Who may qualify as a Bulk Waste Generator?
Check all three independently. Crossing any one relevant threshold may trigger BWG responsibilities under the rules. The 100 kg/day criterion concerns solid waste generated, not necessarily only food waste.
| Criterion | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Building floor area | 20,000 m² or more |
| Daily water consumption | 40,000 litres/day or more |
| Daily solid waste generation | 100 kg/day or more |
Thresholds and definitions should be checked against the notified rules and applicable local-body instructions.
Four waste streams: source segregation is the first control
The rules require separation into wet waste, dry waste, sanitary waste and special care waste. An organic waste converter processes only suitable segregated biodegradable feedstock, not medical/sanitary waste, chemicals, batteries or general mixed waste.
- Wet: suitable kitchen, food, garden and floral biodegradable fractions.
- Dry: recyclable paper, plastic, metal, glass and other dry material.
- Sanitary: diapers, sanitary products and other wrapped sanitary waste.
- Special care: applicable household hazardous and special items routed separately.
Compliance checklist before buying a machine
Start by recording actual waste streams and the site’s local authority requirements. Verify registration/reporting responsibilities, authorised collection arrangements, space, safe operations and the final output/disposal pathway before issuing an OWC purchase order.
- Measure total waste and segregated wet waste separately.
- Check the current CPCB/state/local authority rules and portal requirements.
- Confirm whether on-site processing or authorised off-site arrangements are applicable.
- Plan curing, housekeeping, storage and rejected-waste handling.
- Document process logs, training and vendor commissioning records.
Does every BWG need an OWC machine?
No blanket answer follows simply from BWG status. The suitable route depends on the notified rules, permitted local arrangements, segregated waste volume, access to authorised processors and site constraints. An OWC may be one operational component of compliance, rather than compliance itself.
Do not make a procurement decision solely from a vendor claim that an OWC “guarantees SWM compliance”.
Official sources and practical site planning
Read the CPCB central SWM portal and Gazette notification for authoritative wording. For machine sizing and facility planning see BWG site planning, capacity selection and installation requirements.
When the question becomes model-specific
This guide stays general. For exact figures on a particular machine, these published pages from the COMPOSTO range are the reference.
Want a second opinion on your site?
Send your site type, city and measured daily wet waste. The COMPOSTO technical team replies with the capacity and checks worth doing next.