Managing waste through reusing, recycling
Friday, 29 April 2011
Shafiqul Alam
Reusing as well as recycling municipal waste is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save the environment. It also provides useful employment to hundreds of people, mostly in the informal sector. When discarded materials are recycled, these provide industry with an alternative source of raw materials from which to make new products. This results in less demand for virgin materials whose extraction, transport and processing are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling, thus, reduces emissions in virtually all extractive industries. Recycling of paper and wood products has a notable double impact. Not only does it reduce the demand for virgin wood fiber, thus reducing emissions from deforestation, it also preserves forests' ability to continue to act as carbon sinks (removing carbon from the atmosphere). Recycling also reduces greenhouse gas emissions and toxic pollutant releases from waste disposal facilities, which are a significant source of both. Waste incinerators emit carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide; and landfills and dumps are a primary source of methane, as well as carbon dioxide. Incinerators, landfills and open dumps are also major sources of toxic releases to air, water, and soil. The less material disposed off through dumping and burning, the lesser the resulting emissions. When properly accounted for, the potential impact of emission reduction through recycling is considerable; this is because the emission reductions from recycling are spread throughout the economy, in sectors such as resource extraction, manufacturing, power generation, and agriculture. Recycling is also an extremely cost-effective method of achieving emission reductions. Avoiding one ton of carbon dioxide emission through recycling, costs less than avoiding emission through energy efficiency and this is even less than wind power generation. In Dhaka, like other cities in the developing world, recycling is done by waste-pickers to a great extent. Waste-pickers are self-employed workers, mostly in the informal economy, who retrieve reusable and recyclable items. Recycling provides a livelihood to many people in Dhaka. Yet, in spite of their efforts, much municipal waste is not effectively recycled. Waste-pickers thus represent a huge opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased recycling rates, if given the proper recognition and support. Although waste-pickers have a significant role in recycling activities, they deal with a variety of constraints. Many a time, authorities do not value the contribution of waste-pickers to the environment and to municipal services, and do not officially recognize or engage them. Instead, they are too often seen as nuisances who damage the image of the city. Again, the existing waste management system poses challenges. Waste-pickers' working conditions are extremely hazardous. Another constraint is economic: waste-pickers generally lack access to credit and to sufficient space within urban areas to set up their sorting and cleaning operations. Increased and improved infrastructure for waste management can provide multiple benefits for greenhouse gas mitigation, improved public health, conservation of water resources, and reduction of untreated discharges to surface water, groundwater, soils and coastal zones. There are numerous mature technologies that can be implemented to improve wastewater collection, transport, re-use, recycling, treatment and residuals management. With respect to both waste and wastewater management, key constraints on sustainable development include the local availability of capital as well as the selection of appropriate and truly sustainable technology in a particular setting. During the course of a normal day, about 5000 tonnes of solid waste is generated and this garbage is, mounted here and there, creating pollution in Dhaka. People litter everything even on the roads and even some areas are without garbage bins and that is why most parts of the city are full of foul smell. Moreover, human induced activities have already made most rivers in Dhaka polluted. The Dhaka City Corporation, responsible for collecting trash, took an initiative called "Clean Dhaka" in association with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) several years back but the activities are rarely visible though some compactor trucks have been imported. In this context, waste management is the key where sound knowledge and noble technologies are essential. But considering the cost associated in the process, recycling as well as reusing could be the best option where waste-pickers could play an important role. At the same time consciousness among the city dwellers has to be increased. The writer can be reached at e-mail : shafiqul0032@yahoo.com
Reusing as well as recycling municipal waste is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save the environment. It also provides useful employment to hundreds of people, mostly in the informal sector. When discarded materials are recycled, these provide industry with an alternative source of raw materials from which to make new products. This results in less demand for virgin materials whose extraction, transport and processing are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling, thus, reduces emissions in virtually all extractive industries. Recycling of paper and wood products has a notable double impact. Not only does it reduce the demand for virgin wood fiber, thus reducing emissions from deforestation, it also preserves forests' ability to continue to act as carbon sinks (removing carbon from the atmosphere). Recycling also reduces greenhouse gas emissions and toxic pollutant releases from waste disposal facilities, which are a significant source of both. Waste incinerators emit carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide; and landfills and dumps are a primary source of methane, as well as carbon dioxide. Incinerators, landfills and open dumps are also major sources of toxic releases to air, water, and soil. The less material disposed off through dumping and burning, the lesser the resulting emissions. When properly accounted for, the potential impact of emission reduction through recycling is considerable; this is because the emission reductions from recycling are spread throughout the economy, in sectors such as resource extraction, manufacturing, power generation, and agriculture. Recycling is also an extremely cost-effective method of achieving emission reductions. Avoiding one ton of carbon dioxide emission through recycling, costs less than avoiding emission through energy efficiency and this is even less than wind power generation. In Dhaka, like other cities in the developing world, recycling is done by waste-pickers to a great extent. Waste-pickers are self-employed workers, mostly in the informal economy, who retrieve reusable and recyclable items. Recycling provides a livelihood to many people in Dhaka. Yet, in spite of their efforts, much municipal waste is not effectively recycled. Waste-pickers thus represent a huge opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased recycling rates, if given the proper recognition and support. Although waste-pickers have a significant role in recycling activities, they deal with a variety of constraints. Many a time, authorities do not value the contribution of waste-pickers to the environment and to municipal services, and do not officially recognize or engage them. Instead, they are too often seen as nuisances who damage the image of the city. Again, the existing waste management system poses challenges. Waste-pickers' working conditions are extremely hazardous. Another constraint is economic: waste-pickers generally lack access to credit and to sufficient space within urban areas to set up their sorting and cleaning operations. Increased and improved infrastructure for waste management can provide multiple benefits for greenhouse gas mitigation, improved public health, conservation of water resources, and reduction of untreated discharges to surface water, groundwater, soils and coastal zones. There are numerous mature technologies that can be implemented to improve wastewater collection, transport, re-use, recycling, treatment and residuals management. With respect to both waste and wastewater management, key constraints on sustainable development include the local availability of capital as well as the selection of appropriate and truly sustainable technology in a particular setting. During the course of a normal day, about 5000 tonnes of solid waste is generated and this garbage is, mounted here and there, creating pollution in Dhaka. People litter everything even on the roads and even some areas are without garbage bins and that is why most parts of the city are full of foul smell. Moreover, human induced activities have already made most rivers in Dhaka polluted. The Dhaka City Corporation, responsible for collecting trash, took an initiative called "Clean Dhaka" in association with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) several years back but the activities are rarely visible though some compactor trucks have been imported. In this context, waste management is the key where sound knowledge and noble technologies are essential. But considering the cost associated in the process, recycling as well as reusing could be the best option where waste-pickers could play an important role. At the same time consciousness among the city dwellers has to be increased. The writer can be reached at e-mail : shafiqul0032@yahoo.com