MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN BANGALORE A Short Article

MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE

MANAGEMENT IN BANGALORE

An Attempt at a Cleaner Bangalore

A Short Article

Submitted by:

Almas Shaikh

II Year Student

NUALS, Kochi

[email protected]

N L S I U E - j o u r n a l o n E n v i r o n m e n t a l L a w , P o l i c y a n d D e v e l o p m e n t P a g e | 2

ABSTRACT:

In the recent years, Bangalore has looked like a beautiful painting deteriorating slowly due

to lack of proper preservation. It used to be a scenic place with amazing environment and weather,

but now due to improper planning and the recent developments taking place, the scenic beauty of

Bangalore is depleting along with its proper maintenance. Streets in Bangalore are strewn with

waste, garbage spilling out of dumpsters is a common sight and dumping of garbage in lakes and

ponds has become the new way of garbage disposal. What was once used to be called the Garden

city has a new moniker, the “Garbage City”. These pathetic living conditions of most of the city

dwellers has become a common eyesore. The garbage disposal methods are falling short of what

is required.

Bangalore was a modest city in the beginning. But the revolutionary growth has left it

reeling and in its wake is the unmanageable amounts of solid waste that is produced every day.

For every modern development, the garbage produced increases. To deal with this garbage crisis,

certain rules have been laid down, but clearly not being implemented in a proper way.

This short article will talk about the methods that are commonly used for waste disposal in

the city. Under the same topic, it will discuss the controversial draft Municipal Solid Waste

Management Rules of 2013. It will also touch upon the best solid waste management methods

practiced on the world over and their applicability in Bangalore. Thus a conclusion will be reached

about the plausible practices that can be followed here and how the public has to contribute to

clean up the city.


MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN BANGALORE

AN ATTEMPT AT A CLEANER BANGALORE

A clean environment is a human right like any other. It is therefore part of our

responsibility towards others to ensure that the world we pass on is as healthy, if not

healthier, than we found it.

-Dalai Lama

Solid waste usually refers to the garbage that is collected from the society. According to

the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, “municipal solid waste”

includes commercial and residential wastes generated in a municipal or notified areas in either

solid or semi-solid form excluding industrial hazardous wastes but including treated bio-medical

wastes. Municipal solid waste (MSW) is generated from households, offices, hotels, shops, schools

and other institutions. The major components are food waste, paper, plastic, rags, metal and glass,

although demolition and construction debris is often included in collected waste, as are small

quantities of hazardous waste, such as electric light bulbs, batteries, automotive parts and discarded

medicines and chemicals.1

This waste that is generated continuously in the city has to be regularly disposed of to

prevent accumulation of the same. It is an ever growing problem that has to be managed to prevent

accumulation of garbage in a harmful way. Thus, it is imperative that one has to come up with

ways to dispose of the waste so as to not harm the quality of life of people or prove a danger to the

environment that we live in. That is where the concept of solid waste management comes in.

Solid waste management is the process where garbage is systematically segregated,

collected, stored, transported, processed, treated and disposed of. It is a scientifically thought out

process which takes into consideration facts like the amount of waste produced, segregation units,

construction of waste management facilities, decentralization of power under this realm and such

others.

1 Retrieved from http://www.unescap.org/esd/environment/soe/2000/documents/CH08.PDF


Solid waste management is particularly difficult and costly today due to the increasing

volumes of waste and the need to control potential serious environmental and health effects of

disposal. National planning for solid waste management is necessary for the development and

implementation of a very long-term and reliable action. A report on waste management prepared

for the Government of India (1998) by a sub-committee of the Supreme Court relates what it

describes as a ‘pathetic situation’. The municipal bodies in India have been unable to adjust to the

rapid changes that have led to both increased quantities and changes in the composition of the

waste stream, leading to an over-loading of the service. It is estimated that more than a quarter of

the waste generated is not collected (Pauchri and Batra 2001). The current situation, which gives

rise to the indiscriminate dumping of wastes, has a serious impact on air, land and water pollution

and causes a dramatic increase in health hazards in the urban environment. A report prepared by

the World Bank (1994) advocated a move towards privatization of the service, and this has been

started in some cities, but involvement of civil society organizations could provide alternative

solutions. In many cities, nongovernmental and community-based organizations (NGOs and

