Thane: Four-way waste segregation will be made mandatory for all housing societies and bulk waste generators in Thane under the Centre’s Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026. A phased rollout of the campaign, titled ‘Four Bin, Thane Clean’, will begin in Oct after the policy is finalised. Currently, there is a two-bin system in place.Households and commercial establishments will have to segregate waste at source into four colour-coded bins before handing it over to civic workers—green for wet waste, blue for dry, red for sanitary waste, and black for toxic and e-waste, including batteries and bulbs.“The move will streamline waste processing, improve recycling and significantly reduce the volume of garbage reaching dumping grounds,” said Madhukar Bodke, deputy municipal commissioner (solid waste management).The campaign was launched by Thane mayor Sharmila Pimpalkar. The new norms were outlined at a workshop to familiarise civic staff with the updated rules and legal provisions on scientific waste management.The announcement, however, sparked concerns among residents of older housing societies, who said finding space for four separate bins will be a major challenge.Health officer Dr Rani Shinde said SWM Rules, 2026, mandate segregation at source, door-to-door collection and scientific processing of waste, while banning open dumping and burning. The rules also provide for user charges, penalties for violations, grievance redressal mechanisms and safeguards for sanitation workers.The regulations apply to all urban local bodies, govt and private institutions, residential and commercial establishments, industrial areas, special economic zones, airports, railway stations and ports.Large establishments with a built-up area of at least 20,000sqm, daily water consumption exceeding 40,000 litres or waste generation above 100kg a day must register as bulk waste generators with Central Pollution Control Board and process wet waste on their premises.
