M Alamgir, QS Hossain, QH Bari, IM Rafizul, KMM Hasan, G Sarkar & MK Howlader (Eds.) ISBN: 978-984-33-0761-3, Vol. 1, pp.

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Proceedings of the International Conference on Solid Waste Management Technical, Environmental and Socio-economical Contexts - WasteSafe 2009 9 to 10 November 2009, Khulna, Bangladesh

Towards Zero Waste Strategies: Practices and Challenges of Household Waste Management in Dhaka
M. N. Fatemi
Department of Architecture, The University of Asia Pacific, Dhaka

ABSTRACT
Urban waste issue is an influential fact that is mostly related to our daily life. Waste problem increases with the rise of population density and standards of living. Due to the growing rates of waste generation and depletion of landfill space, the need for improving solid waste recycling performance has become a prerequisite to enhance the efficiency of waste disposal system. Zero Waste is a new concept of looking at waste stream that aims to guide people in the redesign of their resource-use system to reduce waste to zero. This paper represents an over view of waste management practices toward the zero waste strategies and compares the techniques of waste management between developed countries and Dhaka as a city of a developing country. This paper also outlines the action required to create a resource efficient Zero Waste society.

INTRODUCTION
With rapid population and industrial growth, both developed and developing countries are now faced with the double challenge of increasingly serious waste problems. Waste management is a pressing issue facing Dhaka today. The purpose of this paper is to present procedures resulting in significant reduction of the amount of waste deposited to landfills. This, as a consequence, results in saving of energy and raw materials, and in reduction of releases of toxic substances into the environment. This present paper suggests that the concentration should be given on the recovery-centric approach rather than the disposal-centric approach for waste management. This paradigm shift requires some level of public participation by regulating and monitoring waste generation and disposal. And public participation in the waste management system results in reduction of over-consumption, in minimization of wastes, in prevention of their formation and in their recycling. The main focus of the paper is to introduce new vision in reducing environmental degradation as well as in improving our present thoughts about waste management techniques. So, the objectives of the paper are to guide general people in the redesign of their resource-use system with the aim of reducing waste towards zero and to produce a guideline for an efficient and effective household waste management practice in Dhaka including resource recovery and recycling.

ZERO WASTE CONCEPT

Zero Waste is a new vision, a philosophy and a design principle for a new millennium. It is a goal, a process, a way of thinking that profoundly changes our approach to resources and production. Not only is Zero Waste about recycling and diversion from landfills, it also restructures production and distribution systems to prevent waste from being manufactured in the first place. The materials which are still required in these re-designed, resource-efficient systems will be recycled right back into production. Zero Waste requires preventing rather than managing waste. It includes recycling but goes beyond that by taking the whole system approach to the vast flow of resources and waste through human society. Zero Waste maximizes recycling, minimizes waste, reduces consumption and ensures that products are made to be reused, repaired or recycled back into nature or the marketplace. Bill


Sheehan of Grass Roots Recycling Network (GRRN) says, "Zero Waste is a design principle. If we plan for eliminating waste, whether we reach 100% elimination is not the point. The point is to start planning for the elimination of waste rather than managing waste."

BENEFIT AND OPPORTUNITIES OF ZERO WASTE

Zero Waste requires the need for dual responsibility. Firstly, the community has to maximize reuse, repair, recycling and composting. Secondly, industry has to redesign the objects the community cannot reuse, repair, recycle or compost. Zero Waste visualizes our economy as a circular system in which every part supports and affects every other. So we have to replace the current outdated linear economic and production system, which does not recognize the interconnection between the impacts and the trail of wastes left behind.

Progress and Vision

A Zero Waste strategy improves upon "cleaner production" and "pollution prevention" strategies by providing a visionary endpoint that leads us to take larger, more innovative steps. Because of its visionary endpoint, Zero Waste strategies lead to breakthrough improvements as opposed to small step-by-step actions. This not only results in significant cost savings, greater competitiveness and reduced environmental impacts, but also will move us more quickly toward sustainability.

Improved Material Flows

Todays system uses large amounts of new raw materials as shown Figure 1. In addition, large amounts of materials are sent to landfills or incinerated.

Figure 1 Open loop material flow (www.zerowaste.org) A Zero Waste society would use far fewer new raw materials and send no waste materials to landfills. As shown in the figure 2, all materials would either return as reusable or recycled materials or would be suitable for use as compost.