CBOs) have started developing neighborhood waste collection services as well as, initiating

composting and recycling activities. These moves are backed up by new municipal solid waste

management and handling rules (Ministry of Environment and Forests, GOI 2000).2

With an estimated population of 9.4 million, Bangalore is among the largest five cities of

India. The solid waste management practice in Bangalore is very interesting. Waste generated per

person per day is about 0.5 - 1kg. It generates more than 4,500 tonnes of Urban Solid Waste a day,

which the Bhruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is clear approximately about 60%. The

primary and secondary collection, and transportation have been reasonably satisfactory to enable

the city to remain clean. Consequently, there is a huge backlog of un-cleared waste cluttering the

city are properties that are under dispute, lake beds, storm water drains, street corners etc.,

(Environmental Status Report, 2008).3

This waste was usually disposed of in archaic methods, many a times left to putrefy in the

open air. As the population has increased, so has the amount of garbage that has been produced.

2 Kumar, M., & Nandini, N. (2013). Community attitude, perception and willingness towards solid waste

management in Bangalore city, Karnataka, India. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL

SCIENCES, 4(1). Retrieved from http://www.ipublishing.co.in/ijesarticles/thirteen/articles/volfour/EIJES41009.pdf 3 Ibid


But the disposal methods for the same still remain insufficient to deal with the tremendous amount

of trash. Recent studies have shown that India produces more than 55 million tons of trash a year,

and this report is made only on the urban population. Lack of proper facilities to deal with this

problem has literally left India drowning in garbage, and this picture is evident when one lays their

eyes on the Bangalore streets. Empty sites are used as dumping grounds instead of being utilized

for better and more commercial purposes. Thus, it is apparent that stringent measures have to be

adhered to, if this growing problem has to be controlled and in time, to bring to an end.

The existing solid waste treatment system in the city is not very effective. Between the

1970s and 1990s a significant fraction of the fermentable wastes was composted or used directly

in the fields. In spite of rapid growth in Urban Solid Waste production over the years, the capacity

of compost plants has not increased. Various forms of waste recycling processes are currently

functioning in Bangalore (reaching an estimated 67% of total recyclable content). This level is

inadequate and it results in the production of non-fermentable wastes to be land-filled. A

significant fraction of the total Urban Solid Waste is also dumped in about 60 shifting open dump

sites and poses environmental problems. The total Municipal Solid Waste generated in Bangalore

city has increased from 650 tons per day (1988) to 1450 tons per day (2000) and today it has

become 4500 tons per day (Rajabapaiah, 1988). From 1988 to 2000 there is reasonable change in

waste composition: fermentable, paper and plastic has increased by 7%, 3% and 0.2%, respectively

(Chanakya and Sharatchandra, 2005). Generation rate has also increased from 0.16 (1988) to 0.58

kg/capita/day (2009) attributable to development and lifestyle changes.4

Many methods came to be used to dispose of waste in environment friendly ways. The

usual methods that have come to be used are that of dumping waste in open sites, landfill methods,

bio-mining, incineration, etc.

An open dumping is defined as a land disposal site at which solid wastes are disposed of

in a manner that does not protect the environment, are susceptible to open burning, and are exposed

to the elements, vectors, and scavengers. Open dumping can include solid waste disposal facilities

4 Ibid


or practices that pose a reasonable probability of adverse effects on health or the environment. The

health risks associated with illegal dumping are significant.

Areas used for open dumping may be easily accessible to people, especially children, who

are vulnerable to the physical (protruding nails or sharp edges) and chemical (harmful fluids or

dust) hazards posed by wastes.

Rodents, insects, and other vermin attracted to open dump sites may also pose health risks.

Dump sites with scrap tires provide an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, which can multiply

100 times faster than normal in the warm stagnant water standing in scrap tire causing several

illnesses.

