Types of Incinerators

Types of Incinerators

Three standards and two less common types of incinerators are used in North America. Each can be operated, with some modifications, to produce energy.

The mass-burn incinerator is the most common type and is similar to a coal-fired steam boiler. A schematic cross section of massburn incinerators  is shown in Figure 9.1, and an aerial view of an actual incinerators is that the waste requires minimal processing. Mixed garbage, from which only the largest items such as appliances and logs are removed, is brought to the plant and placed in a large waste storage pit. An overhead crane mixes the refuse to provide a relatively uniform fuel and then loads it into hoppers which carry the waste into grates in the furnace. Fans in the furnace floor and walls provide air for the oxidation ( i.e., combustion ) process. The waste is burned at an optimal temperature of about 1100 and remains on the grate for 45 to 70 minutes to ensure complete combustion. The gases that form are heated by supplemental fuel injection for an additional second or two to ensure complete destruction of resistant chemicals. The hot gasses are then cooled by water in boiler tubes that generates steam for electricity, heating, or other purposes. Then the gases are sent to pollution control device, which may include ammonia injection for NO ( nitrogen oxides ) control, a dry scrubber for SO₂ and acid gas control, carbon injection to remove mercury and dioxin, and a baghouse to remove particulate matter.

The ash that accumulates at the bottom of the furnace is removed through a water-quenched conveyor and emptied into a storage area from which it is periodically removed and transported to a landfill. Some plants remove and recycle the larger pieces of iron and other metals that have not burned. Fly ash is collected from a dry scrubber and baghouse and taken to a landfill. Mass-burn incinerators can have capacities of 90 to 2,700 tonnes of garbage per day. A case history of a mass-burn incinerator is presented in chapter 11.

A modular incinerator is similar to mass-burn incinerator but typically has a smaller capacity, in the range of 14 to 365 tonnes of waste per day. It is modular in design and can be built in units at the factory and then shipped to the facility site.

A refuse-derived fuel (RDF)incinerator burns garbage that has been processed before being burned. Although processing is required, the prepared fuel will be consistence and will meet specifications for energy content, moisture, and ash content. A significant advantage is that recyclable materials such as iron, aluminum, and glass can be removed during the processing. The RDF can be produced in shredded or fluff form, or it can be compacted into a denser fuel such as pellets or cubes. Densified RDF is more costly to produce, but it has the advantage of being easier to transport and store. This fuel works more effectively in specially designed boilers, but it can also be used in coal-fired boilers. RDF has an energy value comparable to that of coal and can be used either alone in mixed with coal. Because of the higher energy content and more uniform nature of the fuel, RDF incinerators are smaller and can be more effectively controlled than mass-burn units of similar capacity. By the end of 1992, RDF facilities accounted for about 20% of the waste-to-energy plants in the United States.

The fluidized-bed incinerator is a relatively new technology in North America for garbage, although it has been used to burn sludges. This incinerator injects refuse-derived fuel into loose, moving bed of limestone and sand, which is suspended above the furnace floor, like a fluid, by an upward flow of air. The “fluidized” bed of sand and limestone helps to distribute the heat evenly throughout the burn, resulting in more complete combustion efficiency, results in lower emissions of nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, and dioxins than occurs from the other types of incinerators.

Because fluidized-bed incinerators require preprocessing of waste, they fit well with materials recycling. These incinerators, being much smaller than mass-burn incinerators, may be more appropriate for smaller communities.

Rotary kiln furnaces  similar to those used in cement industry can be used for incinerating wastes. The kilns are large, gently sloped cylinders lined with refractory (heat-resistance) materials that rotate slowly while they are heated to very high temperatures. A supplementary fuel such as oil or gas is generally used. The kiln system is very flexible and can be handle a wide variety of waste types and sizes. Kilns 2.5 or 3.0 meters in diameter are common and can handle large waste pieces, including drums. The kilns are slightly inclined so that waste moves down the slope. The length of the kiln and the amount of incline control the time of exposure of the waste to high temperatures, and these features can be designed to provide the required destruction level. Some kilns are designed to maintain a layer of melted glasslike slag on the inside of the drum; this prospects the lining, or refractory, of the furnace from the high temperatures and prolongs its life; it also produces a more leach-resistant vitrified ash residue and helps to capture fine combustion particles. Gas scrubber and dust removal systems are easily attached.

