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CPCB’s “Blue Category” Concerns: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reclassified Waste-to-Energy (WTE) incineration, previously in the highly polluting “red category”, into a new “blue category” based on Essential Environmental Services (EES).
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“Bluewashing” Accusations: This reclassification is criticized as “bluewashing” because it misleadingly portrays WTE incineration as environmentally friendly despite burning unsegregated waste. This mirrors greenwashing, but focuses on social and economic responsibility.
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WTE Incineration & Pollution: WTE incineration generates “dirty electricity” and is a polluting activity, contradicting its new categorization.
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CPCB Rationale & Implications: The CPCB has introduced a “blue category” for industries, which would be considered as EES to ease regulatory burden and give consent to pollute for longer duration.
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Industry Categorization for decision-making: The categorization is based on Pollution Index (PI) which considers emissions, effluents, waste and resources. The categories vary from White (least polluting) to Red (most polluting).
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Bluewashing Tactics: Bluewashing uses vague claims, selective disclosure, symbolic affiliations, and misleading certifications to create a false impression of ethical practices without true action.
