Description

Disclaimer: Copyright infringement not intended.

Context

The Central Pollution Control Board has recently introduced a new category of industries called the ‘Blue Category’, which falls under Essential Environmental Services.

Details

Aspect	Details
What is Blue Washing?	A deceptive practice where highly polluting industries are presented as eco friendly by reclassifying them under less polluting categories.
Recent Context	CPCB reclassified Waste to Energy incineration from the Red Category (highly polluting) to the Blue Category (under Essential Environmental Services).
Purpose of Blue Category	To include certain Essential Environmental Services like composting, biogas plants, sewage treatment plants and material recovery facilities.
Concern	Inclusion of WTE incineration despite being highly polluting is seen as an example of blue washing.
Pollution Index (PI)	A measure (0–100) introduced by MoEFCC to classify industries: White (0–20): Least polluting Green (21–40) Orange (41–59) Red (60–100): Most polluting
Previous PI of WTE	97.6 – indicating highly polluting, due to emissions like SOx, NOx, HCl, PM, dioxins, furans and toxic effluents.
How WTE Works	Burns mixed municipal solid waste to produce steam which drives turbines to generate electricity, similar to thermal plants.
Environmental Impact of WTE	Higher CO₂ emissions per unit of electricity than coal Releases carcinogens Generates hazardous fly and bottom ash Contributes to air pollution e.g. Delhi AQI
Social Impact	Displaces waste pickers Increases financial burden on urban local bodies
Scientific Opposition	CSIR-NEERI: WTE violates SWM Rules 2016 and contradicts circular economy principles. CPCB’s own criteria exclude industries emitting hazardous waste from Blue Category eligibility.
Circular Economy Violation	WTE discourages segregation, reuse and recycling of waste thus undermining circular economy goals.
Current Criticism	The reclassification is viewed as regressive, unscientific and a potential enabler of environmental degradation.

Important Terminologies

Term	Explanation
Blue Washing	A misleading branding strategy used to present polluting industries as environmentally responsible.
Essential Environmental Services	Services that aid environmental management like sewage treatment, composting etc.
Waste-to-Energy	A technology that burns waste to generate electricity but has high environmental costs.
Pollution Index	A composite score (0–100) based on emissions, effluents, hazardous waste and resource use.

Sources:

DOWNTOEARTH

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. The concept of blue washing reflects the challenges of ensuring transparency and accountability in environmental regulation. Discuss how institutional mechanisms can be strengthened to prevent such practices. 250 Words.