In all incinerators, the hot gases produced by incineration must be cooled to stop chemical reactions and to protect the downstream pollution-control equipment. Cooling is usually done by quenching the hot gases with large volumes of water. The water and condensate are sent to a wastewater treatment plant, which forms a necessary part of a modern incinerator.

Burning Waste

Burning Waste has been practised around the world for decades. Burning waste can be carried out for various reasons such as, generating energy, and reducing the waste pile. The follwoing article talks about Inceneration, a method of burning waste.  

The Burning Waste

Fire has always held a fascination for humans, and it has been one of our most useful tools. Fire has provided warmth, cooked food, cleared forests lands, offered protection against marauding animals, and much more. Although garbage has probably been burned ever since humans discovered fire, it has been incinerated in a systematic manner for only about a century. Perhaps surprisingly, given its long history and obvious benefits, waste incineration is a topic that is both controversial and emotional. In this chapter we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of incineration and how it can contribute to an integrated waste management program.

               Under proper conditions, incineration provides a number of benefits:

·         It greatly reduces the volume of waste that must go to disposal in landfills—a vitally important objective. In conventional municipal incinerators, the volume reduction ranges from 80% to 95%, with a mean of about 90%.

·         It can be used in conjuction with landfill mining to reclaim closed landfills and greatly extend the operating lifetimes of existing landfills.

·         The ash produced is relatively homogeneous and thus more suitable than raw waste for treatment such as solidification in concrete.

·         A relatively large proportion of the organic compounds, including putrescible and hazardous wastes, is destroyed: thus, there is a net reduction in the quantity of toxics.

·         Energy can be generated as a useful by product, which preserves nonrenewable fuels like natural gas, oil, and coal.

Fewer air pollutants are produced by burning waste than by burning coal or oil.

The use of incineration has been increasing in the United States since about the mid=1980s, and currently the country burns about 16% of its municipal wastes (EPA, 1994). This figure is significantly lower in Canada—about 4%—but it can be much higher overseas. For Example, Japan, which faced its waste disposal crisis in the 1950s, 20 years before the crisis reached North America, incinerates approximately 34% of its municipal garbage (Hershkowitz & Salerni, 1997). Most Japanese incinerators generate electricity. In Sweden, the government regards waste as a resource, not something to be squandered by landfilling; approximately 41% of its waste is incinerated  in 21 waste-to-energy incinerators, with almost all the energy being delivered to district heating systems ( Rylander, 1994 ). This energy corresponds to 4.5 terawatt-hours ( tera means 10 raised to the power 12 ), or 15% of the total district heating requirements in Sweden. There are more than 400 waste incinerators in the world.

The main drawback to incineration is that the process releases contaminants into the air, violating the principle of protecting health porate rigorous emission controls. There is considerable opposition by the public to the use of waste incinerators, at least partly because oider incinerators certainly caused air pollution. Modern waste-to-energy plants have largely overcome this deficiency by including improved combustion processes, better pollution control technology, and the production of a useful product, energy.

Opponents of incineration argue that contaminants are spread into the atmosphere where they cannot be controlled, instead of being contained in a landfill. Another disadvantage of an incinerator is that it is more costly to construct than a landfill; furthermore, all of the capital cost is incurred up front, whereas landfill capital costs are spread over the operating lifetime. Incinerator technology is far more sophisticated than that of a landfill, requiring more careful control and trained operators.

Design criteria for incinerators should ensure that:

·         Air will be supplied in the quantities needed for proper combustion.

·         Gases will be tempered and cooled to prevent damage to the refractories ( heat-resistant incinerator liner ) and to allow the gases to be treated.

·         Particulates and noxious substances will be removed from the flue gases.

