Waste Management in Asia

Waste Management In Asia

Waste Management in Asia: Two decades of solid economic growth have added to the problems of waste management in most Asian countries. Estimates provided by ministry of environment, government of Japan (2006) on waste management in Asia estimate that Asia generated more than 3 billion Tons of solid waste in the year 2000 and the figure will most likely go up to 9 billion tons by 2050. The environment program of the United Nations has estimated that waste generation in East Asia and the Pacific region has been increasing at the rate of 3%-7% on a yearly basis.

The increase in volume of waste generated by Asian countries pose an immense challenge to the welfare and growth of countries located in this region. According to an article on waste management in developing Asia by Amit Ray (Indian Economic Service, New Delhi) and the data from the Basel convention most Asian countries (Excluding Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea) will see significant rise in per capita waste generation.

The two growth pillars of the Asian Continent, India and China with their huge population and every growing demand for consumer goods require immediate attention. China is already the world’s biggest municipal waste generator. China generated about 190 million tons of municipal solid waste in 2004 and expected to reach480 million tons by 2030 (World Bank 2005). The more important aspect of this is that the composition of waste has shifted towards plastic and paper.

The volume of waste in India is on the rise at an alarming rate. Economic growth and increased purchasing power means that the people are consuming more and generating more waste. Large cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai generate up wards of 10000 tons of waste daily. It is estimated that by 2030, India will generate more than 125000 tons of waste on a yearly basis.

The fastest growing component in the waste stream is e-waste. E-waste contains toxics such as lead, cadmium, mercury. These elements can contaminate the underground water table over time by leaching into the ground and have an adverse effect on communities located nearby. The total e-waste generated in India excluding the items that are imported is estimated to be 146180 tons (2005 Figure). There are over 25000 people employed by scrap yards in Delhi, where 10000-20000 tons of e-waste is handled every year (2005 Figures).

The major challenge is that waste management in most Asian countries is undertaken by the informal sector, mostly comprising of waste pickers (Referred as rag pickers in India) and middle men or waste traders. Most industries and house holds dump their waste into open fields and scientific landfill sites are rare to come by. Countries like India have come up with MSW rule 2000. A document prepared by the ministry of forest and environment India. These rules are applicable to all states and regions in India and the central government expects local government and municipalities to insure that the rules are followed in their respected regions. Various other issues at local municipalities and governing bodies, such as lack of resources (or wrong allocation of resources), lack of proper institutional institutes, social and cultural stigmas relating to the field of waste management, and a general lack of knowledge and awareness are only adding to the challenge.

Urgent steps are needed to establish an integrated or umbrella model of waste management on a domestic level in various Asian countries. Strengthening and enforcing environmental standards, making polluters pay, legislating environmental laws and creating an all inclusive policy framework are just some on the many requirements that need immediate attention.

Tell Us What You Think About Waste Management In India

Plastic Boat Travels The World

Imagine a plastic catamaran made out of 12500 plastic bottles! Well the Plastiki catamaran, brainchild of an heir to Britain's Rothschild banking fortune has just completed a 15,000 Km Journey.


The Plastiki set of form San Francisco in March with a crew of six people travelled through a waste strewn area of the North Pacific and stopped in the line Island, Western Samoa and New Caledonia before leaving for Australia.

According to the United Nations Environment Program more than 15,000 pieces of debris litter every square kilometre of the world's oceans, and another 6.4 million tonnes of plastic is dumped into seas each year.

After reading the report by The United Nations report on marine ecosystems and biodiversity, and the realization "there are just these amazing human fingerprints all over our oceans", de Rothschild hatched the idea of travelling the ocean in a plastic catamaran.

Worldwide Municipal Solid Waste Expenditure

Worldwide Municipal Solid Waste Expenditure

Technological options for Recycling and Disposal of Plastic Waste

For a long time I have been looking for different methods to deal with plastic waste and this article lists some important ones. These days there are a whole lot of options available –big and small, which can be implemented at micro and macro levels anywhere. In India, a hierarchy is followed wherein ragpickers from the lowest level collect and sell recyclables to dealers who sell it to wholesalers and recyclers. Large scale formal sector operations involve private collectors who sell directly to the recyclers.

