MPCB Proposes Expansion Of Blue Category To Boost Circular Economy

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has sent a proposal to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to expand the scope of the Blue Category industries and include eight additional establishments providing essential environmental services. The objective is promoting the circular economy, strengthening the Ease of Doing Business, and attract greater investment in state's industrial sector while ensuring environmental compliance.

What Blue Category Covers

The CPCB classifies industries into Red, Orange, Green and White categories based on their pollution potential and grants consents accordingly. To enable industries to commence operations with minimal documentation and in a shorter time frame, the CPCB introduced an additional Blue Category in February 2025. This category covers essential environmental facilities and services such as municipal solid waste management facilities, including composting plants, waste-to-energy projects, bio-mining units, biogas plants and material recovery facilities), construction and demolition waste management centres, domestic sewage treatment plants, and facilities required for municipal waste disposal.

Eight New Services Proposed

"Going beyond the CPCB framework, the MPCB has included eight additional essential services in the Blue Category. These include plastic waste recycling units, PET bottle recycling facilities, e-waste dismantling units, sanitary e-waste management plants, among others. The move is expected to provide fresh momentum to the circular economy in Maharashtra and encourage sustainable industrial practices," the MPCB said in its statement on Friday.

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Extended Consent Validity

"Establishments included under the Blue Category will also be eligible for an additional two-year extension beyond the original consent validity period. A proposal seeking approval for the inclusion of these eight allied establishments has been forwarded to the CPCB," the MPCB said.

Leadership and Policy Backing

The initiative has been driven under the guidance of MPCB Chairman Siddhesh Kadam, who has emphasised industry-friendly governance, and the policy decision was supported by a strategic study conducted by the Member Secretary M. Devender Singh, which is expected to attract greater investment into Maharashtra’s industrial sector while ensuring environmental compliance, officials said.

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