Waste Management

Meaning Of Waste
Waste is exclusively human problem. Virtually every pound of natural resources
we take from forests, mines, wells, aquifers, and earth ends up sooner or later in an
unmanageable pile of trash with no place to go or in other forms of pollution.
Waste are two major type
• Solid waste
• Liquid waste

What Is Solid Waste?

The sight of a dustbin overflowing and the stench rising from it, the all too
familiar sights and smells of a crowded city. You look away from it and hold your nose
as you cross it. Have you ever thought that you also have a role to play in the creation
of this stench? That you can also play a role in the lessening of this smell and making
this waste bin look a little more attractive if you follow proper methods of disposal of
the waste generated in the house?
Since the beginning, humankind has been
generating waste, be it the bones and other parts of
animals they slaughter for their food or the wood they cut
to make their carts. With the progress of civilization, the
waste generated became of a more complex nature. At
the end of the 19th century the industrial revolution saw the rise of the world of
consumers. Not only did the air get more and more polluted but the earth itself became
more polluted with the generation of nonbiodegradable solid waste. The increase in
population and urbanization was also largely responsible for the increase in solid waste.

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Each household generates garbage or waste day in and day out. Items that we no
longer need or do not have any further use for fall in the category of waste, and we tend
to throw them away. There are different types of solid waste depending on their source.
In today’s polluted world, learning the correct methods of handling the waste generated
has become essential. Segregation is an important method of handling municipal solid
waste. Segregation at source can be understood clearly by representation. One of the
important methods of managing and treating wastes is composting. As the cities are
growing in size and in problems such as the generation of plastic waste, various
municipal waste treatment and disposal methods are now being used to try and resolve
these problems. One common sight in all cities is the rag picker who plays an important
role in the segregation of this waste.

Types of solid waste

Solid waste can be classified into different types depending on their source:
a) Household waste is generally classified as municipal waste,
b) Industrial waste as hazardous waste, and
c) Biomedical waste or hospital waste as infectious waste.
Municipal solid waste
Municipal solid waste consists of household waste,
construction and demolition debris, sanitation residue, and
waste from streets. This garbage is generated mainly from
residential and commercial complexes. With rising
urbanization and change in lifestyle and food habits, the
amount of municipal solid waste has been increasing rapidly and its composition
changing. In 1947 cities and towns in India generated an estimated 6 million tonnes of
solid waste, in 1997 it was about 48 million tonnes. More than 25% of the municipal
solid waste is not collected at all; 70% of the Indian cities lack adequate capacity to
transport it and there are no sanitary landfills to dispose of the waste.
The existing landfills are neither well equipped or well managed and are not lined
properly to protect against contamination of soil and groundwater.

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Over the last few years, the consumer market has grown rapidly leading to products being
packed in cans, aluminium foils, plastics, and other such nonbiodegradable items that
cause incalculable harm to the environment. In India, some municipal areas have banned
the use of plastics and they seem to have achieved success. For example, today one will
not see a single piece of plastic in the entire district of Ladakh where the local authorities
imposed a ban on plastics in 1998. Other states should follow the example of this region
and ban the use of items that cause harm to the environment. One positive note is that in
many large cities, shops have begun packing items in reusable or biodegradable bags.
Certain biodegradable items can also be composted and reused. In fact proper handling of
the biodegradable waste will considerably lessen the burden of solid waste that each city
has to tackle.

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There are different categories of waste generated, each take their own time to degenerate
(as illustrated in the table below).

The type of litter we generate and the approximate time it takes

to degenerate
Type of litter Approximate time it takes to
degenerate the litter
Organic waste such as vegetable and a week or two.
fruit peels, leftover foodstuff, etc.
Paper 10–30 days
Cotton cloth 2–5 months
Wood 10–15 years
Woolen items 1 year
Tin, aluminium, and other metal 100–500 years
items such as cans
Plastic bags one million years?
Glass bottles undetermined

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Hazardous waste
Industrial and hospital waste is considered hazardous as they may contain toxic
substances. Certain types of household waste are also hazardous. Hazardous wastes could
be highly toxic to humans, animals, and plants; are corrosive, highly inflammable, or
explosive; and react when exposed to certain things e.g. gases. India generates around 7
million tonnes of hazardous wastes every year, most of which is concentrated in four
states: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.

Household waste that can be categorized as hazardous waste include old batteries,
shoe polish, paint tins, old medicines, and medicine bottles.

Hospital waste contaminated by chemicals used in hospitals is considered

hazardous. These chemicals include formaldehyde and phenols, which are used as
disinfectants, and mercury, which is used in thermometers or equipment that measure
blood pressure. Most hospitals in India do not have proper disposal facilities for these
hazardous wastes.

