Waste-handlers and recycling in urban India: Policy, perception and the law

Social Change ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 41-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bharati Chaturvedi
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Legal Rights ◽  
Cooperative Groups ◽  
Social Legitimacy ◽  
Poor Access ◽  
Urban Waste Management ◽  
Waste Handling ◽  
Waste Pickers

All recycling in India is undertaken by (and via) the informal sector. This sector includes waste-pickers, small middlemen, transporters, larger middlemen and Anally, reprocessors. These self-employed people play a very important role in urban waste management as they provide a service which the urban municipalities cannot provide given their current institutional framework. Although the sector of informal waste managers is critical to solid waste-handling in India, the sector is unable to optimise its work due to lack of social legitimacy or legal rights over waste-processing, which makes it vulnerable to intimidation. Additionally, due to lack of awareness and specific skills, as well as very poor working conditions and poor access to basic facilities, this sector has so far been unable to make its recycling efficient and profitable. With certain changes in the policies relating to recycling and ownership of waste, there can be a synergetic relationship between the recycling sector, the existing relevant laws, and waste-handling in India that can significantly improve the efficiency of the sector and enhance financial returns to the waste-pickers and reprocessors. Such policy changes as provision of legal rights over solid waste to waste-pickers and organisation of waste-pickers into cooperative groups, can further the interests of these marginalised groups and maximise their profits, in addition to substantially improving solid waste management in the city.

THE IMPACT OF POOR WASTE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE ON THE CAMPUS STUDENTS: THE CASE OF GONDAR UNIVERSITY OF “TEWODROS” CAMPUS, ETHIOPIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-58
Author(s):  
Habtamu Wondimu
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Policy Frameworks ◽  
Waste Handling ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Office Personnel ◽  
Method Approach

This study aimed to examine the impact of poor solid waste management on student’s health care at Gondar University of “Tewodros” campus. The study used a mixed-method approach. To recruit sample respondents', both probability and non-probability sampling methods have been employed. In the meantime, the study revealed the sources of solid waste, it is understood that the poorly collected and managed solid wastes of the study area due to the lack of necessary materials and facilities of waste collection, lack of laborers engaged in street sweeping and daily removal of solid waste is now becoming the major causes of environmental problems such as surface and groundwater pollution problems. Besides, the student’s health office personnel in the interview approached the general health status of the students on the campus during this year. Accordingly, dysentery, common cold, and typhoid are the most frequently appear disease on the Tewodros campus. Therefore, there should be a “students committee “at the campus level to control illegal dumping and to develop practice and habits of poor waste handling and disposal in the community, and there must be apparent regulation and policy frameworks that prohibit poor waste management.

Surviving from garbage: the role of informal waste-pickers in a dynamic model of solid-waste management in developing countries

2006 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROCÍO DEL PILAR MORENO-SÁNCHEZ ◽  
JORGE HIGINIO MALDONADO
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Dynamic Model ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Waste Collection ◽  
Management Policies ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Waste Pickers

In developing countries, informal waste-pickers (known as scavengers) play an important role in solid waste management systems, acting in a parallel way to formal waste collection and disposal agents. Scavengers collect, from the streets, dumpsites, or landfills, re-usable and recyclable material that can be reincorporated into the economy's production process. Despite the benefits that they generate to society, waste-pickers are ignored when waste management policies are formulated. The purpose of this paper is to integrate the role of scavengers in a dynamic model of production, consumption, and recovery, and to show that, in an economy producing solid waste, efficiency can be reached using a set of specific and complementary policies: a tax on virgin materials use, a tax on consumption and disposal, and a subsidy to the recovery of material. A numerical simulation is performed to evaluate the impact of these policies on landfill lifetime and natural resource stocks. A discussion on the implementation of these instruments is also included.

scholarly journals Social Context of Solid Waste Disposal among Residents of Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 89 ◽  
pp. 16-24
Author(s):  
Temitope A. Ogunweide
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Municipal Solid Waste ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Solid Waste Disposal ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Management Hierarchy ◽  
Waste Handling

