Classification of solid waste, sources, composition By Dr. Moazzam Ali Khan
Classification of solid waste, sources, composition Elements of solid waste management
Problems of Solid Waste Management in Karachi
Is municipal waste our number one waste problem? NO!! Municipal waste is a very small part of total solid wastes. Who generates the most waste? 75% Mining and petroleum products 13% Agriculture 9.5% Industry 1% Sewage sludge 1.5% Municipal
Why Solid waste! According to the daily "DAWN" dated February 27th,2002, Karachi alone produces about some 10,000 metric tones of solid waste daily out of which only 30-40 percent is transported and dumped into open landfills while the rest is either left unattended or is being burnt in-situ.
SOLID WASTE MUNICIPAL INDUSTRIAL HAZARDOUS
Primary collection STAGES OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMNT From house hold to dustbin sites collected manually Secondary collection From dustbin to landfill sites done mechanically Final disposal At landfill sites
HAZARDOUS WASTE SYRINGES, NEEDLES, BANDAGES FLUIDS, ANIMAL AND HUMAN TISSUES
NON HAZARDOUS WASTE PAPER, CARD BOARDS, FOOD WASTE
Total 4856 7918 10980 24612 100 Solid waste generation in districts of Karachi 1991-2010 Source : NESPAK study and estimates (1993) Districts Present solid waste generation (Tons/day) Future solid waste generation (Tons/day) Total percentage 1991 1996 2001 2010 East+ Malir 1602 2613 3623 8122 33 West 0777 1267 1757 3938 16 South 1021 1664 2306 5168 21 Central 1165 1900 2635 5907 24 Cantonme nt board 0291 475 0659 1477 06
S.No Components Solid waste composition in Karachi (2005-2006, IES data) Percentage by weight Low areas income Middle income areas High areas income Average 1. Food waste 11.86 25.75 28.25 21.95 2. Plastic and polythene 5.50 8.54 10.54 8.19 3. Glass 1.25 6.50 8.85 5.53 4. Paper and cardboard 15.60 12.85 15.54 14.66 5. Bones and shell 0.25 2.75 4.62 2.54 6. Metals 0.65 1.25 4.75 6.65 7. Leather and Rubber 6.43 8.75 5.65 6.94 8. Textile waste 20.25 11.50 9.32 13.69 9. Wood 5.57 2.25 3.10 3.64 10. Miscellaneous 32.64 19.86 9.38 20.22 Total 100 100 100 100
Functional Elements of Solid Waste Management Waste Generation Waste handling, separation, storage, and processing at the source Collection Transfer and transport Separation and processing and transformation of solid waste Disposal
Hierarchy of Integrated Solid Waste Management
Composition of solid waste in Karachi Recycled items (75%) Non recyclable (25% approx.)
COLLECTION, TRANSPORT AND STORAGE OF SOLID WASTE Under prevailing system, following are the five elements of SWM in Karachi. i. Primary storage ii. Primary collection/transport iii. Secondary storage iv. Secondary transport v. Final disposal (dumping ground/landfill sites)
Where lies the problem? 9 major internationally funded studies have been prepared Recommendations of these studies have never been implemented fully. Even if they had been, they would not have solved Karachi s SWM problem because none of them recognized the crucial role of the recycling industry, most of which is in the informal sector.
Where lies the problem? i. The solid waste reaching the dust bins is mixed i.e it contains household, commercial and even commercial refuse. Many a ii. iii. times trimming of the lawns and trees is also added. The primary collection and storage system is ineffective. The municipalities staff carries out street sweeping in the early morning and late evening, whereas the shopping centers open their shutters at around 10 to 11 a.m. The refuse thrown at odd times, by the shopkeepers and even households, having no primary storage arrangement, that is one of the reason for insanitation witnessed most of the time on the roads/streets of Karachi iv. The staff deployed is un-trained. v. Ideally the refuse should be put inside the containers but practically the conditions are opposite. vi. Approximately 500 vehicles carryout the job of secondary transport of solid waste in the city of Karachi. Timings of waste collection are not synchronized. Role of land mafia.
Where lies the problem? vi. The design of the containers is such that, it is not very easy for the people, domestic servants and sanitary workers especially females to dispose household garbage directly into the containers. This is one of the basic reasons for garbage being thrown all around. vii. The practice of burning of refuse by the sanitary workers/motor coolies in attempt to reduce the volume, and by the domestic servants especially for garden refuse or by scavengers to get iron, metals (e.g wires from used tyres) makes these containers an environmental health hazard.
Where lies the problem? ix. If for any reasons, the garbage is not removed from the site on the same day (which is not uncommon), the decomposition/putrefaction promoted by the high temperature and humidity of Karachi and resultant emission of gases makes the life of the neighborhood miserable. x. The scavengers spread the garbage and thereby create unaesthetic sites, which is a cause of nuisance. The practice exposes the waste to a variety of vectors of diseases such as flies, rats and other rodents. x. We do not have a separate system for collection of hazardous/toxic/hospital waste. This practice exposes the public in general and scavengers in particular to the dreadful effects of toxic waste.
xi. A large number of people and NGOs may advocate encouraging this practice of scavengers on the plea that it helps in minimizing the amount of solid waste for secondary removal and is a source of collection of recycle-able, but in doing so they do not take into account that this is one of the worst forms of the Child Labour. It exposes the scavengers to a number of diseases e.g tetanus etc. and is a major public health problem.
Final disposal Following are the designated landfill sites in Karachi. 1. Jam Chakro Near Surjani Town 2. Sector 6, Mehran Town Near Korangi, Industrial Area. 3. Govind Pass Near Hub Chowki 4. Dhabeji Near Railway Station, Dhabeji, District Thatta