Promoting the Integrated Resource Recovery Center model in Asia and the Pacific

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1 Promoting the Integrated Resource Recovery Center model in Asia and the Pacific Rowan Fraser Sustainable Urban Development Section, ESCAP

2 The urban population in Asia-Pacific is growing Urban population (thousands) by sub-region Source: Data from World Urbanization Prospects 2014, in State of Asian and Pacific Cities 2015

3 and so are the amounts of waste Total amount of waste (tonnes) generated per day in Asia Pacific Rising incomes + = Increased consumption

4 More land requires for disposal Vermin and disease vectors Negative impacts Foul odors Methane emissions Leachate runoff

5 Seeing opportunities in challenges Composition of municipal solid waste in low-, middle- and high-income countries Source: Data from World Bank, in Valuing Waste, Transforming Cities

6 A pioneering solution An Integrated Resource Recovery Center (IRRC) is a recycling facility where a significant portion (80-90%) of waste can be processed in proximity to the source of generation, and in a decentralized manner. The IRRC concept is based on the reduce, reuse and recycle (3R) principles The Integrated Resource Recovery Center model was developed by Waste Concern, an NGO based in Dhaka The model is cost-effective, affordable, low-tech and communitybased, and allows transforming waste into various types of resources

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10 Transforming waste into resources

11 Economic benefits Reduced landfilling costs Extended landfill life Reduced subsidy for chemical fertilizer Improved crop yield

12 Social benefits Better job opportunities Improved living conditions Reduced disease Better environmental awareness.

13 Environmental benefits Reduced pollution Reduced greenhouse gas emissions Improved soil quality Low-carbon fuel

14 Valuing benefits Benefit Job creation: additional income for waste-pickers employed Type Social/Economic Public & Private Value (US$) Bangladesh Sri Lanka Viet Nam N/A Cost savings for the municipality for avoided landfilling of waste Savings in chemical fertilizer use (25% reduction) Savings in subsidy to chemical fertilizers Economic Public Economic/Environmental Private & Public Economic Public N/A Increase in crop yields Economic Private & Public TOTAL Value in USD of composting 1 ton of organic waste Source: Data from ESCAP and Waste Concern

15 Helping cities in the region turn the waste crisis around Since 2009, ESCAP and Waste Concern have been helping cities in the Asia-Pacific region to effectively manage their solid waste in a pro-poor, sustainable and economically viable manner through the project Pro-poor and sustainable solid waste management in secondary cities and small towns The programme has established waste-to-resource initiatives in 8 secondary cities and towns in Asia-Pacific using the model Integrated Resource Recovery Centre

16 Initiatives across 17 cities, 6 countries

17 Establishing waste-to-resource initiatives in Viet Nam Operations in Viet Nam began in 2007, with a 2-tonne IRRC in Quy Nhon City, followed by a 5-tonne IRRC in Kon Tum City in In both cities, local government provided land, policy support and other resources, with ESCAP covering construction cost, training and technical assistance through a local NGO. Both initiatives have involved significant community outreach and mobilization around waste separation at source, as well as training in operational management and composting. Role of the municipal government has been a key factor in the performance of IRRCs, and broader success of initiatives.

18 Over 6 years of field-level learning in critical areas

19 Building partnerships Partnerships need to be based on trust and a shared vision Partnerships across different spheres of government are needed Partnership arrangements should align with local conditions and specific needs Different partners can contribute resources to the initiative

20 Improving awareness and changing behavior Changes in mind sets and perceptions are essential Changing behavior takes time, patience and sustained engagement Source separation begins with changing individual actions New behavior needs to be supported by appropriate infrastructure. Informal sector engagement helps to achieve broad community change

21 Managing facilities and improving operations A business plan, job descriptions and careful accounting are fundamental Key performance indicators need to be established and monitored Diversifying revenue sources builds financial resilience Collection and tipping fees are usually required to achieve cost-recovery Improving quality helps to open markets

22 Creating an enabling environment for scaling up Scaling up is a long-term goal requiring shifts in policy and behavior Policy change is best achieved following a successful pilot project Scaling up should be incremental and modular National governments have a critical role to play in creating markets, providing incentives, capacity development and financing, and developing regulation and standards. International climate financing can be leveraged

23 Enhancing knowledge and capacity through 2016 Creating a centralized knowledge hub on ESCAP s waste-toresource initiatives at to be launched in April 2016 Developing and finalizing a range of knowledge products, including baseline surveys, methodologies, infographics, case studies and city profiles Developing an online course on Sustainable Solid Waste Management with a focus on setting up and running wasteto-resource initiatives in developing countries in Asia-Pacific to be launched in April

24 Thank you For more about ESCAP s work on waste-to-resource initiatives, visit: And,