Sri Lanka: Waste management needs holistic

social intervention

When a country lacks genuine good governance; government administration

becomes weak. Politicians become misled as they do not receive from a passive,
poorly disciplined and unprincipled bureaucracy appropriate advice for social
development. Political commitment to implement the pledges they made to the
people when they came to power, has vanished.

by Lionel Bopage-Jun 10, 2017

Jun 10, 2017
( June 10, 2017, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) In an environment where
affluent families are dominant, garbage becomes waste though it may then
become an important source of income for some of the poor people living in
urban areas. It is said that in countries such as Sri Lanka, one percent of the urban
population, that is at least about 15 million people survive by separating what can
be reused from the waste that others dispose of.
In areas like Blumenthal and Meethotamulla where garbage has been piled up
into mountains, and in areas proposed such as Ekala where garbage is to be re-
piled, some people survive by finding something beneath these mountains of
garbage to sell or eat. The people, who go through these garbage mountains are
subject to poisoning and toxic smoke and face various kinds of diseases. When
managing waste in a country, betterment of the lives of such people needs to
become part of that management process.
In the subject curriculum of environment used in many schools, waste
management can also be included. Creating awareness of students from
kindergarten upwards and their parents and neighbours through educational
activities conducted at their homes and providing them with the necessary
facilities is an important part of a waste management programme. A national
program of waste management can be launched using such school-based
activities on waste management as well as the activities that can be practised in
day to day life as a model.
Contribution to the tragedy
Meethotamulla is not the first garbage mountain that has collapsed. Unless
conscious measures are taken to prevent such situations from occurring in the
future, it will not be the last. One cannot talk about this garbage mountain
without mentioning the fact like everywhere else in the world, Lankans also live in
a consumer society, in which investors act to maximise their profits at the cost of
human life, regardless of the moral or legal consequences. Bribery, corruption,
bloodshed and murder are recurring motifs of such an inequitable society, as
evidenced by the repressive measures the Lankan state used against protest
campaigns the communities living near this garbage mountain carried out for the
last several years.
All successive governments, politicians and the bureaucracy who have not
considered or disregarded these issues and all those people who have not paid
attention about this issue have directly or indirectly contributed to this tragedy.
Until the end of the nineties, many in Lanka used ceramic ware, banana or lotus
leaves to consume food and drinks. Local authorities at the time arranged waste
collection and disposal operations successfully, though such operations became
defunct at a later stage.
The situation changed in this century with plastic being used in day to day life as a
very common and inexpensive raw material. Due to the short life span of plastic
products, an enormous amount of garbage started piling up in our environment.
Lankans began using disposable plastic ware and bags, as well as polythene wraps
to pack and consume their food and drinks and then dumping that plastic rubbish
everywhere. This waste started being piled up plenteously, not only in the
surrounds of Colombo, but also in faraway villages.
Global waste generation
This garbage crisis is not a problem confined only to Sri Lanka. Many countries
that celebrated the World Earth Day on the last 22nd April find waste
management turning into an escalating dangerous issue. When the amount of
garbage thrown out around the world is taken into consideration, only less than
half of the worlds population enjoy the privilege of systematic and regular waste
collection.
According to the estimates the World Bank had made in 2011, cities around the
world generate about 1.3 billion tons of waste every year[1]. The amount of
waste is expected to increase to 2.2 billion tons in the year 2025 and to 4 billion
tons in 2100. As shown in the diagram below, the highest waste generating
countries of the world are the United States of America, China, Brazil, Japan and
Germany. During the past decade, Australias waste generation has increased by
170 percent[2].
Mega cities in Asia are facing a serious challenge of disposing waste. Smokey
Mountain with a population of about 13 million in the city of Manila in the
Philippines is one of the largest lands refilled with waste. Thousands of people
who live here and use the waste become victims of toxic smoke every day.
Mumbai in India with a population of about 12 million find it difficult to locate
land to refill with waste. The city of Jakarta in Indonesia with a population of
around 11 million is overflowing with waste. The city of Bangkok in Thailand with
a population of around 10 million was covered with smoke for weeks due to
waste mountains catching fire recently. These situations leading to environmental
pollution are not only harmful to the health of the general public, but may also
lead some developing countries to a state of desolation covered almost entirely
with toxic poisonous gases.
