BIOMINING OF LEGACY WASTE

India is struggling to manage its waste. The dumpsites and landfills, besides causing harm to the environment, are a public health menace. Over the past few years, government policies have been focusing on alternatives to ensure that this waste is reused, recycled, or upcycled.

Bio-mining is one such option. It is the scientific process of excavation, treatment, segregation, and gainful utilization of municipal solid waste lying in dumpsites typically referred to as legacy waste -- waste that has been collected and kept for years at some barren land or landfills. It has two major benefits -- it helps us reuse materials that are harming the environment, and it also frees up lands and dumpsites that can be used for various other purposes.