To start with, we know how important it is to REDUCE the usage of plastic and daily we come across messages like ‘Say no to plastic bags’ or something similar. If we notice the bags we get from big retailers we’ll see that most of them they comply with the Indian government’s rules of using bags of thickness above 20 microns but the problem still lies with their responsible disposal. What use will be their thickness or quality if we still are in a habit of throwing them anywhere leading to the choking of roads and drains.  The solution lies in adopting appropriate disposal techniques and segregating through colored litter bins. (Government notification relating to ‘Recycled plastics manufacture and usage Rules 1999’ and Amendment (2003) prohibiting usage of plastic carry bags to minimum of 20 micron thickness codification and marking of plastic products )

To move on the technological options to deal with plastic, here is a list of solutions being implemented in India and elsewhere-

1. Resource Recovery through environmentally sound and economically viable mechanical recycling into secondary raw materials for processing industry. In India, this is the major activity for plastic waste. (Refer)

2. Energy Recovery through thermal disintegration using plasma pyrolysis and incineration. (Refer1 
Refer 2)

3. Zadgaonkar Model in India, to convert plastic into fuel (Refer)

4. Catalytic Pyrolysis- Again to convert Plastic into Crude oil through (Refer)

5. Construction of roads from plastic waste by blending with bitumen. (Refer)

6. Plastic waste used as reducing agent in blast furnaces and cement kilns. (Refer)

7. Composite plastics packaging waste turned into recycled boards.(Refer)

8. Reuse of used plastic carry bags into handicraft items (Refer)

9. Mechanical Recycling-by melting, shredding of granular plastic. (Refer)

Interesting reads:

• India Environment Portal
• Analysing plastic waste management India
• Worldwide Municipal Solid Waste Expenditure

Please comment on any other technology that you know and would like to share.

Bill Gates, Warren Buffet: Invest in Waste Management

Waste, Garbage, Trash, Refuse, these words don’t interest many people, but when you two of the wealthiest people on the planet with an acute sense of investment own shares in two of the biggest waste management companies in America; it certainly draws attention. According to an article on Barrons online, Bill Gates owns 15% of republics share and Warren Buffet has picked up 2.8%.

The Waste Management business is unique in many ways. Firstly it is not affected by the up’s and downs of the economy, after all people have to eat and drink and they need to dispose their waste requiring services of either private or public sector players. Secondly there will always be a demand for cheap raw materials (scrap paper, plastic, metal etc) to produce new goods for packaging or consumption in various industries such as the construction industry. Thirdly waste management services are something that you cannot do without. How long will you have your waste stockpiled in your house, what will you do to treat it, where will you dispose of it, these are just some of the reasons why the industry continues to grow and flourish.

Waste management in the developing countries is similar but relies much more on the sale of recyclables. Take for example India, where waste management is mostly unorganized and the industry is mostly informal.
There are a few private players, but majority of the collection, treatment and disposal is done by the informal sector which relies heavily on the sale of recyclables to generate an income. Bankers at most are unwilling to finance projects at the grass root level due to a lack of knowledge about the industry and its informal state. The government is limited to providing lip service and sending its officials abroad to study waste management procedures.

Waste management as a industry has tremendous potential, there are many investment opportunities that lie in this sector both here in India and abroad. We have only begun scratching the surface of the waste management industry in India to unleash its true potential. Let us hope that the decision makers start making tough decisions and put a practical plan in place to reform and bring investment to the industry.

The Future of Recycling:

One the biggest barriers facing the waste management/recycling industry is that of trying to implement efficient recycling practices. The challenge that we face today is that most products are not designed with recycling in mind. Mr. William McDonough, the co-author of a book published in 2002 called “Cradle to Cradle: remaking the way we make things” and Micheal Braungart, his fellow author, together they lay out a vision for establishing “closed-loop” cycles where there is no waste. The authors argue that recycling should be taken into account at the design stage, and that all materials should be able to return to the soil safely or be recycled indefinitely.

