Blue Washing:
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has recently introduced a new category of industries called the ‘Blue Category’, which falls under Essential Environmental Services (EES).
- ‘Blue Washing’ refers to the practice of portraying polluting industries as environmentally friendly by categorising them under less polluting or cleaner industry labels.
- This term is now used to describe the reclassification of highly polluting Waste-to-Energy (WTE) incineration industries by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) into the new ‘Blue Category’.
- The ‘Blue Category’ is introduced as part of a subset of EES activities like composting, biogas plants, sewage treatment, and material recovery facilities.
- Waste-to-Energy (WTE) incineration, previously under the ‘Red Category’ with a Pollution Index (PI) of 6, is now reclassified as a ‘Blue Category’ industry.
- WTE incineration burns mixed municipal solid waste (MSW) to produce heat and electricity.
- It generates energy through turbine-driven steam, similar to coal plants, but emits more CO₂
