Initiating Solid Waste Management

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Christine French
6 years ago
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1 Initiating Solid Waste Management Apartment complexes Green Commandos

2 Contents Introduction... 1 Phase 1: Preparation / Infrastructure... 1 Phase 2: Awareness / Initiation... 2 Phase 3: Sustenance / Follow-up... 3 Annexure 1: Recyclable waste service providers - Bangalore... 4 Introduction Green Commandos started in 2009 with a mission to bring bottom to top change in the environmental context. We strongly believe that change starts in our own backyard, and this simple act has the potential to change the entire country and world. One of our core areas of focus has been in helping various entities, such as apartments, start waste management in their premises, to make our communities more eco-fit. After many experiences in helping communities embrace this practice, we can look back and pick the points that were pivotal in sustaining the practice. This knowledge has enabled us to formulate a simple process to initiate waste management that results in maximum participation among residents and sustained evolution of the practice. Phase 1: Preparation / Infrastructure The first phase of the entire drive is to set up the related infrastructure to support the waste segregation initiative at the apartment. The infrastructure involves the following steps: 1. Determining the service provider who will collect the dry recyclables from the apartment on a regular basis. This step also involves coming to a common understanding on the frequency of collection and financial obligations of the service providers/apartments. 2. Determining the collection mechanism to be adopted at the apartment. The mechanism involves: a. Collection frequency of the dry waste from individual houses (e.g. once a week). b. Mode of collection of dry waste from individual houses. Either of the following method can be adopted. I. Housekeeping staff collecting waste door-to-door II. Residents disposing waste themselves at common location (basement etc.) c. Mode of disposal of waste from individual houses. Any of the following modes can be used: I. Using weaved plastic bags (reusable with life of a year, Rs. 10 per bag) with house numbers given to each house through the association (ensures consistency in disposal). 1

3 II. Each house using their own bags/cartons etc. to dispose waste (not recommended). d. Number and placement of common bins in the apartment premises (e.g. 2 bins set up in the basement etc.) e. Number of primary segregations required from individual houses. The number may differ from house to house, and also depend on the service provider (e.g. some service providers may want paper to be separated from plastics). The 4 generic types of primary segregation are: I. Wet kitchen / biodegradable waste (e.g. fruit and vegetable peels, cooked food waste etc.) i. Avoid using plastic bags to give out this waste. ii. Paper bags can be used instead. iii. Many different options may be explored to handle the wet waste within the apartment premises: a. Organic Waste Converter (OWC) (~100 homes onwards) b. Daily Dump Manthan (~10-12 homes) c. Roly Poly Composter (~ 8-10 homes) d. MorphTM Composter (~ 8-10 homes) II. Dry recyclable rinsed waste (e.g. paper, plastics, metal, cardboard etc.) i. To be collected by one of the service providers listed below. III. Electronic waste (e.g. CDs, old printers, CFL bulbs, and tube-lights etc.) i. To be collected by one of the service providers listed below. IV. Hazardous biomedical waste (e.g. Bathroom rejects such as hair, used sanitary napkins etc.) i. To be given out in newspaper bags, with a red cross on the bag. f. Whether housekeeping staff to be utilized for secondary segregation of the dry recyclable rinsed waste. This will fetch a higher price for the dry recyclable waste, but with the trade-off of the house-keeping staff s time. 3. Training for house-keeping staff to get them oriented for the new collection mechanism (if house-keeping staff to be utilized for collection of waste) If the apartment has an Organic Waste Converter (OWC) installed but not commissioned, house-keeping staff also needs to be trained to operate the OWC. Phase 2: Awareness / Initiation 1. Once the above preparations have been made, the next step is to have an awareness presentation for the residents and housemaids to make them appreciate the reason for the exercise, and get commitments from them to participate / join the volunteer group driving the initiative. The presentation can be managed by the Green Commandos team, but the word needs to go out to all residents to get a critical mass of residents together at a common location for the presentation at a convenient pre-decided time (preferable in the weekend mornings). Ideally, the word should be sent by putting up a banner at the apartment entrance (Green Commandos can help with the designing), sending out a notice to all, and talking and spreading the message by word of mouth. The presentation also doubles up as a sign for residents to start segregation. Bins and 2

4 bags should have been procured by this time, the service provider finalized, and training given to housekeeping staff. 2. Once the segregation starts, more residents need to be encouraged to take up volunteering roles to promote the practice (such as being a block coordinator, floor coordinator etc.) This is a key step, and it will ensure that responsibilities are evenly distributed among the residents. In the absence of such a structure, the entire onus of sustaining the project may fall on a handful of people, which becomes very difficult. Phase 3: Sustenance / Follow-up 1. A door to door audit can be performed once the practice has been in place for close to 3 months to ensure people are segregating waste. Families loyal to the practice can be recognized, and non-cooperating individuals shamed publicly. (Green Commandos can help with volunteers and a design for stickers that can be placed on doors for houses segregating). A starter kit should also be prepared for new residents/tenants coming into the apartment complex to ensure that the practice continues consistently over a period of time. 3

5 Annexure 1: Recyclable waste service providers - Bangalore Kartavya Centre / Location Ward Centre head Contact no. Service provider no. Domlur Kartavya Below Domlur flyover 112 Ms. Krupa Parivarthana, Ambedkar Nagar 116 Mr. Jayakrishna Ambedkar Nagar HSR Layout Kartavya Sector 1, next to 174 Mr. Marwan Bangalore One Office Mahalakashmi Layout Near ISCKON Temple 64 Ms. Archana Kartavya Kasa Rasa 1, Ejjipura, near National 148 Mr. Purshottam Koramangala Games Village Kasa Rasa 2, HT Wire, near Jyoti 1, 3 Mr. Purshottam Koramangala Nivas College Yelahanka Kartavya Allal sandra 194 Ms. Anita Gottigere Kartavya Near Nandi Park 151 Mr. Marwan Apartments Anandnagar Kartavya Behind Bangalore 21 Ms. Anjana Baptist Hospital, Hebbal Malleswaram Malleswaram 13th cross 65 Mr. Narendra Kartavya (Beside JP Balimo on Sampige Road) Shivajinagar Kartavya Shivajinagar, Stadium 110 Mr. Subramaniam Ramamurthynagar Ramamurthynagar 26 Mr. Madhu Kartavya Samarthanam Electronic City Mr. Girish *: Dry Waste Collection Centre 4

COST EFFICACY OF HOUSEHOLD WASTE MANAGEMENT. Dr. Mrs. M. K. Pejaver Principal B. N. Bandodkar College of Science, Thane, Maharashtra

COST EFFICACY OF HOUSEHOLD WASTE MANAGEMENT Dr. Mrs. M. K. Pejaver Principal B. N. Bandodkar College of Science, Thane, Maharashtra Common Scenes on Roads Waste can be wealth; with a tremendous potential