Eco-smart plastic waste to energy solutions for Indian railways: current scenario, challenges and future footprints

Indian Railways (IR) is the third largest in the world and an economic transportation mode in India. A recent report by the Central Pollution Control Board, Government of India revealed that most of the IR stations were unable to comply with the norms of solid waste management especially on treatment of plastic waste. Hence, this study is aimed to explore potential plastic waste resources/generation across Indian Railway Units (IRUs) and to recommend eco-smart energy solutions to improve plastic waste management at IRUs. Significant problems related to collection, segregation, and treatment of railway mixed plastic waste were addressed. Recent initiatives by IR to eradicate the plastic pollution in IRUs were highlighted in the study. Eco-smart solutions such as financial rewarding system, concession in railway ticket price, priority reservation during booking of railway tickets, converting the unsegregated waste into valuable products of railway platform tiles, pavements, and bricks were recommended. Finally, the study provides a comprehensive perspective of plastic waste to energy conversion in terms of plasto-oil, plasto-char, and plasto-gas products.