Consent to establish and consent to operate under the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981, authorisations under the waste rules, inspections, and environmental compensation for units in Mumbai.
CPCB’s directory of state boards ↗ Waste management in your city
Circular waste systems for Mumbai
A framework for improving waste management in Mumbai.
Why Mumbai is different
Waste management is a local job
Under the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, every city in Mumbai is responsible for waste segregation at source, collection and processing — and Swachh Survekshan scores how well it does. National frameworks set the bar; the work of hitting it happens ward by ward, on the ground.
Building circular systems that perform needs a framework. That framework is shared below — and Social Lab can help design and execute it in Mumbai.
SWM Rules 2016The framework every ULB works to
Swachh SurvekshanThe national cleanliness scorecard
Bulk generators100+ kg/day: process on site
On-ground, not remoteAdvised & measured across 80+ cities
Assessment & planning
Step 1 · Ground truth
Start with what Mumbai actually generates
Before bins or vehicles, we measure. A waste baseline and characterisation, ward-level and city waste-flow mapping, and a fundable SWM action plan or DPR — the data every later decision rests on.
- Waste baseline & characterisation studies
- Ward-level & city waste-flow mapping
- SWM action plans & DPR preparation
- Swachh Survekshan / GFC Star-Rating readiness
Collection, processing & proof
Step 2 · On the ground
Collect, process and prove it works
We work closely with the existing waste collection and processing agency to ensure door-to-door collection, source segregation and decentralised waste processing — running the IEC that changes behaviour, integrating waste-pickers, and measuring outcomes with independent monitoring and evaluation. The key components are listed below.
- GPS-enabled 100% door-to-door collection
- Decentralised wet-waste processing & composting
- Source-segregation IEC & behaviour change
- Waste-picker integration & independent M&E
The full service line
Everything waste circularity needs — in Mumbai
One team, end to end: assess, plan, collect, process, engage and prove. Pick a service to go deeper.
City Assessment & Planning Baseline, characterisation & action plan Collection & Operations GPS-enabled 100% door-to-door IEC & Behaviour Change Source-segregation campaigns Capacity Building Training for staff, supervisors & ULBs Waste-Picker Integration Recognition & social security Processing & Composting Wet · dry · mixed waste Monitoring & Evaluation Independent impact evaluation Research & Policy Market · technology · policy studies
Proof on the ground
On-ground waste work we've delivered
Real projects with named partners and measured outcomes, including our work in and around Mumbai.
Research
Impact Evaluation of a Decentralized Solid Waste Management Project
16 Bulk Waste Generators across Mumbai & Pune
88%Segregation rate achieved at household level
Read the case study → Urban SWM
Community-Driven Waste Management in Deolali Pravara
Deolali Pravara, Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra
8Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVPs) eliminated
Read the case study → Plastic Circularity
Plastic Circular Cities — Nagpur
Nagpur, Maharashtra
>90%Collection in sampled wards (assigned contractors & GPS routes)
Read the case study → More in Maharashtra
Other places we work in Maharashtra
Who regulates you here
The three bodies you deal with in Mumbai
Waste duties in Mumbai, Maharashtra sit with three bodies. Knowing which one owns which decision saves most of the back-and-forth.
EPR registration, targets and returns are national and run on CPCB’s stream portals. Your obligation follows what you make, import, brand or process — not where your office is.
EPR rules, portals & deadlines →Registration of bulk waste generators, the user fee, collection and segregation duties, and the bye-laws that set them — all under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026.
What the 2026 rules ask →What applies, and where it comes from
- EPR, by activity
- Eight notified waste streams. If you produce, import, brand-own or process in a stream, you register with CPCB regardless of state.
- Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026
- In force since 1 April 2026, superseding the 2016 rules. Four-way segregation at source, and registration plus wet-waste duties for bulk waste generators.
- C&D Waste Rules, 2025
- Construction and demolition waste is stored separately on your own premises and handled under its own rules, not the solid waste rules.
- State consents and authorisations
- Issued by MPCB for Mumbai — a separate track from EPR registration, and the one that inspections come through.
Waste management FAQ
Mumbai — questions we get
Straight answers on who's responsible, obligations and where to start.
Talk to our team →Who is responsible for waste management in Mumbai?
Under the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, the local authority responsible for municipal solid waste in Mumbai — a municipal corporation or council, a panchayat, or the administration, depending on the area — handles its segregation, collection and scientific processing. Separately, bulk waste generators (premises producing 100+ kg/day) must process wet waste on-site. We support both local bodies and private generators.
Do bulk waste generators in Mumbai have to process waste on-site?
Yes. Any premises in Mumbai generating 100+ kg/day — large housing societies, campuses, hotels, malls and institutions — is a bulk waste generator required to segregate at source and process wet waste on-site or through an authorised facility, and hand over dry and reject waste responsibly.
How can a city in Mumbai improve its Swachh Survekshan or GFC Star Rating?
Both are scored on source segregation, collection coverage, scientific processing, dumpsite remediation and citizen feedback. We run the baseline, map the gaps ward by ward, and design the documentation and dashboards these assessments look for — so the score reflects real, verifiable progress.
Where should a waste project in Mumbai start?
With a baseline — what Mumbai generates, how it's handled today, and where the gaps are. Every next step (collection, processing, IEC, targets) builds on that ground truth. It's the first thing we do.
Does Social Lab work on the ground in Mumbai?
Yes — we deliver waste assessments, collection systems, processing, IEC, waste-picker integration and independent monitoring & evaluation on the ground, with a track record across 80+ cities, including work in and around Mumbai.
Who we work with in Mumbai
Tailored to who you are
Different partners need different things from waste circularity — pick yours to see exactly how we help.
Insights & field notes
All insights →Latest thinking on this
Waste CircularityIndia's Circularity Leap: Key Learnings for Waste Management in 2026As India accelerates its transition to a circular economy, businesses and municipalities must adapt. Discover critical waste circularity learnings for 2026.
Waste CircularityMaterial Sovereignty in India: Building Resilient Circular Supply ChainsIndia can strengthen material security by connecting smarter design, EPR, urban recovery, recycling quality and demand for verified secondary materials.
Waste CircularityBuilding a Circular City: A Solid-Waste Roadmap for ULBsA practical, phase-by-phase solid-waste roadmap for Indian ULBs to move from disposal to circularity, aligned with SWM Rules 2016 and SBM-U 2.0, covering the full value chain from segregation to scientific disposal. Let’s talk
Planning a waste project in Mumbai?
We start with a baseline and run it to measured impact. Book a quick project scoping.
Or call +91 95794 42142 · [email protected]