Poisoning and chemical burns resulting from contact with small amounts of hazardous,

chemical waste mixed with general waste during collection & transportation. Burns and other

injuries can occur resulting from occupational accidents and methane gas exposure at waste

disposal sites.5

Apart from this, environmental pollution is caused. Also, due to indiscriminate and large

quantities of dumping, the soil at the open site is contaminated. This kind of dumping not only

affects the environment but also uses up space that could have a more commercial and profitable

purpose. Thus open dumping of waste must be completely banned and the people responsible for

it must be heavily fined.

Landfill system of disposing off the waste is the procedure where the waste is allowed to

decompose by burying it in the ground. But as the city has grown in population over the years,

understandably, so has the waste produced. Thus, this method does not seem like the most viable

option.

The landfill technique that is used proves to be of a serious hamper to the environmental

balance. It emits toxic fumes and also, the leachate that comes off the waste flows into the nearest

water body, contaminating it. Over 3000 tonnes of waste is generated in Bangalore every day, a

good proportion of which is unhealthily dumped in the peri-urban areas of the city, with farmlands

5 Welcome to National Solid Waste Association of India's Website. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.nswai.com/waste-municipal-solid-waste.php


and wetlands becoming prime targets. The leasing out of land for dumping wastes to local

administration bodies also becomes an easy money-spinner for certain land-owners and the

dumping goes on unmindful of the shameless abuse of natural resources and inevitable impacts on

the health of local communities. Thus, it can be seen that there are serious limitations to the concept

of landfills.

As an answer to the problems of landfills, the method of bio-mining is used. Bio-mining is

the process used to excavate, process and dispose existing garbage. It is a very eco-friendly process

in which the waste that has been dumped in the sites is segregated and later processed. The

technology employs any suitable mechanical sieving machine or any other equipment. Through

this method, the plastic will be recycled and the garbage processed can be used as manure.

Another alternative that could be made use of is incineration. The garbage is usually

dumped at a pre-determined site. This garbage is collected and burnt. The usual method that has

to be followed while burning the waste is called incineration. It involves heating the waste in

excess oxygen at temperatures exceeding 10000 C. The principal is to use heat energy to convert

the waste into re-usable energy. Also, as a side-benefit, the volume of waste reduces by 80-90%.

This contributes to its popularity.

The incineration of MSW essentially involves combustion of waste leading to volume

reduction and recovery of heat to produce steam that in turn produces power through steam

turbines. Basically, it is a furnace for burning waste and converts MSW into ash, gaseous and

particulate emissions and heat energy. The efficiency of the technology is linked to the waste

characteristics and their properties such as moisture content and calorific values. When the waste

is dry, it may not need any auxiliary fuel except for start-up but when it is rich in inert and moisture

content, supplementary fuel may be needed to sustain combustion, adversely affecting net energy

recovery. The combustion process involves essentially, drying, volatilization, and ignition and

desirably, elimination of odors, and combustion of unburned furnace gases and carbon suspended

in the gases. It requires high temperature of the order of 800-1000oC and sufficient air and mixing

of gas stream. The minimum temperature for burning carbonaceous wastes to avoid release of

smoke and prevent emissions of dioxins and furans is 850oC. In order to ensure proper breakdown

of organic toxins, this temperature should be maintained at least for 2 minutes. For steam


generation and energy recovery, the combustion temperature should be 1400oC. This will also

ensure degradation of all organic compounds. Depending on the nature of wastes and the operating

characteristics of combustion reactor, the gaseous products derived from the combustion of MSW

may include carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2O, flue gas), oxygen (O2), nitrogen oxides (NOx),

sulphur dioxide (SO2) and small amounts of hydrogen chloride, mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium,

dioxins and furans, and organic compounds. The combustion residues include bottom ash, fly ash

and non-combusted organic and inorganic materials. Modern incinerators include pollution

mitigation equipment such as flue gas cleaning and in such versions, sludge from scrubber and

waste water adds to the contaminants in lieu of polluted emissions. There are various types of

incinerator plant design: moving grate, fixed grate, rotary-kiln, fluidized bed. The typical

incineration plant for municipal solid waste is a moving grate incinerator.6

Incineration is a procedure which involves a lot of technical knowledge and precision. Even

small changes in temperature will result in improper disposal and release of toxins.

