Abstract

Rapid urbanisation, tourism growth, and changing consumption patterns have made municipal solid waste (MSW) management a critical civic challenge in Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry), a Union Territory on India’s south-eastern coast. This paper presents a systematic review of published research, government reports, and grey literature on the generation, composition, collection, and recycling of waste found on Puducherry’s streets, situating local findings against national and global statistics. Sixty-one records were initially identified through structured searches of academic databases and institutional repositories; after removing duplicates and screening for relevance, 19 studies and reports met the inclusion criteria and were synthesised narratively following a PRISMA-informed protocol. Results show that Puducherry Urban Agglomeration generates approximately 350-530 tonnes of municipal solid waste per day, with a per-capita generation rate historically around 0.59 kg/capita/day, dominated by biodegradable material (about 65%) followed by paper, plastics, and other dry recyclables. Formal doorto-door collection and composting programmes coexist with a substantial informal recycling economy of waste pickers and scrap dealers who intercept dry recyclables before they reach dumpsites. Compared with global recycling rates below 20% and India’s national processing rate of roughly 50-79%, Puducherry’s performance is mixed: source segregation and NGO-led awareness programmes have mproved outcomes in some wards, yet open dumping, leachate contamination near disposal sites, and incomplete segregation persist. The discussion identifies infrastructure, behavioural, and governance gaps and situates Puducherry within India’s Swachh Bharat Mission trajectory. The review concludes that a scaled-up, decentralised, and formally integrated recycling model—combining source segregation, material recovery facilities, and legal recognition of informal waste

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