Plastic & Solid Waste (Pollution).
Syllabus: UPSC Pre GS1: Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity & Climate Change; Mains GS3
Plastic pollution for UPSC: India's plastic waste, microplastics, PWM Rules 2016, single-use plastic ban, EPR, the global treaty talks and PYQs.
On 2 October 2026 the Mumbai Port Authority declared its Jawahar Dweep Marine Oil Terminal plastic-free, making it India's first plastic-free oil terminal. The Union Ports Minister marked it at the port's Swachhata Abhiyan on Gandhi Jayanti, honoured sanitation workers and dedicated the port's Oil Spill Response facilities to the nation.
UPSC angle: Mains: Green port initiatives.
2 Oct 2026
On 1 October 2026 the Petroleum Minister launched GOBARdhan, a Central Sector Scheme for compressed biogas (CBG) approved by the Cabinet on 6 August 2026 with ₹23,731 crore. It runs from 2026-27 to 2035-36 and aims to raise domestic CBG output nearly 10-fold to about 5 MMSCMD through assured offtake, a fixed price, capital aid and pipeline support.
UPSC angle: Prelims: scheme type, outlay, target. · Mains: CBG as a circular-economy solution.
1 Oct 2026
A PIB backgrounder of 27 September 2026 shows how Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 turns organic waste into energy. Prayagraj's bio-CNG plant takes 343 tonnes of waste a day, a Gwalior gaushala makes compressed biogas from dung, and a Hyderabad market runs its streetlights on vegetable waste.
UPSC angle: Prelims: anaerobic digestion; by-products. · Mains: Waste-to-energy's promise and pitfalls in Indian cities.
27 Sep 2026
On 24 September 2026 the Department of Biotechnology launched the commercial use of bio-based biodegradable plastic made of Polylactic Acid (PLA) under the BioE3 framework. A ₹75 crore BIRAC grant supports a 100 TPA pilot R&D facility for PLA and co-polymers by Balrampur Chini Mills at Kumbhi, Uttar Pradesh.
UPSC angle: Prelims: PLA feedstock; BioE3 expansion.
24 Sep 2026
India is hosting the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, from 15 to 18 September 2026, the first time in South Asia. The theme is "Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity". It is organised by CPCB, Finland's innovation fund Sitra, MoEFCC, the Gujarat Government and GPCB, with over 2,000 stakeholders from 65+ countries.
UPSC angle: Prelims: WCEF host and theme.
13 Sep 2026
On 12 September 2026 a 1.85-km road at Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, built with processed steel slag aggregates by CSIR-CRRI and Jindal Steel, got the Guinness World Record for the longest such road. The Science Minister said the technology can cut construction cost by about 40 per cent, give four times the strength, and need major maintenance only after about 15 years.
UPSC angle: Prelims: CSIR-CRRI; steel slag uses.
12 Sep 2026