The study sought to assess the social context of solid waste disposal pattern of residents in Ibadan metropolis, in order to assess the Solid waste disposal patterns of people in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study identified solid waste disposal habits of residents, frequency of clearing the dumpsters, accessibility of waste dumpsters to people determines the waste disposal pattern of people; and analyze the willingness of people in Ibadan to pay for improved service. Solid waste management has been part of human activities right from time. Efforts by Oyo State Government is seen in the collection of dirt that have been placed on the medians. Waste generation is an unavoidable product of man activities, however, sustainable management of such waste is a challenge faced in many countries today. Nigeria, a developing country in Africa, has been in a quandary of how to efficiently manage the municipal solid waste its population generates. Many states in the country lack adequate plans and infrastructure required for efficient and sustainable management of municipal solid waste. For Ibadan, the largest city in Nigeria, the problem is further compounded by its rather large and still increasing population. In this research, Ibadan metropolis is taken as a case study; the rate of solid waste handling in households as regards solid waste management from household collection to final disposal are focused upon. The study found out that 45.6% drop their refuse in the dumpsters as 18.8% burns their refuse, 17.7% of the respondents drops their waste on the median, 12% in the drainage while 6% opts to drop their waste in the streams. On the effectiveness of the Private operators collecting waste from the respondents, the study found out that 7.6% effective, 37.5% of the respondents says the operators waste collection is poor, 7% says it is abysmal while 43.5% said it is not applicable to them because they do not have storage containers in their houses and as a result did not subscribe to their service. Many countries, particularly the developed ones, have employed options in the waste management hierarchy for sustainable management of their municipal solid waste and the blend of options employed is usually highly dependent on local factors. Following the waste management hierarchy, possible options for sustainable municipal solid waste management in Ibadan are discussed. It is concluded that waste reduction, reuse, and recycling are potential management options for the state. Landfilling will remain an important option for final disposal but reliance on this method could be significantly reduced if management options are exploited to the maximum in a sustainable solid waste management structure in Ibadan metropolis. Key Words: Waste handling, Ibadan Metropolis, Landfill, Municipal Solid Waste Word Count: 435

scholarly journals Making Urban Waste Management and Drainage Sustainable in Nepal

2021 ◽  
pp. 325-338
Author(s):  
Mani Nepal ◽  
Bishal Bharadwaj ◽  
Apsara Karki Nepal ◽  
Madan S. Khadayat ◽  
Ismat Ara Pervin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Municipal Solid Waste Management ◽  
Property Value ◽  
Urban Resilience ◽  
Urban Waste Management

AbstractAs cities in Nepal grow fast in an unplanned manner, low-lying areas face the risk of flooding and waterlogging exacerbated by the impact of climate change events such as excessive rainfall. The problem is aggravated when solid waste is not managed properly. This chapter provides an account of some of the key findings from a large research project where we examined how proper solid waste management would help reduce the risk of flooding and waterlogging using the metropolitan city of Bharatpur as a case study. It also examines the effectiveness of information dissemination and installation of waste bins on the streets as a strategy for making urban communities cleaner. The benefits that cities would derive in terms of increased property value when communities get cleaner are quantified. Household surveys and other data are used to examine households’ willingness to pay for improved municipal solid waste management and how this could be financed in a sustainable manner to increase urban resilience as a strategy for community-based climate change adaptation.

scholarly journals Municipal solid waste management decision-making during COVID-19 pandemic: a comparison between Brazil and Portugal

2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. e19411124673
Author(s):  
Ana Teresa Rodrigues de Sousa ◽  
Susana Paixão ◽  
Marcos Paulo Gomes Mol
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Management Decision ◽  
Municipal Solid Waste Management ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Management Decision Making ◽  
Urban Waste Management

Decisions related to waste management were affected to contain the advance of the new coronavirus pandemic. Different measures have been adopted between countries around the world. This study aims to assess changes in decision-making on solid waste management in Brazil and Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic, considering the socioeconomic differences and the context of waste management in each country before the health crisis. A literature review was carried out on scientific bases, PubMed, Google Scholar and Web of Science. Differences were noted in decisions and guidelines for good practices in waste management, with measures being observed in a decentralized manner in Brazil, differently from what was observed in Portugal. In this way, the understanding of urban waste management during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil becomes complex, in addition to the territorial extension and the diverse social composition, due to the decentralization of decision-making, while Portugal centralizes decisions related to waste management and has a smaller population and territorial extension.