WasteZero
The chairperson of the WasteZero initiative in the USA states that we do not
consider waste management as an issue so long as we cannot see that waste. It
cannot be so in Sri Lanka as waste has been piled up everywhere for everyone to
see. Compared to electricity, water and gas, there is no price to be paid for waste
disposed of, and this is said to be one of the factors influencing less emphasis on
waste. It is also said that when arrangements are made to efficiently dispose of
waste, we are influenced to put away garbage even more.
Accordingly some experts say that measures are to be taken for each household
to pay a fee according to the weight or the size of waste that household puts
away[3]. It is said that due to the WasteZeros support for charging a fee for
every bag of waste disposed at a waste collection centre, waste recycling has
increased two-fold and waste disposal has reduced by 44 percent. However, for
many Lankans, who are already paying a heavy tax out of their small income, this
will become another burden on them. Obviously, it can become a burden that
they could not bear.
Waste generation and management in Sri Lanka
Lanka generates less than 15 million tons of waste annually. Nevertheless, many
local authorities find managing even this amount of waste a huge burden. A
substantial part of revenue of these authorities is spent on disposing rubbish. Due
to increasing urbanization, industrialization and consumerism with population
growth, not only the amount of waste generated is rising, but also the
constitution of waste (for example, electronic waste: e-waste) is also changing.
When compared with the land size and the population density of the country, this
is a worrying development. For managing the existing and the future exponential
increase in waste , there are no signs of a timely policy platform or a clear
programme, except for the great vocabulary of politicians.For such a plan, some
key elements for consideration would be the facts that the composition of waste
is changing; the amount of waste is accelerating, the collection of waste is more
expensive than waste disposal, and in particular, the collection of waste remains
mostly inefficient. Despite many people thinking that this issue could be avoided
by taking the waste mountains in their surrounds elsewhere, the outcome of such
a step would be to impose this issue on people living in another area. Some
others think that by burning garbage in the open or using incinerators, this issue
could be solved. Even though such measures can be used as part of the solution,
one step for a real solution to the problem is to make arrangements to collect
waste efficiently. However, a holistic solution for waste management cannot be
achieved without social participation, working to change the cultural attitudes
and behavioral patterns of people,.Around the year 1970, I have seen some
households in Nuwaraeliya using human excreta during their agricultural work.
Being harmful to public health and putrid gases released, this process would have
come to a standstill. In the villages and surrounds of the cities, some of those
engaged in agricultural work make mixed fertilizer from waste, and even using
vermin. Rural people in India and Nepal very cleverly engage in this type of
activities. Without dumping decaying garbage on street corners, they use barns,
boxes and concrete pits for this purpose. They sell mixed fertilizer to nurseries
and farmers. They separate plastic parts from garbage and sell them. Remaining
garbage is buried, or burned.Yet, in locations where population density is high, it
is difficult to carry out such activities. Government intervention is necessary to
develop technological facilities needed for the management of waste being
collected in cities. If this cannot be done, then such waste needs to be moved to
appropriate, less populated areas. For this, after negotiating with local
authorities, arrangements could be made to launch on a national scale a
programme that is based on a scientific analysis.
Importance of Genuine Good Governance
When a country lacks genuine good governance; government administration
becomes weak. Politicians become misled as they do not receive from a passive,
poorly disciplined and unprincipled bureaucracy appropriate advice for social
development. Political commitment to implement the pledges they made to the
people when they came to power, has vanished. Policy platforms, mechanisms
and programmes needed for good governance are nowhere to be seen. When
such a situation prevails, it is not surprising that the outcome is that the public
service becomes inefficient and local authorities are unable to maintain essential
services.In such circumstances, those who wield power and those who are close
to them come forward, as they choose, to achieve their personal objectives. The
result of this inefficiency will be soaring peoples protests. Through such protests
people themselves come forward to take initiatives to address such social issues.
Making communities aware of and training them in waste management cannot be
an arduous task. What is needed is to make a positive change in peoples
attitudes relating to putting away waste and generate the attitude among them
that waste is something that can be used as a resource.
