BSWML authorises single private firm to collect bulk waste in Bengaluru North and East

Bengaluru: Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) has authorised private firm Ecosphere Waste Solutions to collect waste from bulk generators across the Bengaluru North and East city corporation limits, including cross-boundary areas, with immediate effect.

The BSWML has clarified that no other operator has been empanelled or authorised to handle bulk waste in these two corporations.

Ecosphere Waste Solutions is a subsidiary of Mukka Proteins Ltd, a company that specialises in converting organic waste into protein-rich animal feed and natural fertiliser using the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) technique.

However, the move effectively leaves bulk waste generators, such as large apartment complexes, commercial establishments, and office spaces, with no alternative service provider, even if the agency’s performance falls short.

The authorised firm is expected not only to deploy an adequate fleet of vehicles for collection and transportation, but also to significantly scale up its processing capacity to handle the volume of waste generated.

In a public notice issued on December 17, BSWML stated that all bulk waste generators (BWGs) — residential, commercial, and institutional — must mandatorily engage the notified agency for the collection, transportation, processing, and disposal of waste, in compliance with the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016, and the SWM Bye-laws, 2020.

The notice further warned that disposal of waste through unauthorised vendors would attract penalties under the SWM Bye-laws, environmental compensation as per the Central Pollution Control Board guidelines, and action under the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024.

According to BSWML, the empanelment followed due diligence and aligns with directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), particularly the implementation of the “polluter pays” principle.

Bulk waste generators are also required to pay user fees, with the state government having capped the maximum service charge at Rs 12 per kg through a notification dated March 4, 2025. In addition, bulk waste generators must file annual returns with BSWML as prescribed under the bye-laws.

The notice adds that where no other authorised waste processor is available in adjoining areas of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), bulk waste generators may enter into a mutually agreed legal arrangement with the notified agency. “However, unauthorised disposal will not be permitted under any circumstances,” it stated.

Notably, the notice does not specify the processing capacity of the private agency or whether its existing infrastructure is adequate to handle the daily volume of waste generated.