More often than not, incineration is interchanged with open burning. The waste that often

contains articles made of materials such as plastic, rubber, Styrofoam, electronic materials and

other things which produce really harmful toxic wastes are burnt in open air unlike the controlled

environments that are a necessary part under the process of incineration.

The integrated waste is indiscriminately burnt. This pile of garbage which includes rubber

materials, plastic, electronic items and such other items will emit highly toxic gases upon

combustion.

The only positive aspect of the burning method that is used is that the volume of garbage

is reduced by 80-90%. But this one advantage does not set right the disadvantages that are a result

of open burning. Burning trash creates toxic smoke. The tiny particles, which are created as a result

of this smoke, enter the lungs of people and increase the risks of asthma, lung and heart disease,

cancer and other cardiovascular problems. People exposed to smoke are also believed to be at a

higher risk of pneumonia and other infectious lung diseases.

6 Envis Centre: Mumbai, Maharashtra :: Technologies :: Incineration. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.nswai.org/index.php?id=339


The smoke typically contains “dioxins” which are highly toxic pollutants known to cause

cancer, as well as hundreds of other contaminants which may cause or aggravate lung problems.

This pollution can be blown by the wind to some distance. When the contaminants fall to the

ground and settle on subsistence foods, there is opportunity for people, animal and plants to come

in contact with dangerous substances.

Apart from health matters, it is also an undeniably main source for air pollution. The

significance of open waste burning with regards to air pollution lies within its dangerous chemical

releases into the local atmosphere. These releases can have dangerous effects on the health of

indigenous populations, disproportionately harming those in poor communities. Most notably of

these chemical releases from the burning of waste are unintentional persistent organic pollutants

(POPs), including dioxins and furans (also known as PCDDs and PCDFs, respectively). POPs are

generally regarded as harmful to human health as they are associated with DNA interference and

increased free radical production in humans.7

The ability of these POPs to be released from waste burning, coupled with this practice

being conducted in open environment, translates into large scale and uncontrolled releases of

dioxins, furans, and countless other chemicals in developing countries. The reality concerning

open burning of e-waste is particularly dire, as discarded electronics often contain very high

amounts of potentially hazardous components. It is also important to note that, as is the case

concerning countless other environmental issues, most developing countries possess neither the

infrastructure nor the mechanisms to even measure the present levels of POPs and other chemicals

in the atmospheres of their communities.8

As a result, it can be safe to say that open burning is a very harmful practice. It is a regular

scene here to see large wastes in open dumping grounds being set on fire. Due to the ill-effects

mentioned above, open burning also has to be banned. In its place, if incineration is carried out

strictly and according to the rigid procedures prescribed, then it would not only effectively reduce

air pollution but also generate energy, a much needed source for any developing city.

7 Air Pollution in Developing Countries. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://web1.cnre.vt.edu/lsg/GEOG3104S10Web/Group2/Open%20Waste%20Burning.html 8 Ibid


The above-mentioned methods are only a few of the methods that can be used to segregate

and properly dispose garbage. Apart from these, another method that is used is the segregation at

the source. This implies that the waste that is generated is segregated at the local level.

The Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules of 2000 actually say that it is the

responsibility of the citizens to segregate their waste at home. In fact, to store segregated waste,

places are selected in each ward and provision is made for collection of dry waste and removal of

dry waste once in three days and transportation of the same. This was put down in the provisions

of the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules of 2000.

The city generates about 5000 tonnes of solid waste daily. Much of this waste is organic

and can and should be composted. Mandating segregation of waste at source is clearly possible

under the current legal regime. Many communities across the city are practicing this for years,

demonstrating its feasibility.

Once waste is segregated at source, almost all the organic refuse can be immediately

composted and the recyclable material can become resource within the neighborhood. Only

electronic and bio-medical wastes need to be specially treated as per applicable norms. Such an

approach will contribute massive savings in fuel and trucking costs, bring down cost of human

resources required to manage waste, prevent the need for landfilling and protect public health and

environment. What's more, it will provide valuable manure that can be used in gardening.

