THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala has registered a sharp 236% rise in non-biodegradable waste collection over the past five years, with volumes increasing from 21,839 tonnes in 2021-22 to 73,403 tonnes in 2025-26. This helped reduce carbon emissions by 3 lakh tonnes.
According to the five-year performance report of Clean Kerala Company Ltd (CKCL) — a public sector undertaking providing waste management services to local bodies — around Rs 38.88 crore was disbursed to Haritha Karma Sena (HKS) members over the period.
CKCL recorded a nearly ninefold increase in annual revenue over the past five years, the report says. CKCL managing director G K Sureshkumar attributed the growth to strengthened door-to-door collection and improved segregation at source.
He said that scientific handling of waste has helped avoid nearly three lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions that would otherwise have resulted from unmanaged waste accumulation in public places.
‘Need more recycling units within Kerala’
Sureshkumar said addressing the critical gaps, particularly in recycling, is key to sustaining momentum and strengthening waste management.
“At present, a substantial portion of recyclable material collected in Kerala is transported to processing units in states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra and Delhi due to limited in-state capacity. That is a major gap. If we are to build a true circular economy, we need more recycling units within Kerala. Materials should be processed here,” Sureshkumar said.
He said that local self government institutions should put in place systems to help HKS members improve their efficiency.
“There is still a misconception that Haritha Karma Sena collects only plastic waste. In reality, they are mandated to collect all categories of non-biodegradable waste, including glass, cloth, thermocol and even hazardous materials. But this requires proper support systems,” he said.
The volume of segregated waste has doubled from 25.6% in 2021 to 51.6% in 2026. The quantity of recyclable waste processed has seen an even steeper rise — from 5,587 tonnes to 37,853 tonnes — marking a 577% increase.