·         Waste will be fed into the furnace and ash removed without allowing combustion products to escape.

·         A water treatment plant will be incorporated to process the water used in cooling the ash residues and flue gases.

·         The amount of maintenance and downtime for repairs will be minimized.

Waste management system india

The waste management system in India is fairly unorganized. Following is a series of artiles that will explain the waste management system in India staring with residental waste collection, industrial waste collection and commercial waste collection. We will then go into describing the economics behind the waste management system in India. Keep visiting to for further updates on waste management systems in Indi.

Residential Waste Collection Noida

Process:

Residential waste collection in Noida is mostly done by the unorganized sector, using manual rickshaws. On an average one individual collects waste from about 300 houses and then loads this waste onto his rickshaw. The waste from house holds comprises of the following materials:

1.       Recyclables

a.       Plastic

b.      Paper

c.       Cardboard

d.      Iron scrap

e.      Used copper wiring

f.        Batteries

g.       Raddie

h.      PET Watter bottles (Mineral Waster bottles)

i.         E- waste (Broken Cell Phones, Keyboards, Monitors)

j.        Human hair

k.       Poly bags

2.       Organic Waste:

a.       Food scrap

b.      Mud

3.       Inert Waste

a.       Clay pots

b.      Construction debris

c.       Complex plastics ( Uncle Chips Bags, Gutka bags)

d.      Cigarette buds

All this waste is collected in a mixed form from the house holds. The waste collector then takes this waste to a segregation site, or an open ground where he proceeds to remove the recyclables from the waste.  After sorting through the waste, the collector packs them in different sacks and reloads them onto his rickshaw. The organic waste and the inert waste are left behind as the waste collector has no use of this, and does not get any monetary benefit from it. After the collection and segregation process is complete, the collector paddles his rickshaw to his godown, where he proceeds to sell the waste to the godown owner or scrap dealer.

The process of collection, transportation, segregation and then transportation back to the godown takes about five – six hours in total, depending on the quantity of waste that the collector has to segregate. 

Next Article: The Economics of  residental waste management in India

Waste To Energy Project Jindal (Okhla)

The Waste to energy project, being promoted by Jindal in Okhla—owned by the Jindal family that is close to the ruling Congress party—will, when fully operational, burn 4,000 tonnes a day of waste derived fuel (RDF) made from municipal waste, to produce 20 megawatts of electricity.

Like many dirty industries rapidly coming up across the Indian landscape, Jindal’s Waste to energy project may have gone unremarked, except that it is located in the Okhla area of South Delhi, reckoned as among the most affluent of India’s 604 districts and populated by people acutely aware of their rights.

Environmentalists say the plant has violated zoning regulations, the Delhi Master Plan, rulings by the Supreme Court and rules laid down by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), a statutory body.

Even before Delhi State Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit laid the foundation stone for the plant in July 2010, residents of Okhla, which has a population of 1.5 million people, had filed public interest litigation in the Delhi High Court protesting several gross violations.

In published guidelines, titled "Management of Municipal SolidWaste," the CPCB has specifically cautioned local bodies "Not to adopt expensive technologies of power generation, fuel pelletisation, incineration etc. until they are proven under Indian conditions by the Government of India (GoI) or expert agencies nominated by the GoI."

After visiting the plant on Apr. 1, in response to mass rallies and protests by Okhla residents, MoEF minister Jairam Ramesh wrote to Dikshit pointing out two grave violations: the failure of the state government to hold adequate public consultations and Jindal Ecopolis’ failure to seek mandatory clearance from the CPCB.

Regularisation of illegality is a peculiar Indian characteristic. First you make the law and then break the law," Ramesh said, venting frustration while addressing a management conference in the capital last week.


In May, Ramesh’s ministry granted environmental clearances to such controversial projects as a 12-billion-dollar steel plant and port being built by the South Korean Pohang Steel Company in eastern Orissa state, and a nuclear power park in Jaitapur in western Maharashtra state under construction in a 15-billion-dollar deal with the French state-owned Areva.

