PART 1
Landfills - A Ticking Time Bomb:
In India’s urban landscapes, landfills are more than waste disposal sites; they are environmental and health hazards. These vast dumping grounds emit toxic gases, contribute to climate change, and serve as breeding grounds for diseases. Methane and carbon dioxide, produced by organic waste decomposition, significantly contribute to global warming and pose immediate health risks to nearby communities. Additionally, hazardous chemicals from waste leach into soil and groundwater, jeopardising agricultural lands and potable water sources.
Glass and Plastic Packaging - Culprits in the Landfill Menace:
Among the countless items consigned to these burgeoning mountains of waste, glass and despite being theoretically recyclable, glass and plastic packaging often end up in landfills due to inadequate infrastructure and consumer apathy.
Although it is 100% recyclable without loss of quality, a considerable amount of glass still ends up in landfills. This is due to several factors:
Contamination and Sorting Issues - Glass must be sorted by colour and free from contaminants like metal caps and organic residues to be recyclable. Contamination and improper sorting can render glass unrecyclable.
Economic Factors - The cost of collecting, sorting, and transporting glass to recycling facilities can be high, particularly in areas where recycling infrastructure is underdeveloped.
Plastic is ubiquitous in packaging due to its lightweight, versatility, and low cost. However, its environmental impact is profound:
Non-Biodegradability: Most plastics are not biodegradable and can persist in the environment for hundreds of years.
Recycling Challenges: Plastic recycling is complex due to the variety of plastic types and the need for thorough cleaning and sorting. Many plastics are also contaminated with food or other waste, making recycling economically unviable.
Single-Use Culture: A significant portion of plastic packaging is designed for single use, leading to massive amounts of waste. Despite efforts to increase recycling rates, only about 9% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled.
Both glass and plastic packaging contribute significantly to landfill waste:
Glass: Despite its recyclability, when not properly sorted and recycled, glass occupies substantial space in landfills and does not decompose.
Plastic: The low recycling rate of plastics, combined with their volume and long decomposition time, makes them a major landfill burden. Plastics can break down into microplastics, which pose additional environmental and health risks.
Growing Waste and Its Impact:
Food scraps, plastic bottles, pizza boxes, etc., think about how many things you throw away each day. Depending on how and where you live, this might differ a lot. The average Indian tosses out 500 grams of garbage every day. For the average American, it's 2.2 kilos. By the way, the U.S. is the world champion in waste generation per capita. This pile grows along with cities and the rising standard of living.
This was part of the problem in Ghazipur. In 1984, when the landfill first opened, Delhi's population was not even 7 million, now it is about 34 million. The authorities weren't ready for that. And on the planet, right now, we're 8 billion people producing 2.1 billion tons of rubbish every year. According to this UN study, 38% end up where it shouldn't. Some 2.7 billion people lack access to basic waste management services. "So, no collection, no treatment, no disposal."
Aditi Ramola, the technical director at the International Solid Waste Association, emphasises on distinguishing between dumpsites and landfills.
The waste sector accounts for 3 to 5 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. Dumpsites and landfills are the biggest contributors. And there are the sanitary landfills, which have more environmental controls that try to mitigate all those problems. They started to evolve in the 20th century, especially in the second half – also, because the material used in our products had become much more toxic to the natural environment.
