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Green, blue, red, black: Now, Chandigarh residents to segregate waste into 4 bins
Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) has officially rolled out the four-bin waste segregation system, under the revised Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, which means residents will have to start segregating their waste into four bins, instead of just wet and dry.
From now on, sorting your waste into dry and wet categories won’t do. The Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) has officially rolled out the four-bin waste segregation system, under the revised Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, which means residents will have to start segregating their waste into four bins – wet waste in green bins, dry in blue, sanitary in red and special (hazardous waste such as batteries) in black.
The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, came into force from April 1 and are now being implemented in the city. The idea is to promote scientific disposal practices across the city.
Municipal commissioner Amit Kumar has directed the medical officer of health and sanitary inspectors to ensure 100% implementation on the ground, and said strict action will be taken against officials as well as residents in case of violations. Residents failing to adopt segregation practices could face penalties up to ₹14,000 under the prescribed rules.
Field staff have also been instructed to closely monitor compliance, and issue challans wherever necessary.
“The four-bin system is a crucial reform towards sustainable waste management and environmental protection. Strict adherence is non-negotiable,” Kumar said.
Spare a thought for sanitary workers
Residents have also been directed to handle sanitary and special waste with additional care. Used sanitary items such as diapers and sanitary pads must be securely wrapped in pouches provided by manufacturers or in suitable wrapping material to ensure safe handling by sanitation workers.
The guidelines further classify special (hazardous) household waste to include items such as discarded paint containers, pesticide bottles, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), tube lights, expired medicines, broken mercury thermometers, batteries, and used needles or syringes. Such waste must be segregated separately and disposed of in black bins, in line with norms notified by the Central Pollution Control Board.
Focus on segregation at source, with eye on Swachh rankings
The new system places strong emphasis on segregation at source, a key gap in the earlier framework that often led to mixed waste reaching dumping sites, reducing recycling efficiency and increasing environmental risks.
Chandigarh’s performance on segregation at source in recent Swachh Survekshan rankings has actually been a major weak spot, despite otherwise high cleanliness rankings. Chandigarh scored only about 14% under the ‘segregation at source’ head of the rankings.
Bulk generators to process wet waste at source
Bulk waste generators, including group housing societies, institutions and commercial establishments, have been directed to process wet waste at source, while construction and demolition waste must be stored and disposed of separately as per norms.
The civic body has also urged citizens to cooperate by segregating waste at source, avoiding open dumping, disposing of waste in a timely manner, spreading awareness and reporting violations