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Figure 2 Closed loop material flow (www.zerowaste.org)

WASTE MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS The Waste Hierarchy

The waste management hierarchy is a nationally and internationally accepted philosophy for prioritizing and guiding efforts to manage waste. The aim of the waste hierarchy is to extract the maximum practical benefits from products and to generate the minimum amount of waste. The waste management hierarchy establishes approaches to waste management according to their importance and preference in descending order. Zero waste and reduction are regarded as the most optimal approach and, reuse, recycling and recovery of waste is preferred, with treatment and disposal the least preferred approach.

Figure 3 The waste management hierarchy (Cherubini, F., 2008) Zero waste strategies are often criticized for being an utopist target. This may be true if we consider zero emission strategies as a simple refinement of past actions. Past eco-efficiency strategies, based on improved management of resources, are certainly capable of decreasing the environmental load, but they always face technological, economic and social constraints. Thus the zero waste may appear an unreachable target. In order to solve the issue of waste disposal, we should not rely only on building new technologically advanced treatment plant, but we should implement waste prevention policies, based on the higher level of pyramid (Recycle and Reuse), on redesigning our production and consumption patterns towards ideal condition of waste prevention, waste reuse or recycling as well as waste valorization as new resource flows.

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 Extended Producer Responsibility

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a strategy designed to promote the integration of all costs associated with products throughout their life cycle (including end-of-life disposal costs) into the market price of the product. It is meant to impose accountability over the entire lifecycle of products and packaging introduced to the market. This means that organizations which manufacture, import and/or sell products are required to be responsible for the products after their useful life as well as during manufacture. This concept has arisen in recent years due to the belief that an organizations responsibility for a product should not end with the sale of that product, but should extend to its disposal and/or reuse. Essential to EPR is its mandate for producers to take back' their end-of-life products and create closed looped systems that prevent pollution and the inefficient use of resources. By promoting a cradle to cradle responsibility, EPR enforces a design strategy that takes into account the upstream environmental impacts inherent in the selection, mining and extraction of materials, the health and environmental impacts to workers and surrounding communities during the production process itself, and downstream impacts during use, recycling and disposal of the products. The ultimate goal of EPR is to encourage cleaner, safer materials and production processes, as well as to eliminate waste at each stage of the products life cycle.

Source Reduction
Industries are very conscious to optimize production and to reduce resource consumption to make them more competitive in today's global market economy. This includes adopting more efficient manufacturing methods in order to minimize raw material requirements (hence generating less waste), and minimizing the weight and volume of packaging while maintaining product integrity during shipping. Waste prevention measures are also aimed at changing the public's attitude towards consumption, where improved product quality, durability and "environmental friendliness" are being emphasized. Thus, source reduction methods involve changes in manufacturing technology, raw material inputs, and product formulation. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency,Source reduction refers to any change in the design, manufacture, purchase, or use of materials or products (including packaging) to reduce their amount or toxicity before they become municipal solid waste.

PRODUCED WASTE IN DHAKA Waste Generation Situation

According to Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) estimates, everyday between 3000 to 3500 tons of solid waste is generated from residential, commercial and industrial activities in the city. Per capita generation of solid waste in Dhaka City is estimated at 0.5 Kg/day. Of the total waste generated in the city, DCC collect and dump 50.0% and 15.0% are recycled and the rest 35.0% are discarded into streets, drains, ditches, canals and open spaces. Slum and squatter dwellers constitute 35% of city population and only 9% of this population have any form of solid waste collection service, the remaining 91% dispose their wastes into low-lying lands, road side drains or local drain or canals (DCC, 1999). This has a negative impact on the citys environment.

Sources and Quantities of Solid Waste

Generated waste of Dhaka city can be categorized into major categories such as Domestic waste, Industrial waste, Commercial waste, Hospital waste etc. The JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) study shows 63% (2120 tons/d) of the total waste (3,340 tons/d) is from residential sources while another project of the DCC estimated that it is 49 % (Table 1). As the domestic waste is foremost in proportion, this paper mainly concerned about Domestic Waste and it is observed that waste densities (350 to 450 kg/m) and moisture contents (50% to 70 % by wt.) are much higher than the wastes in developed countries, generally contains a high organic (60% to 70%) and low combustible matter.

Table 1 The amount of solid waste generated from various sources in Dhaka Sources of waste
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Domestic waste Industrial waste Commercial waste Others 49 24 21 6

Composition of Solid Waste

Among the urban solid waste, food and vegetable waste is 67.65%, paper waste is 9.73%, rocks, dirt etc. are 8.79%, plastic, leather, rubber etc. are 5.1%, clinical waste is 4.2% and others including metals, glass, ceramic, textile and rags are the remaining 4.53% (Figure 4).