Importantly, this approach will restore dignity to waste handlers, who are currently dealing most

unhygienically with mixed waste, day in and day out.9

At the household level, segregation is vital. It does not take any time for an individual to

put biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste in two separate bins. This exercise saves a lot of

effort at the dump site. About 93.8% of the households are not recycling the waste and are directly

disposing into the community bins without segregation.

9 “Guiding Principles to resolve the current Garbage Management Crisis of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara

Palike” ESG's Initiatives On Socially Just And Ecologically Progressive Management Of Municipal Solid Waste,

Including PILs | Environment Support Group. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://esgindia.org/education/community-

outreach/resources/esgs-initiatives-socially-just-and-ecolo.html


In a study conducted, the following results were recorded. About 74% of the households

preferred to dispose the waste on daily basis because of the location of their house to the

community bin. About 24.5% of the households preferred to dispose the waste thrice in a week

because the household size is medium and the generation of waste is comparatively low. About

1.5% of the households preferred to dispose the waste once in a week because they are in 1 – 2 in

numbers and waste generation is very low. However, very few households knew where the

collected waste is disposed. About 9.7% of the households are paying charges for removal of

household solid waste with interest and remaining 90.3% are not paying any charges for the

removal of solid waste because just they are dumping their waste either in the community bins or

nearby open spaces; from their the government bodies like municipalities, corporation are

collecting the waste from the community bins or open spaces using pourakarmikas. About 3% of

the households are making their waste as a resource through mini-composting and the produced

manure is using for their horticulture in their gardens. The households are involved in waste

management NGO’s and are gained knowledge on “Waste from Wealth”. The remaining 97% of

the households are not bothered about the waste management and their disposal due to lack of

knowledge and understanding the concept of “Wealth from Waste”. As non-biodegradable wastes

like plastics, polythene, glass and paper do fetch a price, the pourakarmikas unload the waste on

the dump sites and rag-pickers carry out sorting for resale, that too without any safety measure in

the stinking place. It once again spread the waste, leading to unhygienic conditions. Once

enforcement of segregation is achieved, biodegradable waste can be collectively taken to the

composting area and most of the non-biodegradable waste sold by the rag-picker as recyclable.

This would reduce manpower and transportation costs for the municipality/corporation and ensure

that only less percent of waste goes to the so-called dump sites.10

Many methods were thought out and properly written in the Municipal Solid Waste

(Management and Handling) Rules of 2000. This Rule was set out to be amended and a Draft

Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules of 2013 was published. These reforms by the Indian

10 Kumar, M., & Nandini, N. (2013). Community attitude, perception and willingness towards solid waste

management in Bangalore city, Karnataka, India. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL

SCIENCES, 4(1). Retrieved from http://www.ipublishing.co.in/ijesarticles/thirteen/articles/volfour/EIJES41009.pdf


environment Ministry were widely considered to be regressive. A PIL was filed in the High Court

of Karnataka.

This PIL included the matter of segregation at source. This well-established system of

segregating waste at the source, was curiously, in the 2013 Rules, Schedule-II deleted giving an

impression that it is not obligatory any more to segregate the waste at source.

This particular amendment that was made would put the practice that should be followed

back to almost a decade. The Court found that the amendment with regard to segregation “would

undo what has been done in the last decade and in particular in Bangalore for the last one year

in pursuance of the directions of the Court, which had strenuously worked to ensure

implementation of progressive features of the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2000.”

