WASTE…. To deal with the waste produced by everincreasing population and changing life style is getting more and more difficult day by day. Minimization of waste is not the final solution to this problem. Though the minimization of waste will reduce the efforts for future, but the current waste has to be treated properly rather than dispossing off in open dumps or low lying area i.e. landfills.

One thing we all are neglecting that, whatever we have dispossed off as waste has the high calorific value. So it can be used as the energy source. In todays world, where the energy demand is huge, suistainable devlopment is being focused, enegy feasible systems are the best option to be used. Todays waste definitely can serve as the energy for tommorow. ULBs (urban local bodies) must practise such technologies for the production of fuels, sin-gases, or other energy options as Electricity. Technology is available for such energy productions and the Govt. of India is supporting such initiatives by Local bodies or the private organizations working over it.

The available Waste to Energy options…..

1. Incineration: It is the simplest of option used in ancient UK for keeping the houses warm and for protecting from extreme cold. Yes, the combustion of waste. In indian conditions where the 300 days of year having bright sunshine, it can be a good option as drying of waste will not demand any energy input. The heat generated from combustion can be used for production of electricity, and the ashes after combustion can be used in production of bricks.

2. Pyrolysis: It is thermochemical decomposition of organic waste in absence of oxygen. Typical indian waste is rich in organic contents so Pyrolysis can be a good alternative. The process yeilds the bio-oils and biochar. Bio-oils can be used as fuels while biochar can be usede as soil conditioner to increase the fertility.

3. Biomethanation: This is the technology that is oldest technology used in various households for production of biogas used for coocking purpose. Improved technology of biomethanation can increase yeild by almost 70-80%. Methane gas is produced during anaerobic decomposition of waste. The generated methane if mixed with LPG or CNG in proper constitution can increase the efficiency 5 to 6 times the current.

4. Refuse Derived Fuel, and other technologies like gasification can produce the gasious fuel like Hydrogen, essential to run an IC engine.

Legislation for Waste to Energy technologies:

Government of India “Manual on MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT (CPHEEO)” outlines as under:
“While every effort should be made in the first place to minimize generation of waste materials and to recycle and reuse them to the extent feasible, the option of Energy Recovery from waste to also duly examined. Wherever feasible, the option should be incorporated in the overall scheme of waste management.”
The Policy of the Government is therefore to encourage energy recovery from waste.

According to the current Legislation by MoEF (Ministry of Environment and Forest) Dumping of waste is not at all acceptable. Because Dumping results into generation of methane due to natural decay of biomass. Methane generation is is harmul for the environment as it has the highest global warming potential, 72 times more than Carbon. in addition dumping also results into ground water contamination and surface water pollution.

Legislation making treatment of MSW as mandatory as per Section 15 of The Environment (Protection) Act 1986 defines severe penalties:
1. “Be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees, or with both, and in case the failure or contravention continues, with additional fine which may extend to five thousand rupees for every day during which such failure or contravention continues after the conviction for the first such failure or contravention.”
2. “If the failure or contravention referred to in subsection (1) continues beyond a period of one year after the date of Conviction, the offender shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years.

But our Urban Local Bodies are affraid of taking waste to energy option in consideration for waste management. Hence, still in Indian condition, Mostly open Dumping and in some megacities, Sanitary Landfills are in practise. Sanitary landfills are acceptable solution but only for non degradable or stabilized waste.

If all the local bodies starts practising such technologies, we definitely become the Garbage free country, just one thing we have to do…. Keep the Waste Segeregated. Because The time is always right to do what is right.

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The ever increasing population, civilization and industrialization are responsible for more and more waste generation in developing countries like India. The waste management is getting more and more difficult for the people and local bodies, as the composition of waste is varying and heterogeneous. From last few years the public awareness is getting increased over this issue especially in India. But still we are not managing our waste properly. The main reasons behind poor management are

a. Lack of policies from Urban Local Bodies

b. Lack of participation from community in such initiatives.

To manage our waste properly we must understand few key points:

1. Waste is not Gold, so it is not at all feasible to put more and more inputs in form of money and energy. Segregation at source should be the responsibility of the one who generates waste. Transportation of such segregated waste will be easy and cheap for the Local Bodies or Municipalities. Segregated fractions of waste can be easily transported for various treatments.

2. Waste is liability to any community or society, so one just cannot move away saying its responsibility of Municipal Corporations. One must keep this in mind that, the waste I am generating, someone has to deal with it.

3. Though one must be careful about the waste generation, waste management is the foremost task of Urban Local Bodies. Waste characterization and waste segregation should be done at the treatment facility. Segregated waste must be treated with the suitable treatment option. Such as Incineration, Pyrolysis, Biomethanation, RDF (Refused derived fuel) production etc.

4. Zero waste or No waste society can be possible, if each individual will follow the 4R’s principle i.e. Reduce, Re-use, Recycle and Recover.

Ultimately we have to manage our waste because, “One cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war”.

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India is currently facing the problem of Resource Depletion due to high contamination and pollution of the available resources. Scientists and Researchers are worried about the next 30 years when almost all the Resources will found exhausted. The main reason behind the depletion of resources is poor management of wastes produced by the society on day to day basis. In India, we don’t follow the Community bin system. We have a door-to-door collection system for the municipal solid waste generated at household level. the municipal solid waste is not properly segregated at source and at processing or dumping site and dispossed off in open dumping yard near by a city/town.

These dumps are creating more public health issues and degrading overall environment by polluting Land, Ground-water and run off through the wastes during rainy season is polluting most of the surface water too. Population growth and the very reasonable expectations of of people for consumer goods and services requires more material to be extracted, processed and used, and this results in increasing volumes of wastes that need to be properly managed.

We live in amazing times. The challanges to achieve sustainable waste management are immense. But so too are the opportunities to have real impact and to deliver change that can improve the lives of many. The natural resources on which we all depend are under greater stress than ever before. Hence to achieve the the goal of sustainability, each of us will have to contribute. “Because we can not direct the winds but we can adjust our sails”

Few small things that we can do because someone has to deal with the waste we r producing:
1. Stop throwing plastics, these can be reused and recycled.
2. Try to minimize the Refuse (garbage/rubbish)
3. Keep the waste segregated (dry, wet and rubbish) so the processing of waste can be easy
4. Disposing wastes and plastics into water-bodies.

If we are not for the zero waste then how waste we are for the society

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