Figure 4 The average physical composition of urban solid waste in Bangladesh (after Sinha 1995)

WASTE MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES Collection Methods

Domestic waste collection services are often provided by local government authorities or by private industry. In Dhaka, DCC is the only formal organization responsible for waste management including both waste collection and waste disposal. Most of the developed countries have well organized collection systems. Different colored collection bins are placed in curbs. These collection bins are also provided for recyclables such as glass, cans, plastic bottles etc. Curbside collection system is efficient in many developed countries. These recyclables are later removed and used for recycling industries. Wastes are later picked by collection vehicles. These vehicles are both single compartmented and multi-compartmented to collect recyclables separately. In Dhaka, the collection system is divided into primary and secondary collection system. Normally the households bring their refuse to the nearby bins or containers located on the street side, while in some specific areas community has arranged house to house collection of garbage with their own initiatives and efforts. Again, street sweeping is done manually and debris are loaded from the Curbside into the handcarts and delivered into the collection bins. Presently some Community Based Organizations (CBOs) doing the house-to-house collection of Solid Wastes at a reasonable charge, which is, accepted by the city dwellers. These CBOs are playing significant role in the primary collection of the Solid Wastes.

Disposal and Processing Methods

Waste management and disposal is a pressing issue facing Dhaka today, since about 90% of waste is currently disposed by open dumping. Land filling, incineration and composting are some commonly used methods to manage waste.

Land Filling
Disposing of waste in a landfill remains a common practice in most countries. A landfill is an area of land onto or into which waste is deposited. Sanitary land fills are used in developed countries and have facilities for treatment of the leachetes. Beginning in the 1950s, in some more developed areas, the land filling of wastes occurred in sanitary landfills. A "sanitary landfill" refers to a managed,

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controlled site equipped with systems to reduce leachetes and landfill gas migration into the surrounding environment. In USA, Sanitary land filling practice Adopted after 1970. In Dhaka, The waste is presently being disposed off mainly on a lowland Matuail about 3 kilometer from the corporation area and a number of minor sites which are operated as uncontrolled manner without any proper earth cover and compaction. The uncollected wastes are dumped in open spaces and streets, clogs drainage system creating serious environmental degradation & health risks.

Composting
Waste materials that are organic in nature, such as food scraps and paper products, are increasingly being recycled. These materials are put through a composting or artificial digestion process to decompose the organic matter and kill pathogens. The organic material is then recycled as compost for agricultural or landscaping purposes. In developed countries, there are a large variety of composting methods and technologies. Composting methods can be broadly categorized into aerobic or anaerobic methods, although hybrids of the two methods also exist. Aerobic (meaning requiring air) methods of composting seek to aerate the organic material continuously or frequently. Anaerobic (not requiring air) methods of composting seek to maximize the generation of gases such as methane during the process, in order to produce power from the waste materials. In Dhaka, Waste Concern started a community-based composting project in 1995 in urban areas. It is based on the idea that the organic content of Dhakas household waste, which accounts for more than 70% of total waste, can be efficiently converted into valuable compost.

Resource Recovery and Recycling Techniques

Zero waste enforces the methods of Resource Recovery through reuse and recycles. Zero waste concept depends on the success of the recycling movement. It requires the maximization of existing recycling and reusing efforts, while ensuring that products are designed for the environment and having the potential to be repaired, reused, or recycled. Recycling is the breaking down of materials from waste streams into raw materials, which are then reprocessed either into the same material (closed loop) or a new product (open loop) including waste separation and material reprocessing. Table 2 Recycled products from some selected waste materials Waste materials Paper Glass Plastic Scrap iron and tin Tin pots Products Cartons hardboards, packets in retailing Water-glass, jugs, bottles, glass sheets for construction work etc. Sanitary pipes and fittings, wearing pipes, utensils, dolls etc. Construction rods, pins, pipes etc. Cutting up cans into regular sheets, making containers decolouring sheets.

In Dhaka, Waste recycling practices are mainly dominated by the informal sectors. 15% of the generated wastes in Dhaka (mainly inorganic) which amount 475 tons per day are recycled daily (Sinha, 1995). In all stages only inorganic wastes are recycled leaving behind the organic part, but the major component of household waste - organic food waste is totally ignored even though it has a potential value and can be converted into organic compost. Recently a few numbers of entrepreneurs are producing "Compost" kind of organic manure from the organic Solid Wastes. And a number of other recycling schemes also (like waste to electricity, Waste to Biogas, Waste to Tiles/building materials etc) are under the consideration of the Corporation and the Government.