The Court held that though the “definition of the word segregation in 2000 Rules is

retained in the 2013 Rules, they have omitted the Schedule-II itself” which details the process by

which segregated waste should be handled and managed locally. The Court held that the effect of

deletion of Schedule-II would be segregation of solid waste at the source is given a go by. The

segregation of solid waste was prescribed on the basis of the recommendations of the Expert

Committee as well as in pursuance of the directions issued by the Supreme Court in more than one

case. Accepting the said Rules, it is submitted the authorities throughout the country have spent

considerable amount in educating the citizens of this country the need to segregate the waste at

source. In Bangalore, sufficient money is spent by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike by

way of advertisements in Press, in electronic Media and even by holding public meetings. In fact,

to store segregated waste, places are selected in each ward and provision is made for collection of

dry waste and removal of dry waste once in three days and transportation of the same.11

To stop this kind of unsystematic dumping and to make the streets of Bangalore cleaner

and greener, methods have to be implemented that are practical and yields results. This requires a

collaboration between the authorities in charge and also the citizens of Bangalore. The right to

11 “Karnataka High Court reins Indian Environment Ministry's regressive reforms on waste management”,

ESG's Initiatives On Socially Just And Ecologically Progressive Management Of Municipal Solid Waste, Including

PILs | Environment Support Group. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://esgindia.org/education/community-

outreach/resources/esgs-initiatives-socially-just-and-ecolo.html


clean environment comes under the Right to life that has been conferred to the citizens by the

Constitution. But, it is also our duty to contribute to keep the environments of Bangalore clean.

There are no environmental laws in the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Acts specifically

pertaining to SWM. Solid waste management practices can never reach the desired level of

efficiency until the public participates and discharges its obligation religiously. In order to improve

solid management practices in urban areas, it is necessary to incorporate suitable provisions in the

state law to ensure public participation and providing for minimum level of solid waste

management. Some of the proposed legal provisions are as follows:

i. Prohibition and punishment for littering, open defecation and waste disposal on streets

etc.

ii. Duty of citizens not to mix recyclable/non-biodegradable/hazardous waste with organic

waste.

iii. Duty of societies/associations/management of commercial complexes to clean their

premises and to provide community bins that are covered and maintained in good

condition.

iv. Duty of local body to provide and maintain ‘waste storage depots’.

v. Local body to provide uniforms, identity cards and protective equipments for sanitation

workers and waste collectors.

vi. Duty of local bodies to clean all public streets, open public spaces, and slum areas.

vii. Duty of local bodies to transport waste regularly to waste storage depots and to set up

transfer stations in areas of narrow and difficult access.

viii. Duty of local bodies to set up landfill sites to dispose the rejects.12

Solid waste management is usually one of the most labor- and cost-intensive services

provided by local governments in developed and developing countries, and local government

officials are frequently besieged by companies selling solid waste management technologies.

Many of these technologies may not be appropriate, and officials may have limited experience for

assessing a company’s claims and technological viability. Inaccurate assumptions and inadequate

12 Ramachandra, T. V. (n.d.). Integrated Management of Municipal Solid Waste. Environmental Security : Human &

Animal Health. Retrieved from

http://www.ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy/paper/integrated_management_msw/integrated_management_msw.pdf


planning by project officials have resulted in many systems being built, only to close shortly after

costly start-up, operations and maintenance. Helping local governments choose appropriate solid

waste management strategies and technologies is therefore critically important.13

The most effective way to reduce the impact of managing waste is to reduce the amount of

waste that is generated, waste reduction aims to change the way products are made and used to

minimize waste generation. For example, redesigning product packaging to eliminate excess or

unnecessary materials reduces the amount of used packaging that is discarded. Waste reduction

has the two-fold benefit of reducing raw material inputs and all of the cost and energy savings

encompassed by this reduction, and reducing the volume of waste that needs to be managed and

disposed of properly. Waste reduction conserves resources; reduces SWD costs and pollution,

including GHG emissions; and teaches conservation and prevention.14

Reusing products rather than discarding them after a single use reduces the demand for

new products and the raw materials and energy inputs required to produce and transport them.

Reuse conserves raw materials, reduces energy consumption and transportation emissions, and

results in SWD cost savings and reduced GHG emissions. Many countries, for example, encourage

the use of cloth bags instead of single-use plastic bags for groceries. However, there are limited

numbers of waste materials that are appropriate for reuse or storage, which presents challenges for

reuse. 15

Recycling involves the collection of used materials and the reprocessing or

remanufacturing of these materials into usable products or materials. Recycling materials such as

metals, paper, plastics and wood saves GHG emissions by reducing the amount of solid waste

requiring disposal and providing a substitute for virgin raw materials in product manufacturing.