Ramesh had earlier observed that Jindal’s WtE plant would be hard to stop or relocate because it was close to completion. But, under pressure from the Okhla community, he ordered a technical review by the CPCB and made the grant of an "operating license" conditional on the outcome.

"It became painfully clear that Jindal Ecopolis does not have technology clearance from CPCB, no valid environment impact assessment, and has never bothered to engage the community in public consultations as mandated by law," Trivedi told IPS.

"From the project costing it was clear that Jindal has no viable plans to remove toxic pollutants and plans to discharge effluents into the already polluted Yamuna River," he added. "The fact that the Asian Development Bank has dropped it from its Asia Pacific Carbon Fund speaks volumes for how green the project is."

Different Composting Methods

There are many different composting methods via which organic material can be converted to compost. The type of composting method that you decide you use will depend upon the quantom of waste that you generate and the ammount of land that you have avaliable. A list of different composting methods is listed below for your understanding:

Home Composting

   Home Composting programs take two distinct forms. The first employs home composters, usually plastic bins or barrels with a capacity of about 200 liters. These are supplied to homeowners, often on a subsidized basis, and should be accompanied by instructions on what and how to carry out home composting.  Additional support can be provided by telephone hot lines and by volunteer programs in which experienced home composters provide assistance and advice to beginners. Although home composting programs are feasible only in suburban areas, they are very effective because waste is diverted at source and no pickup or treatment by the municipal system is required.

Learn How To Construct a Compost Bin!

Learn How To convert kitchen waste to compost!

 Central Composting Facilities

Even with a successful composting program, a central composting facility can make a valuable contribution to waste reduction. The central facility can service apartment buildings, business and neighborhoods where home composters are not feasible; in addition, it can treat leaves in the fall and Christmas trees in winter. Incentives should be developed to ensure that landscaping firms, significant generators of yard wastes, drop off their wastes at the central facility.

      An important part of planning a central composting facility is obtaining regulatory permits, including communicating with local groups that may be affected by the facility. A relatively large parcel of land is required, and this is often located at the municipal landfill; land is available, garbage/recycle trucks come there anyways, infrastructure such as weigh scales and woods shredder is available, and the final compost can be used for landfill cover if no other markets are available.

      The processing of organic materials prior to composting includes shredding to break bags, reduce size of materials such as Christmas trees and large wood pieces, and ensure a relatively uniform material; and sorting to remove contaminants such as plastic bags.

      Composting facilities, though a relatively low technology, still require careful planning and resources. Generally, three basic systems are used; the windrow, static pile, and in-vessel methods ( Tchobanoglous et al., 1993 ).The windrow and static pile  methods are the most popular license they require minimal capital investment and the decomposition process occurs aerobically ( in the presence of oxygen ). In aerobic composting ( versus anaerobic composting, in the absence of oxygen ) far less odor is generated, and temperatures reach higher levels, generally in the 40  to 60 C range, which not only kill most pathogens but also destroy weed seeds.

 Windrow  Composting.        This is one of the oldest and simplest methods of composting. A typical windrow system consists of long rows of organic material, about 1.8 to 2.1 meters high and 4 to 5 meters wide at the base. Actual dimensions vary and depend largely on the equipment available to place and manipulate the piles.

To ensure aerobic conditions and maintain temperatures, the windrow are turned at regular intervals, usually once or twice a week. A moisture content of 50% to 60% must be maintained. Although bulldozers and front-end loaders can be used, specialized turning machines have been developed that are more efficient and can add water at the same time. Proper aeration is important because it prevents anaerobic conditions, which lead to odor. A temperature of at least 55  should be maintained for a minimum of two weeks to ensure destruction of pathogens. The composting period lasts about four or five weeks; the compost is usually cured for an additional two to eight weeks to ensure that it is completely stabilized.

