Andhra Pradesh plans to establish three circular economy parks

The state will also bring a policy on the circular economy to strengthen the waste management system in the state.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to finalise the policy within two months.

Conducting a review of circular economy strategies with officials at the Secretariat, with discussions focused on wealth creation from waste and the reuse of resources, he called for increased deployment of modern machinery in waste-to-energy plants. Also ordering immediate clearance of legacy waste, he asked for an action plan on waste segregation and recycling to be submitted within 90 days.

The meeting also reviewed the proposals from the Material Recycling Association of India regarding the establishment of circular economy parks. In the first phase, a park will be set up on 400 acres in Visakhapatnam, designed to meet international standards.

The Chief Minister suggested studying similar parks in other countries and attracting significant investments through these initiatives.

He directed officials to develop a comprehensive plan focusing on 11 sectors identified by the Central government under the circular economy framework: municipal waste, vehicles, lithium batteries, gypsum, tyres, rubber, electronics, agriculture, industry, and aqua waste. Additionally, he instructed that the departments of mining, handlooms, and animal husbandry also be included. Urban and rural local bodies should strive to achieve the goal of zero waste.

To encourage best practices, the Chief Minister proposed that 'Swachhta' awards be introduced from October 2 next year for individuals and institutions demonstrating excellence in waste management. Awards will be distributed across categories such as local bodies, self-help groups, anganwadis, schools and colleges, bus stands, hospitals, NGOs, and other organisations.

He directed that single-use plastics be completely banned in four major cities, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Tirupati, and Rajahmundry, along with 17 other municipal corporations by October 2, this year. He called for increased usage of cloth bags in these areas. Furthermore, 157 Reduce-Reuse-Recycle centres are to be established across 87 urban locations.

Officials briefed the Chief Minister that a total of 52 waste clusters have been established across the state, with two in each district, covering urban and panchayat areas. Every year, Andhra Pradesh generates 36,588 tonnes of battery and automotive waste, 61,996 tonnes of plastic and PET bottle waste, 23,928 litres of engine and hydraulic oil waste, and 59,654 metric tonnes of tyre and rubber waste.

Agriculture contributes over 4 million metric tonnes of waste annually, while the livestock, aqua, and poultry sectors together generate 34.7 million metric tonnes. In rural areas, 1,329 metric tonnes of waste are generated daily from 8.8 million households.

The meeting was told that effective implementation of the circular economy model in Andhra Pradesh could boost the state’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) by an estimated Rs. 15,000 crore annually. Additionally, it would allow the supply of materials worth Rs 10,000 crore to the manufacturing sector. This value addition is expected to generate Rs. 3,000 crore annually in GST revenue.