The sustainable packaging coalition, a non-profit group that has developed guidelines looking beyond traditional benchmarks of packaging and design to emphasise the use of renewable, recycled and non-toxic source materials. This group was founded in 2003 with just nine members and today boosts over 100 members.

Packaging that is sustainable can cut cost along with benefiting the environment. The world’s biggest retailer Wal Mart announced that it wanted to reduce the amount of packaging material it uses by 5% by 2013, this intern could save the company $3.4 billion and reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by 667,000 tonnes. The company began to use a process called the “sandwich bail” to collect waste material at its store and distribution centres for recycling. The process involved putting a layer of cardboard at the bottom of the compactor before filling it with waste and then putting one at the top. The compactor then produces a sandwich, which is easier to handle and transport. By implementing this process wall mart is not only reducing waste disposal costs but also making money by selling waste at market prices.

The European parliament voted to increase recycling rates by 2020 to 50% of municipal waste and 70% of industrial waste. Recycling rates can be increased by charging households and industries more for producing more trash, and by reducing the frequency of trash collections while increasing that of recycling collection.

Number of cities and companies have adopted the zero waste police or zero waste targets. Matt Hale the director of America’s Environmental Protection Agency says that although this might be a little unrealistic, it is a worthy goal and can help companies manage their waste better. There is no doubt that recycling saves energy and raw materials, reduces pollution and overall has a positive impact on the environment. In the end waste is really a design flaw.

Need Help recycling Your Waste?

Types of composting technologies

There are four different types of composting technologies, windrow, aerated static pile, and in- vessel composting.

1. Windrow Composting: Triangular piles of waste are created to allow diffusion of O2 and retention of heat. The piles are turned every two-three days using specific mechanical equipment or manually using equipment. This turning is done to let the pile of waste breathe for better decomposition. Insure that the pile is under a roof to prevent exposure to the rain, which can cause a run off.



2. Aerated static pile composting: Mechanical aeration of waste piles is done by placing them over a network of pipes connected to a blower, the blower supplies air for composting and hence creates a positives as well as a negative pressure. Air circulation provides oxygen and prevents heat build up. Optimum temperature and moisture are maintained for microbial action. As the piles are not turned during the process in order to get complete destruction of the pathogens, a layer of stabilized compost is placed over the pile to maintain the desired temperature. The retention time for completion of composting is 6-12 weeks.



3. In-vessel composting: This is a controlled process of composting where aeration, moisture, and temperature requirements for composting are maintained in a chamber or vessel. The time taken for composting is 1-4 weeks. The advantage of this system is that there is control of the environmental conditions for rapid composting as they occur inside a closed building, and the problems of malodour and leachate generation are minimal.



4. Vermi-composting: This is a process whereby food material, kitchen waste, vegetables, fruit peelings and paper can be converted into compost by natural action of worms. An aerobic condition is created by exposure of waste to air. Many western countries such as Canada, use this process to convert their organic waste to compost. Asian countries are now adopting this method for waste disposal. Thousands of species of earth worms such as Eisenia foetida and Eisenia Anderei, are actively involved in the decomposition of organic waste. Certain bio-chemical changes in the intestine of the worm result in excreation of cocoons and undigested food known as vermicasting, which is an excellent manure containing vitamins, enzymes, nitrates, phosphates, and potash.



Learn to make compost from kitchen waste at home.

Zero Waste management policy, what does it actually mean?

Zero Waste management policy, what does it actually mean?


I came across an interesting waste management article on Zero Waste policy and what it actually on wastersblog.com a great site for resource and information on waste management news. I was Shocked to learn that there is actually no definition for the word Zero Waste, it is actually a term that is coined by politicians as it fits their environmental and waste management agenda perfectly. The only way to define the term zero waste is to look at projects that claim to be working towards zero waste philosophy around the world.

According to a study by green alliance in 2006 “Zero Waste” or “No Waste” terms were meant to mean no un-recycled waste and not much more. Practically Zero Waste is tough task to achieve even with all the technologies that we have access to, yet it is a goal that many municipalities strive to achieve. It is in fact documented that municipalities that strive towards a zero waste policy have some of the highest recycling rates in the world.