 Aerated static pile composting.        This method can be used to compost a wide variety of organic materials, including yard wastes and separated municipal waste. The materials are laid out in long piles similar to windrows. A layer of screened compost is often placed on top of the pile to control odor and provide insulation. A network of perforated piping is either placed at the bottom of the pile or embedded in the flooring below the pile. Air is introduced by blowers into each pile through the pipe network so that aerobic decomposition occurs. Airflow rates are controlled to maintain the temperature  at the desired level. In modern facilities, all or most of the system is enclosed to allow better processing and odor control. Although the method needs more complex equipment than windrow composting, it does not require turning the material, it minimizes odors, and it provides better control of the process.

 In-vessel composting.           In this method, the materials to be composted are enclosed in a container or vessel.  Vessels of various shapes are used, but they are generally of two basic types: plug flow or dynamic. In the former, the materials move through the vessel without agitation; in the later, the materials are agitated or mixed during the composting. Air and water are added to the vessels in a well-controlled manner. Typical in-vessel composting systems are shown schematically in Figure 5.6, and an actual system is shown in Figure 5.7. Detention (processing) times in in-vessel composters are about 1 to 2 weeks, followed by a 4- to 12-week curing period. In-vessel composters are gaining popularity because they offer good process and odor control, shorter composting time, and lower labor costs, and they can deal with food wastes. In particular, they can be set up in cities to service facilities such as hospitals or large office complexes.

The Composting Process

The following article explains in detail the composting process. It explains the bilogical and chemical changes that take place during the composting process.

In the composting process, microorganisms, break down complex organic molecules (proteins, amino acid, lipids carbohydrates, and cellulose) into simpler ones ( mostly cellulose and lignin ). The microorganisms require an aqueous or moist environment and oxygen. The exothermic reaction in the composting process is depicted below:

                Complex molecules + O₂ + microorganisms

→compost + new cells + dead cells + heat +CO₂ + H₂O + NO₃ + SO₄

In the process of composting living organisms, which make up about 5% to 10% of the organic material, releases the energy and nutrients stored in the tissues of the plant and animal residues in the starting compost material. There are several different kinds of organisms, and each has a specific substrate on which it works. An entire food chain develops during the compost process:

·         Microorganisms such as bacteria, antinomycetes  ( slime molds ), fungi, and algae break down the bulk of organic material. Their population, commonly referred to as the “microbial biomass,” is most crucial to the process.

·         Protozoa, nematodes, and some other small organisms such as mold mites (Acari ) and springtails ( Collembola ) feed on the microorganisms.

·         Beetles and other insects feed on the mold mites, springtails, and other small organisms.

·         Larger organisms such as earthworms, flatworms, centipedes, millipedes, snails, slugs, and sowbugs feed on the decaying plant materials. They speed up the compost process by mixing the materials and reducing the size of particles.

    The carbon/ nitrogen (C/ N) ratio is the most important measure of nutrient balance in the compost. Microorganisms use carbon as a source of energy, and both carbon and nitrogen are used for building cell structures. The C/N ratio declines as the composting process proceeds. More carbon is required than nitrogen; a typical final C/N value is approximately 22:1 (MOE, 1991 ).

    The C/N value determines how the finished compost affects the soils to which it is applied. If C/N is greater than 25:1, the microorganisms in the compost will complete with the crops for available nitrogen. At compost levels below 20:1, the energy source, carbon, is less than needed for conversion of nitrogen into proteins. In this case, the compost microorganisms remove excess nitrogen as ammonia, denying it to plants and thus inhibiting plant growth. The C/N ratio in compost can be controlled by adding either highly nitrogenous materials like grass clippings and green vegetation, or highly carbonaceous materials like hay and dry leaves.

Eco Wise Waste Management   

What is Composting

What is composting

The following article explains the process of composting, provides you a brief history of composting and explains why composting is an important aspect of waste management.

Composting is a specialized part of recycling in which organic wastes are biologically decomposed under controlled conditions to convert them into a product that can be applied to the land beneficially and without adverse environmental impact. The composting process should destroy pathogens, weed seeds, insect eggs, and other unwanted organisms. Adding compost can lighten heavy soils, improve the texture of light solid, and increase water  retention capacity, Composting is a natural process that has been used in an organized fashion to deal with garbage since at least the early 1900s (Journal of Waste Recycling. 1991).

