Waste Management Value Chain- bhagya - Kushaagra Innovations Foundation

WASTE IS NOT A UNIQUE!

What we cannot use, we term as ‘waste’. However, when we have to manage waste, all waste is not the same.
Each type of waste has to be handled differently. The way waste reacts with nature determines the type of the waste it is.

WHAT ARE THE BASIC SOURCES OF WASTE?

Municipal Solid Waste

Waste from households within urban and rural administrative jurisdiction consisting of residential and commercial area waste.

Agriculture Waste

Animal waste, Bagasse from crops, rotten or unused crops.

Industrial Waste

Chemical waste, leftover metal or plastic waste.

Hospital Waste

Human body parts, surgical material, blood etc.

WHAT IS THE VALUE CHAIN FOR MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT?

Value chain of waste management is a five-step process.

Waste generation and awareness for segregation of waste.

Primary waste collection system.

Secondary waste collection (waste transportation system).

Processing of collected waste.

Landfill or Biomining.

Ideal case of value chain for municipal solid waste management can be elaborated through the following flow diagram.

WHAT IS VALUE CHAIN FOR 100% COLLECTION OF SEGREGATED WASTE?

Ideal condition is assumed to have 100% segregated waste from 100% households.

Following waste flow diagram explains the practical on field scenario for waste management.

WHAT IS VALUE CHAIN FOR PROCESSING OF THE WASTE?

Waste segregation plays an important role in defining the processing value chain. There are two approaches followed for processing of the waste. Both of which have its own positives and negatives.

DECENTRALIZED PROCESSING

CENTRALIZED PROCESSING

Balancing between decentralized and centralized waste processing systems reflects in better financing for overall waste management as well as resource management.

Overall value chain and probable options for processing of various types of waste is as given in flow diagram below.

WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF THE DECENTRALIZED AND CENTRALIZED PROCESSING SYSTEMS?

Centralized Processing Systems

Positives :

Operations of single unit becomes easier than operations for multiple decentralized units.

Considering the non-willingness towards allocation of land for waste management, it becomes an easier option for governing body.

Negatives:

Impacts land value and thus development of particular geography of the city.

Strains the transportation systems for waste collection due to increased travel distance.

Decentralized Processing Systems

Positives :

Reduces the travel distance for waste thus brings in efficiency for transportation of waste.

Reduces or makes it easy to manage issue due to accumulation of waste.

Better efficient system in case of breakdown of technology.

Reduced carbon footprint as a repercussion of reduced transportation of waste and accumulation of waste.

Negatives:

Increased land requirement.

More nodes for waste and citizen interaction thus probability of opposition from general citizens.

Increased operational efforts for governing body.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE CITIZEN AND THE GOVERNING BODY IN THE WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM?

Responsibility of the citizen

Segregation of the waste in four types as suggested by the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan i.e. Wet, Dry, Domestic Hazardous and Plastics

Managing the wet waste at source.

Taking the responsibility of right handling and handover of the waste to right system.

Responsibility of the governing body

Maintain the visual cleanliness along the roads of the city.
Action taken:
1. Employ and manage sweepers to sweep the streets.
2. Deploy Mechanical sweepers on major roads.

Create awareness amongst Citizens on waste segregation and other good practices expected from a citizen.
Action taken:
Conduct awareness activities, campaigns, workshops, events and social media activities.

Collect municipal solid waste generated from residential and commercial areas.
Action taken:
Provide Manpower and vehicles to Collect waste from all over the city.

Process the waste such that it is recycled or reused and does not cause any harm to the environment.
Action taken:
Set up waste processing plants and promote recycling and reuse of waste.

Waste that cannot be processed to be disposed off in a manner that does not cause any harm to the environment.
Action taken:
Have Appropriate waste disposal facility.

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