A common feature in many zero waste policies is that of source separation of recyclables and many countries like Canada do put this law into practise rigorously. But what happens when you try and implement a zero waste management policy in a country like India, where there is no source segregation. Surprisingly the effect is reverse. In my experience, India boosts one of the highest rates of residential waste recycling in the world. On the flip side it also boosts the one of the poorest rates of collection, segregation and treatment of organic waste in the world.

Countries in the west and in Europe have a systemized and organized waste management industry and the zero waste policy is determined based on landfill and house hold charges. In India which does not have a single scientifically managed landfill and where majority of households do not pay for waste collection services the determining factor is the price of recyclables in the open market. Numerous households sell their recycling waste to local scrap dealers, and the left over recyclables in the waste are removed by rag-pickers or the local waste collector. Three different continents all working towards zero waste management practices. The difference is that waste management in India is unorganized, not regulated and there is little involvement of municipal bodies to in-force the law, recognize the unorganized sector for their involvement and make them part of the privatization drive.

As mentioned, achieving a Zero Waste target is an uphill task, but the desire for continuous improvement and working towards a zero waste community is the biggest lesson. Zero waste is a vision and continuous improvement has to be strived in reducing waste from source and by involving our political class to start making changes in the way that they operate.

Eco Wise Waste Management

Recycle old toothbrushes

Preserve, which makes household products from recycled materials, has launching a new campaign to allow customers to mail back their toothbrushes for recycling.

The initiative is being launched with the help of consultancy firm Continuum, which helped Preserve roll out its "Gimme 5" #5 plastics recycling campaign at Whole Foods markets and other retailers.

In addition to the mail-back option for the toothbrushes, the product packaging was made lighter and now doubles as a mail back container when consumers are done with the toothbrush. Preserve recycles the toothbrushes into plastic building materials.

For more information on the company, which are available in grocery and natural food stores and retailers Whole Foods Market and Target, visit www.preserveproducts.com.

Waste recycling News

Converting Kitchen Waste To compost

Composting is a great way to recycle your kitchen and garden waste. Composting simply speeds up the decay of organic matter by using air, moisture and heat as tools

Dowinload E-book: How Make Compost @ Home

Make a compost bin or purchase one. The compost bin does not have to be fancy and it can be any shape. The best size for compost bins tends to be five feet wide and four feet deep.

1. You should place your compost bin in a handy location. Place your bin in a sunny area, if you have to place your compost bin in a shady area, you may want to invest in a compost thermometer to ensure that your compost maintains the proper temperature -- which is around 140 degrees.

2. You should have a large pile of dirt beside your compost bin. This will keep you from having to carry dirt to the compost bin every time you need it.

3. Lay a foundation in your compost bin. The foundation can be made up of twelve inches of grass clippings, or two feet of dead garden leaves.

4. Add waste from your kitchen and garden as you accumulate it. Kitchen waste can include coffee grounds, egg shells, tea bags, potato skins, fruits and vegetables. Avoid putting any meat or grease products into your compost pile. This will only attract animals.

5. When you have a good layer of kitchen and garden waste on top of the foundation, you should then add fertilizer to the mix.

6. Next, add ½ cup of limestone.

7. Then, add a layer of garden soil. You should then have layers which consist of the foundation, kitchen and garden waste, fertilizer, lime, and garden soil.

8. You will then want to water down your compost pile. It is important that your compost pile is kept moist at all times.

9. Finally, it is time to turn the compost pile. This is the most important part of the entire process. You should turn your compost every fifteen days. This heats up the compost and kills off any bad organisms. The heat will also kill any weeds that may want to sprout in your compost. The most important thing the heat does is speed up the decaying process.

10. Continue to add kitchen and yard waste as they accumulate.

11. Follow up your layer of kitchen and yard waste with fertilizer, lime, soil and water.

12. Lastly, do not forget to turn your pile every fifteen days.

Waste Collection & Treatment

Waste Management Common Wealth Games

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There are precisely 79 days left for the common wealth games to start in India. The city seems like it has been ripped apart, with dug up path ways, road construction and construction debris spewed all over the city. A certain gentleman in charge of the commonwealth games in India has claimed that this will be the best games the world has ever seen. Well, two month to go and majority of the projects are running behind schedule, in fact the other day leading news daily reported that the roof of a stadium fell down due to heavy rain and poor water proofing.