      Composting is a important component of a modern integrated waste system for one very simple reason: in North America we generate a considerable amount  of yard waste and other organic wastes that are really compostable. Studies have shown that a significant fraction of municipal solid waste consists of yard waste, ranging from 5% to 20% by weight, with a typical value of 18%. Thus, composting can make a significant contribution to waste diversion. Furthermore , composting is a relatively low-technology and low-cost process that can be readily established by most communities.

       Generally, only materials of biological origin—such as leaves, paper, wood, and non-meat food scraps—are suitable for composting. Synthetic organic materials, particularly plastics and rubber, are seldom compostable.

Also read about

1) Converting Kitchen Waste to Compost:

2) How to Construct a compost bin: 

Plastic waste recycling

The following article talks about plastic waste recycling, plastic waste recycling methods and the advantages of plastic waste recycling. 

Plastic waste recycling

There are many uses of plastic waste, once the waste has been disgarded. one way is to recycle plastic waste is to use it in the construction of roads.  Process of Road laying using polymer- aggregate – Bitumen mix. The plastic waste (bags, cups, Thermocole) made out of PE, PP, & PS are separated, cleaned if needed and shredded to small pieces (passing through 4.35mm sieve) The aggregate (granite) is heated to 170oC in the Mini hot Mix Plant and the shredded plastic waste is added, it gets softened and coated over the aggregate. Immediately the hot Bitumen (160oC) is added and mixed well. As the polymer and the bitumen are is the molten state (liquid state) they get mixed and the blend is formed at surface of the aggregate. The mixture is transferred to the road and the road is laid. This technique is extended to Central Mixing Plant too.

MOEF (cpcb.nic.in)

Recession Proof Business

Recession Proof Business: The following article talks about why waste management is a recession proof business.  RECYCLING aside, waste firms often describe themselves as recession-proof. The logic is simple: their workload is always increasing, As countries get richer and more urban and their populations expand, they through away even more stuff. The OECD forecasts that although municipal waste in rich countries will grow only by a fairly sedate average of 1.3% a year up to 2030, or about 38% in all. India's city-dwellers will be generating 130% more rubbish and Chaina's over 200% more over the same period. That increase will come partly from a growing amount of waste generated per person but mainly from a rising urban population. Overall, Nickolas Themelis of Columbia University expects worldwide waste to double by 2030. Growing wealth generally goes hand in hand with more concern for the local environment. In time, governments in developing countries will make sure that more waste is collected and tighten the rules about disposal. For example, India’s Supreme Court has ruled that all cities of 100,000 people or more should provide a waste-collection service. The Indian government, for its part, has set guidelines and targets for treatment and is working on a law on e-waste. At present these rules are observed mainly in the breach, but with time and public pressure compliance should grow.

Waste Disposal Gurgoan

Waste Disposal Gurgoan: Eco Wise Waste Management to start waste disposal services in Gurgoan. 

AFTER scripting a success story in Noida, Eco Wise Waste Management, the only company in the country with a separate segregation and treatment site, is set to launch its waste management facility in Gurgaon in July this year.“We will be following Eco Wise Umbrella Model, that is collection, transportation, segregation, treatment and disposal,” said Manik Thapar , founder and CEO of Eco Wise. “Currently, we are in the process of locating land, on which we will build our organic waste treatment facility, along with a wear house to stock recyclable product,”Mr Thapar said.

Despite the bold leap that the city has taken in industry and business over the past decade, Gurgaon still lacksorganised waste management. With higher levels of economic growth, Gurgaon generates around 500-550 tons of waste every day, including residential, commercial and industrial discard. Explaining the concept, Mr Thapar said, “Collection of waste is only one part of the process. One of the major issues is treatment and disposal of waste.” A lot of this waste such as organic refuse can be converted into nutrient- rich compost utilising a simple process.

