

In her address, Martine Aamdal Bottheim highlighted the transition from lineal to circular that has been implemented by the Norwegian government by initiating the National Strategy for a Green Circular Economy.

Dr Anil Kakodkar, Chair, CII 3R Awards 2022 and Chairman of Rajiv Gandhi Science & Technology Commission, called for using approaches towards efficiently tackling the waste problem. Anil Kakodkar stressed that moving towards a circular economy is essential for tackling the issue of waste. (ANI)