Landfill Strategies and Initiatives by Indian States:
Name of the State | Name of the Initiative | About the Initiative | Target Set | Achievements Made |
Maharashtra | Waste Segregation and Recycling | Maharashtra has mandated waste segregation at the source into wet and dry waste, with strict penalties for non-compliance. The state promotes the recycling of dry waste and composting of wet waste. | 100% waste segregation and reduction in landfill waste | Increased awareness and compliance in major cities. Total 18725.20 MT/Day Solid Waste is treated/processed by ULBs by adopting waste treatment technologies and total 3343.12 MT/Day is disposed of in sanitary/simple landfill. Thus, achieving overall 94.35 % average treatment. The remaining solid waste finds its way for unscientific disposal/dumping. Overall average waste segregation is 93.01 % and overall solid waste transportation is 98.98 %. |
Kerala | Green Protocol | Promotion of reusable products over disposable plastics, especially in public events | Significant reduction in plastic waste | Successful implementation in major events. 124 net zero carbon projects implemented in local bodies. |
Karnataka | Waste-to-Energy Plants | Conversion of municipal solid waste into electricity | Establish multiple waste-to-energy plants | Karnataka’s first Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant coming up in Bidadi is spread across 15 acres and has a capacity of 11.5 MW. The plant will be able to process close to 600 metric tonnes of dry waste once it starts operations. |
Tamil Nadu | Zero Waste Management | Zero waste practices focusing on reduction, segregation, recycling, and composting | Statewide implementation by 2025 | 10 common bio-medical waste treatment and disposal facility (CBMWTF) are under operation. On an average, daily 35 Tonnes of bio-medical waste is handled by these facilities. There are 3 such facilities in the districts of Gummidipoondi, Hosur and Tiruppur Districts are under establishment. |
Gujarat | Sanitary Landfill Sites and Bio-mining | Development of engineered sanitary landfill sites and bio-mining of old sites | Multiple sanitary landfills and bio-mining projects | Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot have achieved 100% door to door collection and waste segregation at household level. APMC in partnership with SMC has installed 50 MT Bio-Methenation Plant. Vadodara Municipal Corporation’s successfully completed Atladara Bioremediation and Bio-mining project and reclaimed an abandoned dumpsite spread across 17 acres of land containing 3.75 lakh M.T. legacy waste in delivering sustainable development to the citizens of Vadodara at large. This was Gujarat’s only bioremediation project undertaken on a zero-residue model where all the aggregates generated were either recycled, reused or repurposed. |
Andhra Pradesh | Decentralized Waste Management | Community-level composting and recycling centers | Reduce waste transportation and landfill dependency | This approach has played a significant role in achieving 100% source segregation and over 90% processing efficiency. Moreover, the majority of Vijaywada’s wards (52 out of 64) have been declared bin-free, while the remaining 12 wards are closely monitored through closed-circuit cameras connected to the Command Control Centre. |
These initiatives highlight the diverse approaches Indian states are taking to manage waste more sustainably and reduce the impact on landfills.
Solutions for India: Charting a Sustainable Course:
Addressing India's landfill crisis requires a multi-pronged approach that integrates policy reforms, technological innovations, and community engagement:
1. Enhanced Waste Segregation - Promoting source segregation of waste at the household and commercial levels to facilitate efficient recycling and reduce landfill burdens.
2. Investment in Recycling Infrastructure - Scaling up investment in modern recycling facilities and technologies to process materials like glass and plastic into valuable resources.
3. Public Awareness and Education - Launching comprehensive awareness campaigns to educate citizens about the importance of waste reduction, segregation, and responsible consumption.
4. Policy Support and Enforcement - Enacting stringent regulations and incentivizing businesses to adopt sustainable packaging practices while penalising non-compliance.
International Best Practices -Paving the Way for Efficient Management:
Here's a table summarizing the waste management initiatives from various countries, including Sweden, Japan, Germany, and the USA:
Name of the Country | Name of the Initiative | About the Initiative | Target Set | Achievements Made |
Sweden | Waste-to-Energy Initiatives | Sweden uses advanced incineration technologies to convert waste into energy, minimising landfill use and reducing emissions. | Achieve zero waste by maximising recycling and energy recovery | Achieved a 99% recycling rate with significant waste-to-energy conversion (History Unfold) (Global Citizen). |
Japan | Comprehensive Recycling Systems | Japan employs meticulous sorting and recycling practices, achieving high recycling rates. | Maintain high recycling rates and efficient waste management | Nearly 80% of waste is recycled or incinerated for energy recovery . |
Germany | Dual System for Recycling | Germany's system involves strict regulations, producer responsibility, and efficient collection systems | Reduce landfill use and increase recycling rates | Germany achieved a recycling rate of over 60% for packaging waste, far surpassing the European Union's targets with minimal landfill use . |
USA | Engineered Landfills | The United States has over 2,600 landfills, including the APEX Landfill near Las Vegas, the world's largest, which can accept waste for the next 250 years. U.S. landfills are engineered with impermeable liners and methane capture technologies to manage waste. A large hole is lined with synthetic material to protect the ground from toxic chemicals, with a drainage system at the bottom to remove and treat leachate, which is then turned into reusable water. Sensors detect potential leaks. The system also captures gases, including methane, which can either be burned off through flaring, converting it into CO2, or used to generate heat, electricity, or renewable natural gas, offering a more sustainable option. | The IPCC's recommendation to reduce methane emissions from landfill is much simpler and more straightforward: Reduce the amount of organic waste in them because the methane emissions from landfill are produced when organic matter decomposes underneath a pile of garbage, without oxygen. | Reduced methane emissions by 60-90 % and improved landfill efficiency. Many landfills capture methane for energy, equivalent to powering one million homes. Landfilling of waste has decreased from 94% of the amount generated in 1960 to 50% of the amount generated in 2018. |
These initiatives highlight successful approaches to waste management, offering practical solutions that can be adapted to improve waste management practices globally.
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