scholarly journals Failing Services on Urban Waste Management in Developing Countries: A Review on Symptoms, Diagnoses, and Interventions

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (24) ◽  
pp. 6977 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Breukelman ◽  
Harold Krikke ◽  
Ansje Löhr
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Governance ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Dynamics Modeling ◽  
Urban Solid Waste ◽  
Urban Waste Management

The potential and scale of cities enable economic growth and the improvement of citizens’ access to jobs, education, healthcare, culture, public utilities and services. Solid waste management (SWM) is one of the key services provided by cities. Its operations are complex, very visible to the general public, and impacted by strong financial, societal, and political constraints. Performances in developing countries, however, are not positive. United Nations research shows urban collection services covering no more than 39% of the population in low-income countries. Why are many cities in developing countries not able to use their increasing wealth and scale for basic SWM services such as city cleaning, collection, and sustainable landfilling? This paper provides a review of literature on this question over the last decade. It shows that research is mostly on symptoms and has not led to a deeper diagnosis of causes. Lack of resources, infrastructure, awareness, and institutional strength are often pinpointed as causes but, in fact, they should be addressed as symptoms. These symptoms should be designated as dependent variables in a complex causal network with systemic feedbacks, hindering or neutralizing attempts to improve performances if not properly dealt with. Research should concentrate more on assessing the relations between urbanization, urban processes, and urban governance that shape the performance of urban solid waste management. System dynamics modeling may provide new approaches for this diagnosis.

scholarly journals Assessment of work-related accidents associated with waste handling in Belo Horizonte (Brazil)

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (10) ◽  
pp. 1084-1092 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos PG Mol ◽  
Amanda F Pereira ◽  
Dirceu B Greco ◽  
Sandy Cairncross ◽  
Leo Heller
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Social Security ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Risk Identification ◽  
Preventive Action ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Belo Horizonte ◽  
Waste Handling

As more urban solid waste is generated, managing it becomes ever more challenging and the potential impacts on the environment and human health also become greater. Handling waste – including collection, treatment and final disposal – entails risks of work accidents. This article assesses the perception of waste management workers regarding work-related accidents in domestic and health service contexts in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. These perceptions are compared with national data from the Ministry of Social Security on accidents involving workers in solid waste management. A high proportion of accidents involves cuts and puncture injuries; 53.9% among workers exposed to domestic waste and 75% among those exposed to health service waste. Muscular lesions and fractures accounted for 25.7% and 12.5% of accidents, respectively. Data from the Ministry of Social Security diverge from the local survey results, presumably owing to under-reporting, which is frequent in this sector. Greater commitment is needed from managers and supervisory entities to ensure that effective measures are taken to protect workers’ health and quality of life. Moreover, workers should defend their right to demand an accurate registry of accidents to complement monitoring performed by health professionals trained in risk identification. This would contribute to the improved recovery of injured workers and would require managers in waste management to prepare effective preventive action.

Forecasting of the unknown end-of-life tire flow for control and decision making in urban solid waste management: A case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-201
Author(s):  
Euclides Santos Bittencourt ◽  
Cristiano Hora de Oliveira Fontes ◽  
Jorge Laureano Moya Rodriguez ◽  
Salvador Ávila Filho ◽  
Adonias Magdiel Silva Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Urban Waste ◽  
Seasonal Model ◽  
Historical Series ◽  
Urban Solid Waste ◽  
Urban Waste Management

Efficient urban planning requires managers’ experience and knowledge of reverse logistics in solid urban waste processes. Forecasting tools are needed to control, select and manage municipal solid waste. This paper presents the application of dynamic modeling approaches, namely, a linear autoregressive seasonal model, a model based on a FeedForward Artificial Neural Network and a Recurrent Neural Networks model, in order to forecast the unknown flows of end-of-life tires 12 months ahead. The models were identified using a database comprising four years of historical series related to the unknown flows of end-of-life tires. These were obtained through an exploratory analysis based on the annual sales reports of new tires issued by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics and reports related to the number of vehicles in circulation issued by Brazil’s National Traffic Department. The results show that the models are able to carry out consistent forecasts over the horizon of a year ahead and the predictions are capable of identifying seasonalities and supporting decision making in urban waste management.

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