Avoidance and Reduction Methods

It seems that the most effective way is to reduce the amount of waste than to dispose. There are several methods to reduce the production of waste. These include: Redesign of packaging, encouraging the use of minimal disposable material necessary to achieve the desired level of safety and convenience, increasing consumer awareness of waste reduction issues; and the promotion of producer responsibility for post-consumer wastes

Production Process Modification

Waste minimization and resource maximization for manufactured products can most easily be done at the design stage. Reducing the number of components used in a product or making the
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product easier to take apart can make it easier to be repaired or recycled at the end of its useful life. In some cases, it may be best not to minimize the volume of raw materials used to make a product, but instead reduce the volume or toxicity of the waste created at the end of a product's life, or the environmental impact of the product's use To reduce materials consumption, product design process should be changed and Eco-Design technology should be incorporated into production processes. Cleaner Production practices should be adopted to ensure avoidance through efficiency measures; and regular audits and monitoring of waste reduction/resource recovery practices should be conducted. To encourage repair, resale, reuse, durability and recyclability, economic incentives should be promoted and provided for product designs. Products and materials that are not to be recycled should be banned unless their manufacturers can present acceptable alternative benefits such as longevity, durability, or long term repair-ability.

Waste Minimization
Waste minimization is aimed at reducing the production of waste through education and improved production process rather than aiming to increase technology to improve treatment of waste. The idea of minimization is not centered on technological advances, it can be viewed a method of managing existing resources and technology in order to maximize the efficiency of available resource use. Resource optimization is to minimize the amount of waste produced by organizations or individuals goes hand-in-hand with optimizing their use of raw materials. For example, a dressmaker may arrange pattern pieces on a length of fabric in a particular way to enable the garment to be cut out from the smallest area of fabric. Where the waste is product of one process becomes the raw material for a second process. Waste exchanges represent another way of reducing waste disposal volumes for waste that cannot be eliminated.

INCENTIVES FOR ZERO WASTE

The Zero Waste concept challenges community people to rethink the incentives for dispose of waste quickly and cheaply, and to redesign the entire system to encourage waste prevention, reuse, recycling and composting. Support for adopting these techniques may be gained from the existing waste collection and disposal industry through continuous dialog with all parties of affected interests. And for this reason, Incentives could include the adoption of policies and the structuring of the marketplace for waste generators, waste and recycling haulers, transfer station and material recovery facility operators, landfill operators and Manufacturers and retailers. Towards zero waste strategies the community people have to adopt and maintain the following incentives: Direct involvement and regular action should be needed in some stages of waste management system. For example, curbside collection, compost operations, cleaner production, recycling facilities etc. are to deal directly. Institutional strengthening and capacity building should be needed to improve the management system. For example, Landfill design and management, waste reduction and recycling project should be introduced. New legal and economic incentives should be introduced instead of old and traditional rules. For example extended producer responsibility, landfill bans, landfill levy etc. will divert activity away from disposal and toward waste reduction. New ideas should be provided for the development of waste minimization. Structure and mechanisms are to be created to nurture the development and testing of new social, technical and economic solution. Public participation should be needed by communicating and educating them for the very purpose. Actions are that inform the community of the issues and provide opportunity for input and participation. For example, public consultation, education material and programs etc. should be provided. Monitoring and feedback from the waste analysis data, participation rate survey should be prepared up to date. Data and information on the characteristics of the waste stream and on the success of the initiatives should be gathered.

CONCLUSIONS
Critics of Zero Waste often point out that we should not aim for something that we can never achieve. It is not actually about whether we can or cannot actually get to Zero; it is about thinking and managing the way resources flow through society in a totally new way. We have a growing population
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faced with limits of resources from the environment in these days. Each material must be used as efficiently as possible and must be chosen so that it may either return safely to a cycle within the environment. Zero Waste promotes not only reuse and recycling, but also, and more importantly, promotes prevention that consider the entire product life cycle. These new designs will strive for reduced materials use, use of recycled materials and longer product lives. It strongly supports sustainability by protecting the environment, reducing costs and producing additional jobs in the management and handling of wastes back into the industrial cycle. Zero Waste concept creates a new framework for people to think and behave differently. Zero waste of human resources will protect the environment and lead to a much more productive, efficient, and sustainable future. This simple act of setting a target of Zero and a date within which to achieve it is enormously empowering and enables people to achieve far greater results than first thought possible.

REFERENCES
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