Managing landfills, restoring ecosystems
In a country like ours, where rapid urbanization is commonplace, around 377 million urban residents live across 7,935 towns and cities, collectively generate 62 MT of municipal solid waste each year. Of this, only 43 MT are collected, 11.9 MT are processed, and 31 MT are disposed of in landfills. Solid Waste Management (SWM) is one of the essential services provided by municipal authorities to maintain cleanliness in urban areas. However, in most cases, municipal authorities still deposit waste haphazardly at dump yards located within or outside city limit.
If the present scenario of waste management is considered, where most of the waste is dumped without treatment, we are actually looking at an estimated 88 square km (equivalent to the size of the New Delhi Municipal Council area) of precious land being brought under waste disposal through landfilling.
Biomining is an advanced waste management approach designed to excavate and remediate legacy waste using bio-remediation techniques, transforming landfill waste into recoverable resources. This sustainable method stabilizes waste with bio-cultures and controlled exposure to air, enabling the extraction of valuable recyclables like plastics, metals, and organic materials. By recycling and repurposing these materials, biomining reduces environmental impacts, frees up land for beneficial use, and supports the circular economy. Landfill Mining strives to manage the legacy MSW which were dumped in the open landfills thus causing sometimes irreparable loss to the local communities and the mother earth at large. The technology aims at stabilising, processing, segregating and responsibly disposing the aggregates thus reclaiming the land which were erstwhile engulfed by this mixed legacy MSW
Eco-friendly waste recovery leveraging S&T
- Stabilization Process: Biomining begins with waste excavation and stabilization through bio-remediation. Bio-cultures are introduced to break down organics, while exposure to air accelerates decomposition, preparing waste for further processing and resource recovery.
- Separation and Screening: Stabilized waste is screened using automated machinery to separate various components. High-efficiency screening systems, including trommels and advanced PLC and SCADA controls, identify and segregate organics, plastics, metals, and other recyclables. This process minimizes human intervention and maximizes precision in resource recovery.
- Resource Recovery and Zero-Residue Model:
- Organics: Processed into compost or bio-soil, used in landscaping or agriculture.
- Plastics and Metals: Sorted and directed to recycling facilities, reducing the need for virgin materials.
- Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF): Non-recyclable waste is processed into RDF, which replaces fossil coal in cement kilns and power plants, significantly cutting CO₂ emissions.
- Environmental and Economic Impact: Each ton of legacy waste processed through biomining prevents about 0.692 tons of CO₂ emissions, while RDF co-processing saves 0.168 tons of CO₂ per ton, helping industries reduce their carbon footprint.
Join the Journey of Making the National Capital Garbage-Free
Reducing landfills, reclaiming landsite
Biomining is actively implemented across multiple sites in India, with notable examples that demonstrate its effectiveness and versatility:
Kumbakonam Landfill Mining Project
Recognized as a model under the Swachh Bharat Mission, this project stabilized and reclaimed acres of land, showcasing the potential of biomining to revitalize municipal areas. Zigma, a major operator in biomining, completed this project and featured it in Swachh Sarvekshan 2016.
Indore Model
Known as a benchmark for efficient waste management, this project applied biomining to clear legacy waste and reintegrate valuable materials into the economy. Despite challenges, this project illustrated the impact of continuous monitoring and regulatory support in biomining.
Hissar Dumpsite Reclamation
In partnership with municipal authorities, biomining processes here reclaimed over 200 acres, extracting RDF and recyclables while improving air quality by eliminating methane emissions from exposed waste.
Greater Noida Eco-Park Initiative
As part of the urban redevelopment plan, biomining transformed a dumpsite into an eco-park, producing RDF for local cement plants and supplying compost to local farmers. This project demonstrated biomining’s potential to convert waste sites into community assets.
By supporting waste-to-value initiatives, biomining drives both environmental sustainability and economic growth, contributing to cleaner cities and efficient resource utilization.
Mr. Prashant Singh
CEO, Blue Planet Environmental Solutions
By recovering recyclable materials and producing high-quality aggregates sustainable landfill mining, we drive urban renewal and environmental restoration. Our collaboration with DRIIV amplifies this mission, advancing cleaner, greener solutions for a sustainable future.
Ms. Shipra Misra
MD & CEO, DRIIV
Blue Planet's landfill mining leveraging cutting-edge technology recovers resources, mitigates environmental hazards, and enables land reclamation. Together, we envision to pave the way for urban regeneration and a circular economy.