In the industrial sector, the major generators of hazardous waste are the metal,
chemical, paper, pesticide, dye, refining, and rubber goods industries. Direct exposure to
chemicals in hazardous waste such as mercury and cyanide can be fatal.

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Hospital waste
Hospital waste is generated during the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of
human beings or animals or in research activities in these fields or in the production or
testing of biological. It may include wastes like sharps, soiled waste, disposables,
anatomical waste, cultures, discarded medicines, chemical wastes, etc. These are in the
form of disposable syringes, swabs, bandages, body fluids, human excreta, etc. This
waste is highly infectious and can be a serious threat to human health if not managed in a
scientific and discriminate manner. It has been roughly estimated that of the 4 kg of waste
generated in a hospital at least 1 kg would be infected.

Surveys carried out by various agencies show that the health care establishments
in India are not giving due attention to their waste management. After the notification of
the Bio-medical Waste (Handling and Management) Rules, 1998, these establishments
are slowly streamlining the process of waste segregation, collection, treatment, and
disposal. Many of the larger hospitals have either installed the treatment facilities or are
in the process of doing so.

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What Is Radioactive waste ?

Radioactive waste, arising from civilian nuclear activities as well as from defense-
related nuclear-weapon activities, poses a formidable problem for handling and
protecting the environment to be safe to the present and future generations. This article
deals with this global problem in its varied aspects and discusses the cause for concern,
the magnitude of the waste involved and various solutions proposed and being practiced.
As nuclear power and arsenal grow, continuous monitoring and immobilization of the
waste over several decades and centuries and deposition in safe repositories, assumes
great relevance and importance.

What Is Liquid waste?

By virtue of unchecked withdrawal of underground water, the community tends to
generate disproportionately high volume of liquid waste. On one hand it develops
enormous pressure on the sewage system that are not designed to carry such a large
volume, on the other hand it depletes the precious underground water table at an alarming
rate. Defective water supply systems, leaking outdated supply lines and lack of effective
maintenance, irresponsible and lavish consumption habits, use of potable water for
horticulture & farm operations, round the clock supply as against intermittent supply etc.
are some of the identifiable factors that contribute in no small measure in generating
excessive liquid waste. Whereas a large segment of our population does not have access
to potable drinking water, the privileged community of a residential campus indulges in
the luxury of excessive consumption, in the absence of a national policy and self-
restraint. If we were to preserve the scare natural resource, as vital as water, we need to
develop norms for withdrawal of water from deep aquifers and also an effective
mechanism to enforce discipline. Recharging the underground water table also needs to
be made mandatory, as part of water table preservation policy and water harvesting
techniques need to be put in place.

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The Institutions usually do not treat the liquid waste before discharging them into
the drains and local water bodies. When untreated wastewater is allowed to accumulate,
the decomposition of organic materials in it leads to production of obnoxious gases. In
addition, the untreated wastewater contains a variety of pathogenic, disease causing
microorganisms and toxic compounds. Therefore the immediate and nuisance free
removal of wastewater from its source of generation, followed by treatment and disposal,
is not only desirable but also essential in the larger interest of the environment. However
in absence of any norms and cost effective models for treatment and disposal of
wastewater on mini scales, the educational institutions continue to discharge untreated
water with impunity, in total disregard to its social responsibilities.

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Waste Management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing (waste treatment),
recycling or disposal of waste materials, usually ones produced by human activity, in an
effort to reduce their effect on human health or local aesthetics or amenity. A subfocus in
recent decades has been to reduce waste materials' effect on the natural world and the
environment and to recover resources from them.Waste management can involve solid,
liquid or gaseous with different methods and fields of expertise for each.

Waste management practices differ for developed and developing nations, for
urban and rural areas, and for residential, industrial, and commercial producers. Waste
management for non-hazardous residential and institutional waste in metropolitan areas is
usually the responsibility of local government authorities, while management for non-
hazardous commercial and industrial waste is usually the responsibility of the generator

Waste management concepts

There are a number of concepts about waste management, which vary in their
usage between countries or regions.

The waste hierarchy classifies waste management strategies according to their

desirability. The waste hierarchy has taken many forms over the past decade, but the
basic concept has remained the cornerstone of most waste minimisation strategies. The
aim of the waste hierarchy is to extract the maximum practical benefits from products and
to generate the minimum amount of waste.

