Bangalore generates 3,000 tonnes of waste everyday from households and commercial establishments. Around 70% of this waste is organic. The balance is accounted for by inorganic and hazardous waste.

The collection and disposal systems in the city can best be described as dismal  with the Solid Waste Management and Handling Rules (2000) remaining largely ignored.

The issue involved are:

• Poor implementation of Solid Waste Management and Handling Rules 2001
• Waste is unnecessarily transported to the city outskirts only to cause pollution on account of open burning
• Local composting of organic waste is restricted to a handful of private initiatives
• Practically no attempts are being made to introduce waste segregation at source
• Since there is no waste segregation taking place at source, retrieval of recyclable material is very difficult
• Burning of waste takes place routinely all over the city even in crowded residential areas
• There is practically no recycling possibility for low quality plastic products incl. cups, thin carry bags, packaging material and mineral water bottles
• Existing recycling units are very polluting  and are in urgent need of up-gradation