The revenue was generated through the disposal of scrap, including electronic waste, collected from various ministries and departments during five annual Special Swachhata (cleanliness) campaigns conducted since 2021

The Central government has earned more than Rs 4,085 crore and 24 lakh through the disposal of scrap, including electronic waste, generated from various ministries and departments as part of five annual Special Swachhata (cleanliness) campaigns conducted since 2021, Union Minister Jitendra Singh announced on Saturday.

The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology said the initiative, undertaken every October since 2021, has not only generated significant revenue but also freed up 231.75 lakh square feet of office space previously occupied by waste materials, redundant files, and obsolete furniture.

“Through these dedicated one-month cleanliness drives, we have turned waste into wealth,” Singh said, adding that the revenue generated from scrap sales could equal the budget of a major space mission or even fund multiple Chandrayaan missions.

The Special Swachhata Campaign, launched on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is held annually from October 2 to October 31 to coincide with the Gandhi Jayanti period. Ministries and departments are required to conduct intensive cleanliness and record management exercises and report their outcomes.

Singh recalled that Prime Minister Modi’s call for a “Swachh Bharat” from the Red Fort in 2014 transformed into a mass movement, leading to large-scale sanitation and waste management efforts across the country. Over time, the campaign expanded from physical waste clearance to include electronic scrap disposal, generating additional revenue for the government.

Providing a timeline, Singh said the cumulative revenue from the campaign rose to Rs 3,300 crore by the end of Special Swachhata Campaign 4.0 last year. This year’s fifth edition, held in October 2025, added another Rs 788.53 crore, taking the total earnings beyond Rs 4,085 crore.

The minister also highlighted ongoing “Waste to Wealth” initiatives by the Ministry of Science and Technology, which include recycling of hospital waste using a CSIR-NIIST Thiruvananthapuram technology deployed at AIIMS New Delhi, recycling of used cooking oil by CSIR-IIP Dehradun, and the use of steel sludge for road construction developed by CSIR-CRRI New Delhi.

Singh said these efforts underline India’s growing focus on sustainable waste management and innovation-driven environmental solutions, converting what was once considered waste into productive economic assets.