Well all things said and done hope fully the city will come out looking better if not looking like a world class city. The major issue that we see is the mess that is created while the construction is going on. The construction waste dumped on side of roads, blocking the drains, dust polluting the already polluted air and large traffic jams caused due to debris taking up road space meant for vehicles. MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) claims that it has placed a world class waste management program in place for the games. The following is the action plan:



• In house vermicomposting for Organic waste

• Complete collection, segregation and disposal system

• Well connected to Government waste treatment facilities (for example construction waste being disposed by Municipal Corporation of Delhi at Gazhipur sanitary landfill)

All looks good on rosy. Three bullet points on the common wealth games site, showing commitment of the government to insure that our cities carbon foot print is minimized. The facts are that Delhi does not have a single waste treatment site that is operational. The fact is that Delhi relies on the unorganized sector and NGO’s to collect its waste. The Fact is that the Gazipur lanfill is not a sanitary landfill site but a mountain of garbage that has collected there over the years, due to unorganized dumping. The fact is that the city does not have a waste management plan in place till this date. Majority of plans are on paper, but there is little or no implementation of these plans and a few private contractors continue to collect and dump waste at the Gazipur dump site which is then scavenged by animals and humans alike.

If the city is not capable of removing construction debris from the streets of Delhi as of now, what would change the situation two months from now? We believe that for the time period of the games the city will hire the help of private contractors to dispose of the waste and then return to the old ways of doing things. There will be little or no treatment done, as vermi composting is not a suitable process for treating large quantities of waste. A model plant may be set up by the government to demonstrate their commitment towards making the games a green event, but this in our opinion this will only be a curtain to cover up the real issues.

The country is hosting the second biggest sporting event after the Olympics, and there is little or no excitement among the masses. In fact there is more excitement, created towards a international cricket match, or even the European football league in a country where football is hardly played. We need to start thinking about why the citizens and politicians of this country are not raising their voices against something so wrong and blatantly in your face. Let us all hope for a miracle so that these games can be one that are remembered as a memorable one and not a miserable one.

Waste Collection, Transportation, Treatment & Disposal System

How to Construct a Compost Bin

How to Construct a Compost Bin: The following article explains in detail how to construct a compost bin.

How to construct a compost bin: The instructions provided here are for constructing a compost bin in your back yard. A second bin can be attached as a two-bin system allows you to alternate your compost from year to year. A minimum cubic space of 3’x3’ is required from the process of compost to take place. Here are some instructions on how to construct a composting bin in your backyard.

Materials for one bin (double for two)

• 1 roll hardwire cloth 3/8” – 1/2" wide.

• 14 -1” x 5” wood (untreated) or plastic lumber; cut in 36” lengths.

• 4 – 4” x 4”wooden posts; cut in 42” lengths

• 8 – 2” x 2” lumber; cut in 42” lengths

• 4 – 2” x 2” lumber; cut in 25” lengths

• 4 – 2” x 2” lumber, cut in 17” lengths

• 4 – hook and eye hardware

• 4 – strap hinges, approx. 1” x 2”

• wood screws

Tools

• Work gloves

• Heavy-duty wire or tin snips

• Staple gun

• Hammer

• drill


Construction of bin

1. Locate site for compost bin. Prepare the area and clear out any material unneeded for construction.

2. Construct 2 wooden sides using 7 - 1” x 5”s for each side. Secure 1” x 5”s to the 4” square posts, leaving ½” gap between lumber.

3. Create 2 frame bases using 2” x 2”lumber; measuring 25” high x 42” long. Cut hardwire cloth and staple to frame.

4. Attach hardwire cloth frames to bottom of 4” square posts. Face the hardwire cloth on the inside before securing.

5. Attach strap hinges to upper edge of hardwire frame.

6. Create 2 top frames using 2” x 2” lumber, measuring 17” high x 42” long. Cut hard wire cloth and staple to frame.

7. Place frame (hardwire cloth facing 4” posts) on top of base hardwire frame and attach strap hinges to top frame.

8. Attach eye and hook hardware on top from frame and 4” Posts.

Note: An alternate to this is to wire 4 pallets together to make a square, stabilizing it with re-rod posts.

http://www.eco-wise.info/residential.html

Waste reduction Starts At Home.