Society towards waste management
The recycling behavioural patterns that can be employed at households can be
positively influenced by means of a school based practical waste management
education model utilising the experiences and inspirations found among the
generations. By this, knowledge and understanding of primary school students
can be developed significantly; thus, the message of reducing, re-using and
recycling of waste can also be carried over to their families and friends. When
good actions are observed, they can be motivated to use such actions again and
again. By doing so, it will be possible to link them to a sustainable waste
management process.Urban waste management is a crucial factor in maintaining
our ongoing relationship with the environment around cities. Efficient and
sustainable waste management depend on several factors, including the existing
development trends, the socio-economic composition and the commitment of the
government and society. Therefore, it is a unique challenge that we are faced
with in this epoch.It was reported recently that because waste found in Sri Lanka
is highly moist, such waste cannot be used for recycling and power generation,
sanitary land filling methods should be used for wet waste management, an area
in the Puttalam district had been selected for this purpose, and China was willing
to assist with this project. In some countries of the world, for example, in China
and Singapore, management of such wet waste is carried out.
Experience of China
In the past few decades, Chinese people have moved in vast numbers from rural
areas to urban areas. Because of this, there had been a rapid increase of
population in the cities and a huge change in lifestyles. Enormous changes in the
consumerist lifestyle of nearly 1.4 billion people generated a massive flood of
waste. As such, the not so developed general waste management services have
been severely affected. In urban waste management, China appears to be relying
on a formal government administered system and an informal system that is not
under the control of the government.About 300 million tons of garbage
generated annually; a huge amount of this waste is generated in the cities. The
common waste management service that exists is to collect unsorted urban solid
waste for land filling in suburban areas or their surrounds, or as close as possible
to the countryside, or for burning using incinerators. Despite the allocation of
containers for separating recyclable waste, the governments waste management
service does not have the capacity to implement such a recycling methodology. It
is also said that a large amount of electronic waste passes through a shadow
market.[4]
We know that the waste management in the cities of China has adversely affected
the lives of people living there. It is said that the weak infrastructure used in the
collection of garbage and the lack of investment and enforcement in waste
management are consolidating the social inequalities of the people from lower
socio-economic backgrounds, who migrate to the city from the village.
Reclamation of land for refilling with waste and installation of incinerators for
burning waste close to the suburbs where poor immigrants are inhabiting not
only bring in toxic gases, but among some of the disturbances include pollution of
sound, soil, water and air caused by trucks transporting that waste. Thus, the
interior of prosperous cities remains relatively clean, while the environmental
pollution the garbage of the residents in those cities is exported to small towns
and poor communities, who have been politically and economically marginalized
from the city.[5]China has tried various methodologies to overcome the
challenges urban waste has caused. A few years ago, China tested certain
advanced theoretical technologies capable of mechanically separating urban
waste material, and convert bio-degradable components into compost material,
for making mixed fertiliser. However, the toxic sediments produced were not only
unusable; those sediments also became a health hazard. The unsorted waste
containing organic matter is not an efficient burning fuel. Due to the large
amounts of additional fuel that were needed, it became a loss-making
exercise.Regulation of waste incineration in China is also unsatisfactory. The
environmental pollution the toxic gases emitted from burning waste has become
one of the most pressing environmental and health issue for the needy
communities living around the edges of cities. The interest the Chinese central
government has shown in recent years about the use of anaerobic digesters to
decompose organic waste can be viewed as a positive step. It is reported that
now China has launched several large scale pilot projects that use anaerobic
digestive agents.
Experience of Singapore
In the year 2000, Singapore generated around 7600 tons of waste per day. There
was no further land available in the mainland to dispose of waste by landfill.
