BENGALURU: Even as the state government pushes the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, mandating four-way segregation of waste at source, waste management experts have backed the move as a necessary step to reduce the burden on landfills. However, residents say the success of the new system will depend on addressing persistent gaps in waste collection.
The new rules require households to segregate waste into wet, dry, sanitary and special care categories.
Nalini Shekar, co-founder and executive director of Hasiru Dala told TNIE that Bengaluru is better positioned than most Indian cities to implement the change as it has followed three-way segregation for over a decade. “The new rules are not asking people to start from scratch. They only require the existing third category to be split into two. If we want to reduce landfills scientifically, this is inevitable,” she said.
Shekar said segregation is the responsibility of citizens, while ensuring timely collection rests with authorities. “We cannot keep increasing landfills as the city grows. Every individual has a responsibility towards the people living near these sites and towards future generations,” Nalini said, adding that resistance similar to what was seen during the introduction of three-way segregation in 2011 would eventually fade.
Odette Katrak, the founder of Beautiful Bharat, a citizen volunteer community working for sustainability and clean cities, said the change is relatively minor for Bengaluru as the residents are already segregating waste into three categories. She said the mixed waste generates methane gas which impacts climate change, while dumped or burned waste impacts the air, soil and beauty of our cities.
Residents, however, flagged the concerns with respect to waste collection. “Four-way segregation will not succeed unless the government first fixes its communication gap. Even today, many residents do not fully understand two-way segregation because there has been little public awareness at the grassroots level,” said Kochu Shankar from Banjara Layout Resident Welfare Association.
“People are willing to segregate waste if they understand why it matters. Bengaluru has a highly literate population, but awareness has to be created scientifically,” he said, adding, “The bigger problem is that even when residents segregate waste, it is often mixed during collection. Unless the entire collection chain follows the system, people will lose interest in segregation.”
Ravi R, a resident of HBR Layout, said irregular waste collection under the existing system remains a concern. “There are already delays and poor coordination between government officials and contractors. Without fixing these issues, introducing four-way segregation could make matters worse for citizens,” he said.
The four categories
Wet Waste: Kitchen waste, vegetable and fruit peels, leftover food, coffee and tea grounds
Dry Waste: Plastic items, paper and cardboard boxes, glass bottles, clothes and rubberSanitary Waste: Used diapers, sanitary napkins and tampons
Special Care Waste: Painting and colour boxes, pesticide bottles, CFL bulbs, tubelights, old batteries and medical waste