Waste reduction starts from home. It is a simple process that requires one individual in the house hold to take the initiative to segregate his waste into organic, recyclable, hazardous and electronic. The effort entails placing four small bins in which the categories of waste mentioned above are disposed off respectively. Your recyclables can all be mixed, in one container, but caution should be taken to discard organic waste, hazardous waste and e waste separately in different waste containers.

Most people use a bin liner to dispose off their waste as this insures that the process is not messy. In order to start reducing waste at source, bin liners should not be used to dispose of organic waste, this process only adds to ever growing challenge of managing waste. Organic waste can be disposed of without using a bin liner straight into the dustbin, and the dustbin can be cleaned after it has been emptied. This simple process will save you money and reduce your houses carbon footprint. Similarly when disposing paper wastes make sure that only the necessary paper waste is being disposed off. Paper can be used as rough paper for kids to scribble on or as a note pad elongating the life of the paper and again saving you money. Before disposing your electronic waste make sure that it is in a condition that it cannot be used or repaired. If you have no uses of it donate it to a library or to someone who needs it. When disposing hazardous waste such as batteries, insure that all life of the battery has been utilized, and buy batteries that are rechargeable.

An average Indian family generates about .5 kgs of waste on a daily basis. This waste is 60% organic, 20% recyclable and 20% inert in nature. Most households do not segregate their waste at home, as a result when the waste is disposed off it is mixed and contaminated requiring segregation to be done manually. Indian waste also contains a high level of moisture, mostly due to the large organic content and eating habits of the people. It is well know that the Indian waste management sector is unorganized in nature adding to the ever growing challenge of managing waste in India. Most individuals involved in the field have little knowledge of proper waste management practises and the collection process does not allow them to store waste in different compartments in their carts. It is also well know and documented that most organic waste in India is not treated and finds its way to the landfill site, hence it becomes imperative that we take steps to reduce waste generation of waste from our homes.

In our next article we will discuss how to convert your organic waste into compost at home.

Residental Waste Management

Indian needs to change to be recognized as a truly world class country.

A few days of rains have left the streets of Delhi, filled with water and garbage. The infrastructure is not capable of handling even 6mm of rain spread over two days. The fact is that city drains are clogged with garbage and refuse are rarely cleaned. Every morning the dedicated workers of MCD sweep the cities dust and garbage off the road and into the open drains. Sanitation is one of the most pressing issues that the country as a whole faces today. The task is monumental in stature and the public will is confined mostly to lip service.

If India really wants to bring about productive change and up lift the quality of life for its populations, it will have to look beyond cosmetic face lifts and solve the real pressing issues on hand.

A. Lack of Education & common sense amongst the masses

B. Lack of education among politicians

C. Minimum educational criteria for becoming a politician (College Grad)

D. Enforcement of laws and regulations without bias towards the rich or powerful

E. Building a sense of pride in the people towards the country

F. Rule of the Iron hand. At least till a certain level of civility is achieved and people start acting in accordance with law.

The list is never ending, but these are some pressing issues without which the country will grow, but not excel. If we were to draw out a root cause of most of these issues or challenges, it would lead us to the fact that people are not educated enough to make an aware decision. Add to this the social and cultural stigma’s and pressures that govern a lot of decision making process, which again are caused due to a lack of education, we arrive at a complex mix of religion, cast, economic stature, social stature, determining the decisions that we make as a nation.

Coming back to the issue of sanitation, and keeping your city clean; this pressing issue has a direct correlation with education, awareness, the pride we take in our country and neighbourhood and with the government enforcing laws and regulations and the citizens following it.

The time has come that we as Indians start addressing these pressing issues collectively to secure our place as a truly world class country. The time has not only to voice our opinions but also to insure that action is taken. The time has come join hands and clean our country!

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