Singapore could take rapid effective measures to overcome the growing waste
management crisis because of the political commitment of its government and
leaders, it being a small country, and its economy being a strong one. In 2001,
Singapore launched a program to raise the waste recycling ratio. A landfill was
built on the island of Semakau on land reclaimed from the sea.Singapore
introduced waste sorting and recycling process for its residents and a system of
waste collection. Schools, offices, shopping malls and factories were brought
under the recycling program. By the end of 2005, 56 percent of the Singaporean
households had been contributing to the recycling process. Thus, Singapore could
reduce the volume of waste going into landfills and produce power. By employing
modern innovative waste disposal methodologies, about 38 percent of
Singapores solid waste materials is used for power generation, about 60 percent
is recycled and about 2 percent is used for landfilling. Its four plants generating
electricity from waste, which is tantamount to about three percent of the
countrys electricity needs.According to the Executive Director Eugene Tay of
Singapores WasteZero-SG agency, megacities of Asia can learn many lessons from
Singapore. He thinks that these cities need to take a step backward, and after
emphasising on the aspects of reducing and reusing of the waste
management cycle, need to look at waste disposal as the last resort.[6]
Initial steps of waste management
The initial step of a programme of waste management in Sri Lanka needs to make
arrangements to change the habits and behaviour of people towards waste. Key
aspects that need to be in such a plan include minimising the use of material that
leads to the generation of waste, motivating them to separate waste and reuse
whatever items that can be reused, recycling and encouraging them to regularly
dispose of waste.Funds or loans received from the government or international
bodies can be used for implementing a waste management process. Nevertheless,
if a local body cannot cover the costs needed for the daily activities required for
this, it will not be able to maintain waste management on a regular basis. It is
possible to reduce the per capita ecological footprint in Colombo and other cities
by introducing a socially more reasonable approach in the use of resources
towards urban waste management. This is crucial in reducing the ecological
impact due to urbanisation. Using the resources in a fairer manner, our cities can
be maintained in a more sustainable manner. Addressing the ecological injustices
of the currently existing waste management system will also be a step towards
alleviating the social inequalities that exist among all those who live in and use
our cities.For effective implementation of the methodology that will be used for
waste management as designed, the following need to be satisfied: local
authorities need to have the knowledge and ability required to monitor and
assess the work that is expected from a private service provider engaged in waste
management; the methodology used to collect waste needs to match with
the needs and intentions of the residents in the local authority; taking steps
necessary for waste management only after consultations with those who
manage and handle waste; and not to impose those measures on
them;Otherwise, the waste management system will neither be embedded in
society nor be regularly maintained.Experiences of other countries have shown
that the use of some very sophisticated technologies for power generation from
waste does not go together with certain facts. Therefore, in determining an
appropriate technology for waste management in Sri Lanka, it will be important to
consider the following:1. Is the proposed technology compatible with the
composition of the waste generated in the country?2. Is that technology
compatible with the existing or futuristic recycling needs?3. Is it possible for
the people resident in the local authority to sustainably maintain that
technology?4. Is the methodology the local authority use advanced enough to
properly utilise that technology?For every unit of waste reduced, reused, or
recycled, it is not necessary to spend on collecting or safely disposing that unit of
waste. What is important for cities that do not currently engage in waste
management, would be to identify simple, appropriate and affordable solutions
that can be gradually implemented. Doing so can provide the best affordable
solution to the people. As the first step, collection of waste can be expanded to
include the whole city; and locations where garbage is openly piled can be taken
under the control of the local authority and make those locations into waste
disposal centers. Creating an environment for the public sector including local
authorities, citizens, private sector including businesses to work together, the
cycle of reducing, reusing and recycling waste can be taken forward while
safeguarding public health, and the environment.

[1] Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez, Senior Director, Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience Global
Practice, World Bank.
[2] MRA Consulting 2016, State of Waste 2016 current and future Australian
trends, at https://blog.mraconsulting.com.au/2016/04/20/state-of-waste-2016-
current-and-future-australian-trends
[3] For example, see Waste & Recycling at the town of Turtleford, UK, at
http://townofturtleford.com/town_office/waste_management.html
[4] Bald, C.P., Wang, F., Kuehr, R., Huisman, J. (2015), The global e-waste
monitor 2014, United Nations University, IAS SCYCLE, Bonn, Germany.
[5] See Beijing Besieged by Waste, a documentary directed by Wang Jiuliang
[6] Yep, E. 13 September 2015, Singapores Innovative Waste-Disposal
System, Wall Street Journal, at https://www.wsj.com/articles/singapores-
innovative-waste-disposal-system-1442197715
Posted by Thavam