Solid Waste Management in India is facing a crisis. A key factor in this is the problem of wet, or organic waste, which comprises over 50% (50-55%) of the total waste. This is the fraction which putrefies, emits foul odour, enables flies to lay eggs and mosquitos to breed in it, and emits greenhouse gases like methane as it rots. Methane is a green house has that is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Other components include dry waste, which is mostly recyclable (15-20%) and inert wastes (10-15%). This does not include components like sanitary waste, computed to be as high as 4% in some cities, and toxic waste, garden wastes etc.
The internationally accepted waste hierarchy requires that the waste be managed using the following levels of practice:
Based on this, it is seen as imperative that recycling is given priority over RDF or waste-to-energy. Also, in India, recycling is undertaken by the informal sector, comprising wastepickers, kabaris etc., which requires their inclusion in the system for social, environmental and economic reasons. Furthermore, several policies and laws also require their inclusion. It is stated that recycling is deeply and intrinsically linked with the informal sector. Hence, their inclusion is key to following the waste hierarchy.
In the specific Indian context, the environmental contribution of wastepickers has been seen as keeping up a culture of reuse and safeguarding materials in the modern age.
Some benefits include:
Green House Gas emissions reductions: About 6% of India’s greenhouse gas emissions are on account of solid waste. This is double that of the rest of Asia and is a poor record. Recycling is a well known way to reduce such emissions. A study showed that in Delhi, wastepickers have saved over 900,000 CO2 tons per annum, which is nearly 3.6 times higher than any waste project approved for CDM1.
In general, such a trend is likely to be reflected in other Indian cities. This assumes importance given that 6% of India’s Greenhouse gases originate from inadequate waste management. Without the informal sector, this number would likely have been higher.
There is considerable value addition to discarded materials. For example, a single unit of plastic rises in value by 750% 2 prior to even being sold as a new recycled product in the market.
Saving Resources and Raw Materials is also an important contribution to the economy and the environment. For example, recycling one ton of paper saves the repeated cutting down of 13 trees. However, if this paper is converted to energy, then it cannot be recycled or even down-cycled, and new materials will have to be generated, cutting down more trees. Similarly, metals like aluminum etc will also require to be mined from forest rich areas as bauxite in greater quantity if recycling does not take place. Recycling is therefore key to natural resource management.
Policy and Laws Till Now
Indian National Policy clearly recognizes the informal recycling sector through referring to them and their work as follows:
Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011: These ask that wastepickers are included in waste collection.
The National Environment Policy, 2006, which states “Give legal recognition to, and strengthen the informal sector systems of collection and recycling of various materials. In particular enhance their access to institutional finance and relevant technologies.” (Section 5.2.8, point (e), Pg 36)
The National Action Plan for Climate Change, 2009, states, “While the informal sector is the backbone of India’s highly successful recycling system, unfortunately a number of municipal regulations impede the operation of the recyclers, owing to which they remain at a tiny scale without access to finance or improved recycling technologies” This is part of the Mission on Urban Sustainability.
The CAG Audit on Municipal Solid Waste in India (December 2008) also recommends (Chapter 3, Section 3.5) that “MOEF/states should consider providing legal recognition to rag pickers so that recycling work becomes more organized and also ensure better working conditions for them.”
On March 22nd, 2010, the Urban Development Secretary also issued a circular to all Chief Secretaries to kindly include the informal sector, ie, wastepickers, in their plans for the 3 Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle).
The Supreme Court accepted recommendations of the Report of the Committee constituted by the Supreme Court in 1999 (Solid Waste Management in Class 1 Cities in India). According to this report, in points 3.4.7 (Pg 34) and Pgs 3.4.8, ragpickers must be converted into doorstep waste collectors as a means of up gradation.
National Committees
There have been several committees in the last 16 years that have recognized the importance of including the waste recycling sector into mainstream activities. All of these favour the rights of waste pickers to access waste.
