From Collection To Segregation, Mumbai Charts New Waste Management Strategy

Last Updated:February 16, 2026, 21:47 IST

Mumbai Climate Week 2026 urged expanding waste segregation, local treatment, and citizen action to cut landfill methane, say officials, NGOs, and experts.

Mumbai’s daily garbage problem, more than 7,000 metric tons, is no longer being discussed only as a crisis. At a half-day session during Mumbai Climate Week 2026, city officials and grassroots practitioners instead focused on a practical question: what is already working, and how can it be expanded across the city?

The discussion, held at the Museum of Solutions in Lower Parel and hosted by the Global Methane Hub with Purpose India, brought together municipal officers, waste workers, NGOs and researchers.

The tone remained clear, Mumbai does not lack ideas; it lacks scale. Much of the city’s waste still reaches landfills, worsening pollution and climate risks. But speakers pointed out that segregation and local treatment are already succeeding in many neighbourhoods. The challenge is turning scattered efforts into a dependable citywide system.

Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Solid Waste Management) Kiran Dighavkar said lasting behaviour change depends on three factors: consistent rules and monitoring, citizens who act responsibly, and strong community groups connecting both sides.

According to him, examples of this partnership already exist across Mumbai and can be expanded. The civic body is also upgrading collection systems. New wet-waste vehicles, now fully enclosed and colour-coded, will replace older open trucks to prevent mixing and improve segregation during transport.

Several organisations presented on-ground solutions. Bintix showcased simple tools for housing societies to manage segregation. Green Communities Foundation spoke about behaviour change among residents, while Skrap demonstrated practical methods for homes and institutions.

An expert panel featuring representatives from C40 Cities, WRI India, RNisarg Foundation and Stree Mukti Sanghatana mapped the city’s waste flows and highlighted landfill methane as a major climate concern. Organic waste decomposing in dumps releases methane, a gas far more powerful than carbon dioxide in heating the planet.

Global Methane Hub’s Asia lead Manjyot Kaur Ahluwalia noted that rising incomes have distanced people from their own waste, stressing that citizens must become active participants, not just generators. Purpose India added that cooperation, not blame, is key to reducing landfill dependence.

The event also displayed a climate art installation made from 15,000 bottle caps, visually reinforcing a simple message repeated throughout the day: Mumbai already knows how to manage waste. The next step is doing it everywhere.

News cities mumbai-news From Collection To Segregation, Mumbai Charts New Waste Management Strategy

Read More