Downloads: 0
Research Paper | Environmental Engineering | Volume 15 Issue 2, February 2026 | Pages: 1302 - 1316 | India
Mathematical Modelling of Industrial Waste Flow in Closed-Loop Manufacturing Systems
Abstract: Industrial waste management in India faces significant challenges despite regulatory frameworks and infrastructure investments, with substantial discrepancies between reported recycling rates and actual material recovery. This study employs a dual-stream material flow model to quantify waste generation, recycling, and disposal pathways across Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu during 2019-2025, explicitly distinguishing between formal institutional mechanisms and informal recovery networks. Using Central Pollution Control Board data supplemented by secondary sources on informal sector activities, the analysis reveals that informal recycling contributes 76.1% of hazardous waste recovery and 56.2% of solid waste recovery despite operating largely unrecognized in official statistics. Correlation analysis demonstrates strong negative relationships between recycling rates and landfilled waste (r = -0.907 overall), with Gujarat and Maharashtra achieving near-perfect inverse correlations while Tamil Nadu exhibits greater variability. Spatial analysis positions these states among India's top waste generators, with Maharashtra producing the highest volumes (22,945-24,122 TPD), yet Gujarat demonstrates exceptional recycling efficiency (93.2-98.6%), indicating that institutional capacity outweighs absolute waste volumes in determining success. The dual-stream model reveals gaps of 15.8-40.1 percentage points between theoretical recycling potential and observed outcomes, quantifying the costs of exclusionary governance. Sensitivity analysis confirms that marginal improvements in informal sector integration yield significantly higher returns than equivalent formal infrastructure investments. These findings challenge assumptions that India's waste management inadequacy stems from technological deficiencies, instead highlighting fragmented governance, lack of formal recognition for informal workers, and weak institutional linkages as primary constraints. The study recommends systemic reforms including formal recognition of informal contributions, hybrid integration models, enhanced data transparency, and institutional coordination to achieve effective, inclusive, and circular waste management.
Keywords: Industrial waste management, informal recycling, dual-stream material flow model, waste governance, circular economy, India
How to Cite?: Aditya Borele, "Mathematical Modelling of Industrial Waste Flow in Closed-Loop Manufacturing Systems", Volume 15 Issue 2, February 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1302-1316, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26218181037, DOI: https://dx.dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26218181037