Railways Roll Out Eco-Friendly Waste Recycling System Across SCR Stations

By Chanchal Mukherjee

New Delhi: South Central Railway (SCR) has initiated a sustainable waste management system at its stations through scientific waste management after noticing that the state government agencies were only collecting and managing waste from their lands.

Highlighting the need to take this initiative, a senior railway official (on condition of anonymity) told ETV Bharat, "The railways noticed that the state government agencies were not maintaining the waste management in railway lands, including stations and colonies, following which it took initiative to properly dispose of waste from its area."

"The work was initially started in a limited space, but now it has been done in a large area, which has now become pioneering in implementing structured and sustainable waste management systems," the official added.

Under the Waste Management Contract Initiative, Dr Aniruth Pamar, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Hyderabad division, said, "The railway has partnered with ScrapQ Hub, an authorised recycling and sustainability solutions provider, for the period of the contract till September 12, 2027, for scientific waste management operations at Kacheguda, Nizamabad, and Kurnool City Railway Stations."

Expressing his views on sustainable waste management, Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, General Manager of SCR said, "The initiative marks a significant step towards transforming railway premises into clean, green and eco-conscious zones, fully aligned with the Government’s Swachh Bharat Mission, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directives, and Railway Board’s vision for a sustainable, circular economy in waste utilization."

The initiative aims to maintain high standards of cleanliness across railway stations, offices, colonies, and workshops, while actively involving employees and passengers in cleanliness activities, said the Ministry of Railways in a statement.

The initiative has achieved a total recyclables collection of about 108 tonnes, in which compositions were found to be 65 per cent plastics, 30 per cent paper and cartons, and 5 per cent aluminium scrap. Revenue was generated of Rs 5.51 lakh per annum through Non-Fare Revenue (NFR), and employment has been created for about 50 direct and indirect jobs for local communities.

Environmental and Social Impact:

The project has resulted in measurable environmental gains, as Carbon Emission Reduction, 132 tons of CO2 equivalents prevented from release into the atmosphere, and energy conservation equivalent to powering 500 households per month through energy saved by recycling. All recyclables are reused through certified channels, ensuring no landfill disposal. The environment gets direct benefits such as carbon footprint reduction, circular waste utilisation, and zero landfill compliance.

Collection and Segregation:

Systematic collection of recyclable waste from station premises, tracks, and yards associated with the three major stations, as well as railway colonies. Collection of recyclables and general waste from terminating trains immediately after passenger de-boarding, ensuring stations remain clean and litter-free.

Processing at Master Recovery Facility Centres:

At each designated station, all waste collected is scientifically processed at MRFs. Waste is segregated into recyclables, wet, and dry fractions, ensuring complete traceability and compliance with environmental norms. Segregated recyclable materials -- mainly plastics, paper, cartons, and aluminium scrap -- are sold to certified recyclers by ScrapQ. These recyclables are transformed into bi-products such as polyester yarn, which is subsequently used to manufacture sustainable products, including shoes and apparel. This circular process diverts over 80 per cent of waste from landfills, promoting resource efficiency and carbon savings.

As per Rajya Sabha data, significant initiatives taken in this regard are infrastructure like Sewage treatment plants (STPs), Effluent Treatment plants (ETPs), and Material Recovery Facility (MRF) have been installed and commissioned, on a need basis, at a number of locations over Indian Railways. Presently, 142 STPs, 86 ETPs and 203 MRFs are in place.

Tie-ups for waste disposal:

Based on local conditions, feasibility and requirements, tie-ups for waste disposal have been made between local railway authorities and municipal bodies.

Plastic Bottle Crushing Machines:

Single-use plastic has been banned in Indian Railways, and Plastic Bottle Crushing Machines (PBCMs) are installed at 531 stations.

Provision of two bin-type dustbins has been carried out at 725 locations for segregation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste.

Dedicated Environment & Housekeeping (EnHM) wings have been set up in zonal railways to monitor/handle waste management-related matters, RS data stated.

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