Another issue is of construction debris. This waste can be put to use in rural area where there are no roads built, and the same debris can be crushed and used for hardening the road surface, according to Eco Wise officials. In its initial stages, the company is looking to cover major hotels, malls and large corporate offices in
Gurgoan. “We are also in talks with some major real estate players to provide them with residential waste management services (door-to-door collection). A lot of interest has also been generated by large corporate to avail our services. As of now I can not mention any names, but the interest is enormous,” said Mr Thapar, a pioneer of waste management industry in India.

As per Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) estimates, every 1percent growth in the GDP (Gross domestic
Product) in the past is likely to result in a 3 percent growth in hazardous waste. Likening the situation
of similar growth in France, in order to tackle the problems of rapid economic waves that Gurgoan is witnessing, it becomes important for the satellite city to devise an effective strategy for hazardous waste management in the early stages itself.

Civic authorities in Gurgaon have seemingly failed in proper treatment and disposal of waste where the collection, transportation, treatment and disposal are done mostly by the unorganised players. As of now, the local waste-collector or house-helps dumps the waste in nearby open grounds or a convenient place and Municipality workers collect it on an irregular basis to dumps it in the landfills. No segregation or treatment takes place in the process. The valuables are extracted by rag-pickers while the rest (about 90 percent of the total) is burnt in the open. Worse, the waste is left scattered or completely ignored.

Volunteer or residential groups complain that apart from playing host to a number of disease, the waste lying
in the open reduces the aesthetic quality of the surroundings. “Most of the waste management is handled by amateur players,” said Anil, caretaker of a society in Nirvana Country in Sector 57. “Our main concern in dealing with the garbage is cleanliness, keep parking space unoccupied, and avoid a stinky atmosphere.”

Imran Malik, operations manager of Eco Wise agrees. “Lack of education and understanding of what can be
done with waste is a major handicap for the unorganised sector. We solve the problem by ensuring that the organic waste is treated and converted into compost along with ensuring that certain elements in inert waste, that most people would think are useless, can be put to use. In general, 80-85 percent of the waste we collect is put to use, rather than dumped.” According to Mr Malik, the demographic mix is a major reason that has lead to the growth of waste generation in the city. “Over the years people’s income has risen substantially along with their spending power. Increased consumption of FMCG goods means increased waste. Also, people have started eating out more, with more and more nuclear families popping up with both partners working; eating out or ordering take out has increased ten folds. All this adds to the generation of waste, and the more the people consume more the waste is generated,” he said.

The new model claims to ensures that only waste that cannot be recycled or put to any use would be disposed off in an authorised landfill or dumpsite. The composition of residential waste is large metros is 60 percent organic, 25 percent recyclables and 15 percent inert. The current process utilised by the unorganised sector is only catering to the 25 percent recyclables, as this waste can be sold to in the scrap market yielding high returns. As a result the organic and inert waste finds its way onto road sides and in open dumps.

Waste management as an industry is in the nascent stages in India with unorganised sector forming major
part of it. “The potential is unlimited in the sector and it can go on to experience even 500 percent growth every year. There is need of such facility in every town, every city in India but there is a scarcity of private companies in the sector due to lack of know how and funding. Banks are reluctant to provide loans to private players interested in the business and even the government is not too supportive of them,” said Manik, adding that the government should also help to improve the unorganised sector which is helping a lot in the sector by atleast collecting the garbage.

Started in 2005, the Noida-based company has a turnover of upto `1 crore and hopes to replicate the

Noida success in Gurgoan by implementing proper waste management practices, engaging the informal sector and utilising their skills in the process of collection of waste. About 90 percent of their business has come through word of mouth. “Our approach would be the same in Gurgoan and we would want our work to speak for ourselves,” said Mr Thapar. “We expect a positive response from the citizens of the city and are sure that they will assist us in insuring that Gurgoan is truly a millennium city, not just on paper but visibly on the ground,” he added.

MAMTA SHARMA (Economic Times)

mamta.sharma@timesgroup.com