Committee to Examine the Role of Wastepickers in Municipal Solid Waste Management, 2010:
The committee was set up by the MOEF with the understanding that the informal sector had a pivotal role to play in MSW. It was expected to bring out a report on their role and how to include them in a fast modernizing MSW system. The report has not been made available to the public.
Asim Burman Committee :
This was constituted by the Supreme Court as part of the Public Interest Litigation Almitra Patel Vs The Union of India. The committee was headed by Mr. Asim Burman, Municipal Commissioner, Calcutta Municipal Corporation, March 1999.This important committee clearly underscored the work of the recycling sector and its rights over waste. It made certain far reaching recommendations with regard to recycling and the informal sector. These included:
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-Organizing wastepickers to collect recyclable waste from shops and establishments. It also acknowledged that these wastepickers help reduce the burden of Urban Local Bodies body by several million rupees annually in collection, transport and disposal cost and saving of landfill space.
- Ten per cent of waste produced in India can be reused or recycled. Part of it is collected by wastepickers and the rest goes to the landfills. Recycling can be encouraged by promoting recycling industry through incentives like land allotment, power, water on priority, tax holiday, preferential purchase of recycled products by government and semi- government bodies.
Bajaj Committee :
This 1995 High Power Committee on Urban Solid Waste Management in India was created by the Planning Commission, the highest policy-making body of the Indian Government, soon after the 1994 plague outbreak. It was headed by Prof. B.S Bajaj, who was a member of the Planning Commission. The Bajaj Committee made specific space in the waste management framework for the informal sector. This was in sharp contrast to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s ban on the work of waste pickers during and after the plague. Some of the recommendations included:
-Replacing the informal sector scavenging from roadside dumps and disposal grounds by organised ward-level recycling and recovery centres, which could be managed by NGOs working with waste pickers. Municipal authorities could also employ waste pickers for this.
It is therefore clear that various policies have been consistently in favour of recycling by the informal sector, specifically, the waste pickers. However, these have been ignored in plans of privatization and waste to energy, including the new urban renewal plans.
Regional Legislation
There have been many instances of progressive regional legislation.
Ahmedabad:
Paper waste from offices is expected to be handed over to women waste pickers.
Maharashtra:
The order of the Government of Maharashtra; Water Supply and Sanitation Department. Government Circular No: Ghakavya 1001/ Pra. Kra 546/ Papu-22 Mantralaya Mumbai : 5 January, 2002 states that :
-The unorganized rag pickers collecting waste in different parts of the city should be organized with the help of the non-government organizations and register a cooperative. The local self-government should take an initiative to get these cooperatives registered. Registered rag pickers organization should be allotted the work of collecting waste in the city parts/wards with the help of non-government organizations.
-While allotting work to these cooperatives to collect waste from various places in the city, the citizens should be informed of this method. Also discussions should be held with non-government organizations, eminent citizens, Mahila Mandals and people’s representatives.
-Those rag pickers who have not registered in the cooperative, can also be, under exceptional circumstances, allowed to collect waste on an individual basis after registering themselves.
-The civic authority should give preference to the cooperatives formed by the rag pickers to collect dry waste.
-If the city has a waste processing unit, the waste collected by the rag pickers should be used for the same or the rag pickers should have the freedom to sell it in the market. This will provide income to the rag pickers and help improve their living standard.
-Civic authorities/ NGOs should issue identification cards to the registered rag pickers. This will enable the citizens to recognize the registered rag pickers.
-The civic authority/ NGO should allot a specific place, as per the situation, and give the task to the registered rag pickers or their organizations to collect waste from 250-300 homes.
-The task of collecting bio-Medical waste and polluted/ toxic waste should not be allotted to the rag pickers. Civic authorities should make provisions for collecting general waste and bio medical waste separately and storing it and disposing it and monitor it effectively.
The section above makes it clear that policy on Solid Waste Management has been in favour of creating an enabling environment for waste pickers, and to a lesser extent, for reprocessors via improved technologies.
However, policies by themselves are not adequate. They have to be mainstreamed into municipal practice in order to acquire practical value.
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