Circular Economy-Based Business Model in India for Sustainable Industrial Hazardous Waste Management

Abstract

India generates 7.81 Mt/yr of hazardous waste, 68.6 Mt/yr of municipal solid waste, yet its thermal substitution rate (TSR) in cement kilns remains at 2.5%, far below the global average of 15% and leaders such as the Netherlands (83%) and Austria (80%). The Indian cement sector contributes approximately 7% of national CO₂ emissions, presenting a significant mitigation opportunity through alternative fuels and raw materials (AFR) co processing. This paper quantifies greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions achieved through an integrated pre processing and co-processing pathway for industrial hazardous waste in cement kilns, based on a 14-year (2012 2026) case study of Green Gene Enviro Protection & Infrastructure Ltd. (GGEPIL). Using IPCC 2006/2019 Tier 1 methodology aligned with ISO 14064-2:2019, WBCSD-CSI GCCA v3.1, and UNFCCC CDM ACM0003 frameworks, a comparative assessment was conducted between (dedicated incinerator + 100% coal-fired kiln) against integrated co-processing pathways. Results demonstrate a cumulative net GHG abatement of 0.911 Mt CO₂e over the study period from co-processing 1.638 Mt of hazardous waste, displacing 950 kt of coal and eliminating 65.53 ML of light diesel oil (LDO). Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis yields a 95% confidence interval of 2.02–2.28 Mt CO₂e with ±16% uncertainty. The specific abatement factor of 1.11 t CO₂e/MT waste positions this pathway at the upper bound of published literature ranges. Coal displacement accounts for 93% of total benefits, while incinerator elimination contributes 7%. These findings underscore that pre-processing infrastructure- not waste availability- is rate-limiting step for scaling India’s TSR, aligning climate mitigation, energy security, and circular economy objectives.