Using recycled materials also reduces GHG emissions from extracting, transporting, and

processing virgin raw materials. Recycling also keeps valuable resources in use and out of the

landfill. Recycling can be accomplished by separate collection of recyclable materials from

13 Waste and Climate Change: ISWA White Paper. (2009). International Solid Waste Association. Retrieved from

http://www.iswa.org/fileadmin/user_upload/_temp_/Small_GHG_white_paper_01.pdf

14 Ibid 15 Global Methane Initiative (2012). Basic concepts of integrated solid waste management. International Best

Practices Guide for LFGE Projects.


households and businesses (source separation) or by separating mixed waste to recover recyclable

materials at a materials recovery facility (MRF) before transfer to a waste-to-energy facility or a

landfill (see Figure 1-5). Recycling requires energy for transporting, reprocessing and

remanufacturing materials, but typically consumes less energy than making products from virgin

raw materials, resulting in net energy and emissions savings. Recycling also includes biological

treatment of organic materials that can recover energy and generate usable agricultural products,

such as composting and anaerobic digestion.16

Composting uses the natural decomposition of organic matter, such as food and yard

wastes, to reduce the volume of waste and create compost, a humus-like material that can be added

to soils to increase fertility, aeration and nutrient retention. Large-scale composting is typically

done in windrows (long rows of crops) and sometimes in large-scale vessels that promote the

aerobic decomposition of organic matter. Small-scale or backyard composting can be used as a

method of managing food and yard wastes at or near their points of generation, keeping these

materials out of the waste stream and serving as a form of waste reduction.17

Anaerobic Digestion (AD) involves the conversion of biodegradable organic matter to

energy by microbiological organisms in the absence of oxygen. The biogas produced in the

digestion process is a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide and can be used as a fuel source for

heating or electricity production.18

Waste reduction, reuse and recycling all divert materials from the Solid Waste Disposal

stream and from landfills in many countries. While this reduction has many positive environmental

benefits, it decreases the amount of LFG produced and subsequent availability for recovery and

beneficial use.19

Waste-to-Energy (WTE) is an effective means for converting waste to energy and

significantly reduces the volume of waste and the proportion of organic matter that is placed in a

landfill, which in turn reduces the production rates of landfill methane. Also referred to as waste

combustion or incineration, WTE is the controlled combustion of waste in a modern furnace

16 Ibid 17 Ibid 18 Ibid 19 Ibid


equipped with pollution controls that produces steam or electricity. Other technologies include

gasification, plasma gasification and pyrolysis. Energy produced through WTE can help reduce

the demand for fossil fuel combustion-derived energy, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

WTE also allows for further metals recovery from ash prior to disposal.20

Even with effective waste reduction, recycling and WTE programs, there will always exist

some waste that cannot be further reclaimed and that requires disposal. The final resting place will

be a landfill for the vast majority of this type of waste. Sanitary landfills are the primary SWD

option in the United States and other developed countries. Although less prevalent in developing

countries, the use of sanitary landfills is growing in importance in many developing countries —

for example, in Latin American countries. Sanitary landfills are designed and engineered to contain

waste until it is stabilized biologically, chemically and physically, thereby reducing pollutant

releases to the environment.21

These procedures and others if properly implemented will result in Bangalore returning to

its Garden City status. Proper management of solid waste will reduce pollution and increase the

aesthetic value of the city. Apart from this it will also act as a secondary source of raw materials.

As a society we must fulfill the motto of ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness.’ Thus methods have to

be implemented in an austere manner. This way, Bangalore will be a pioneer in the field of solid

waste management and be a model city for other places in India.

20 Ibid 21 Ibid


BIBLIOGRPHY:

1. Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000

2. Draft Municipal Management Rules, 2013

3. http://www.unescap.org/esd/environment/soe/2000/documents/CH08.PDF

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ml

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12. Global Methane Initiative (2012). Basic concepts of integrated solid waste

management. International Best Practices Guide for LFGE Projects.

All the websites have been last referred to on 31st December, 2013

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