In purely environmental terms, Agra and the Taj Mahal have had their share of concerns and controversies, ranging from pollution of the Yamuna to discoloration of the much-venerated monument. A new research by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the New Delhi-based think tank, has opened up a new front in the city’s struggle against environmental pollution and ecological mayhem.
Agra’s claim to fame also rests on the city being the largest footwear manufacturing hub in India. Catering to about 65 per cent of India’s domestic demand, the city churns out 0.9 to one million pairs of footwear every day. Such a scale of production comes with its own set of challenges – the city produces about 45 tonne of footwear waste in a day, says the assessment by CSE. This is in addition to the 978 tonne of municipal solid waste generated every day, comprising of wet, dry, domestic hazardous and sanitary wastes.
CSE recently released the study and its findings here at a stakeholder conference organised in association with the Agra Municipal Corporation. Speaking at the event about the genesis of the research study, Atin Biswas, programme director of CSE’s Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy unit, said: “CSE has been working closely with the Agra Municipal Corporation to devise solutions for managing the historic city’s municipal waste. As part of this association, CSE undertook this year-long research to assess the ground reality of footwear waste management in Agra.”
Biswas added: “The CSE team mapped manufacturing units, estimated footwear waste generation, did characterisation studies to quantify the presence of different footwear waste fractions in terms of quantity and percentage, determined their calorific values, gained an understanding of current management and disposal practices and explored potential solutions. The result is this comprehensive report – Footwear Waste Management in Agra: A Ground Assessment.”
The event in Agra was attended by over 70 participants from the Agra Municipal Corporation (AMC) and its associates, the Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME), the National SC/ST Hub, the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), the Central Footwear Training Institute (CFTI) and associations of footwear manufacturers.
Agra has 6,821 footwear manufacturing units – both formal and informal. Says Kuldeep Choudhary, programme officer and the lead author of the CSE report: “Typically, footwear waste includes a very diverse range of waste items from leather, textile (polyester, viscose), synthetic polymers (polyvinyl chloride, ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), polyurethane (PU) and thermoplastic elastomers), hazardous wastes (foam soaked in adhesive solution), cardboard, metal and fines. Of the total quantum of footwear waste generated, over 31 tonne per day is contributed by the formal manufacturing industries; more than 13 tonne comes from the informal manufacturers who run their businesses from homes.”
The CSE report says that AMC is able to collect about 57 per cent of the footwear waste generated by the home-based informal sector; the remaining 43 per cent is littered across the city in drains and open spaces or event burnt. The formal manufacturing units have reportedly tied up with formal and informal waste dealers and management professionals to manage their waste.
Speaking at the meeting, Brajesh Kumar Yadav, deputy director, MoMSME, Government of India, said: “This report will definitely be useful to understand the challenges in the light of the mapping and assessment data. We shall review the report internally to explore how best the issue can be addressed focusing on local-level solutions.” Pankaj Bhushan, environmental engineer, AMC echoed similar sentiments: “The Agra Municipal Corporation will review the report, discuss the recommendations and initiate short, medium and long term actions to more efficiently manage the pre-consumer footwear waste in the city. We shall also explore institutions which can possibly partner with the city corporation to reinforce the drive.”
Choudhary points out: “The larger share of Agra’s footwear industry is informal in nature and operates under challenging conditions, but this presents a unique opportunity to uplift these communities. By providing financial aid, hands-on support in transitioning to sustainable practices, and raising awareness about the impact of poor waste management, we can foster positive change. Many organizations working on the ground with right kind of support from the government, can play a crucial role in driving this transformation towards a more sustainable future.”
The way ahead
Atin Biswas from CSE says: “Considering the scale of production and footwear waste generation in Agra, special mechanisms including additional funding and infrastructure must be provided to help the municipal corporation manage this waste. More research is needed to explore the recycling-reuse-repurpose potential of the footwear waste fractions to create a business ecosystem.”
Speaking at the event, Puran Dawar, president, Agra Footwear Manufacturing Export Chambers (AFMEC), said: “It is critical to understand the current methods of segregation, and design a collection system with support from the Agra Municipal Corporation. The cost of collection can be recovered by imposing applicable fees to footwear manufacturing units in Agra. The municipal corporation can also explore a mechanism if footwear waste could be purchased in bulk quantity for further and needful actions.”
Abhikaam Singh Pippal, president of the Juta Dastkar Federation, pointed out: “We must understand the challenges faced by home-based shoe manufacturing units. Their working capital is very small and they operate in very small areas with limited space for storage of discarded footwear waste. We welcome initiatives for capacity building of these units to enable them to operate an integrated waste management facility. The Agra Municipal Corporation and CSE may jointly facilitate such a process. We need support from the government to provide advanced machines for these units to reduce their waste generation.”
The others who also spoke at the meet included Rajesh Sehgal, vice president of AFMEC, Opinder Singh Lovely, president, Agra Shoe Manufacturers Association, and Sudesh Kumar Yadav, chief sanitary and food inspector and co-incharge of Swachh Bharat Mission in AMC.
The CSE report has put forward a range of recommendations on the subject:
Develop a comprehensive database (inventory) of all footwear manufacturing units in Agra (both formal and informal); ensure all units are geotagged and registered with ANN
Amend existing bye-laws to address footwear waste management, covering aspects like collection, transportation, processing, disposal, fines and penalty clauses
Deploy a dedicated fleet and personnel for regular collection
Implement strict monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to penalise units that dispose of waste improperly, such as dumping in drains, open plots or unauthorised areas
Develop protocols for managing hazardous waste
Collaborate with institutions like CFTI and DIC to conduct awareness campaigns and provide training to manufacturers on waste management best practices; conduct regular clean-up drives in affected areas
Encourage home-based businesses to switch from traditional methods to mechanised processes to reduce waste, by providing financial aid through government institutions and incentives; include them in government credit and social schemes to improve their operations and waste management practices
Promote the reuse of footwear waste materials to create other products (such as keychains or doormats) and support upcycling projects through self-help groups or local industries
Advocate for safer working environments in home-based businesses by encouraging the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), proper ventilation and safer alternatives to hazardous chemicals
Establish integrated facilities where small manufacturers can send their waste for recycling or repurposing, reducing the environmental impact and creating additional revenue streams — PPP models can be adopted for this
Implement a system for regular reporting and assessment of footwear waste management practices, enabling continuous improvement and adaptation of strategies as needed
According to Siddharth G Singh, programme manager with CSE’s Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy team: “A sustainable footwear waste management system must be driven by the principle of ‘polluter pays’, just the way the entire extended producer responsibility – EPR — policy for plastic packaging waste is formulated. The footwear manufacturing sector must be prepared to take on its share of responsibility to help the Agra Municipal Corporation in collection, transportation and scientific management of the pre-consumer waste for a sustainable ecosystem.”