Some waste management experts have recently incorporated a 'fourth R': "Re-
think", with the implied meaning that the present system may have fundamental flaws,
and that a thoroughly effective system of waste management may need an entirely new
way of looking at waste. Some "re-think" solutions may be counter-intuitive, such as
cutting fabric patterns with slightly more "waste material" left -- the now larger scraps are

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then used for cutting small parts of the pattern, resulting in a decrease in net waste. This
type of solution is by no means limited to the clothing industry.

Source reduction involves efforts to reduce hazardous waste and other materials
by modifying industrial production. Source reduction methods involve changes in
manufacturing technology, raw material inputs, and product formulation. At times, the
term "pollution prevention" may refer to source reduction.

Another method of source reduction is to increase incentives for recycling. Many

communities in the United States are implementing variable rate pricing for waste
disposal which has been effective in reducing the size of the municipal waste stream.

Source reduction is typically measured by efficiencies and cutbacks in waste.

Toxics use reduction is a more controversial approach to source reduction that targets and
measures reductions in the upstream use of toxic materials. Toxics use reduction
emphasizes the more preventive aspects of source reduction but, due to its emphasis on
toxic chemical inputs, has been opposed more vigorously by chemical manufacturers.
Toxics use reduction programs have been set up by legislation in some states, e.g.,
Massachusetts, New Jersey and Oregon.

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Resource recovery
A relatively recent idea in waste
management has been to treat the waste Four Rs (Refuse, Reuse,

material as a resource to be exploited, instead Recycle, Reduce) to be

of simply a challenge to be managed and followed for waste

disposed of. There are a number of different management

methods by which resources may be extracted 1. Refuse. Instead of buying new
from waste: the materials may be extracted containers from the market, use the ones
and recycled, or the calorific content of the that are in the house. Refuse to buy new
waste may be converted to electricity. items though you may think they are
prettier than the ones you already have.

The process of extracting resources or 2. Reuse. Do not throw away the soft
value from waste is variously referred to as drink cans or the bottles; cover them with
secondary resource recovery, recycling, and homemade paper or paint on them and
other terms. The practice of treating waste use them as pencil stands or small vases.
materials as a resource is becoming more 3. Recycle. Use shopping bags made of
common, especially in metropolitan areas cloth or jute, which can be used over and
where space for new landfills is becoming over again [will this come under recycle
scarcer. There is also a growing or reduce?].Segregate your waste to
acknowledgement that simply disposing of make sure that it is collected and taken
waste materials is unsustainable in the long for recycling.
term, as there is a finite supply of most raw 4. Reduce. Reduce the generation of
materials. unnecessary waste, e.g. carry your own
shopping bag when you go to the market

There are a number of methods of and put all your purchases directly into it.
recovering resources from waste materials, with new technologies and methods being
developed continuously.

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In some developing nations some resource recovery already takes place by way of
manual labourers who sift through un-segregated garbage to salvage material that can be
sold in the recycling market. These unrecognized workers called wastepickers or
ragpickers, are part of the informal sector, but play a significant role in reducing the load
on the Municipalities' Solid Waste Management departments. There is an increasing trend
in recognizing their contribution to the environment and there are efforts to try and
integrate them into the formal waste management systems, which is proven to be both
cost effective and also appears to help in urban poverty alleviation. However, the very
high human cost of these activities including disease, injury and reduced life expectancy
through contact with toxic or infectious materials would not be tolerated in a developed
country.

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Recycling and reuses

Recycling involves the collection of used and discarded
materials processing these materials and making them into new
products. It reduces the amount of waste that is thrown into the
community dustbins thereby making the environment cleaner and
the air more fresh to breathe.

Surveys carried out by Government and non-government agencies in the country

have all recognized the importance of recycling wastes. However, the methodology for
safe recycling of waste has not been standardized. Studies have revealed that 7 %-15% of
the waste is recycled. If recycling is done in a proper manner, it will solve the problems
of waste or garbage. At the community level, a large number of NGOs (Non
Governmental Organizations) and private sector enterprises have taken an initiative in
segregation and recycling of waste (EXNORA International in Chennai recycles a large
part of the waste that is collected). It is being used for composting; making pellets to be
used in gasifies, etc. Plastics are sold to the factories that reuse them.

The steps involved in the process prior to recycling include

a)Collection of waste from doorsteps, commercial places, etc
b)Collection of waste from community dumps.
c) Collection/picking up of waste from final disposal sites.

Most of the garbage generated in the household can be recycled and reused.
Organic kitchen waste such as leftover foodstuff, vegetable peels, and spoilt or dried
fruits and vegetables can be recycled by putting them in the compost pits that have been
dug in the garden. Old newspapers, magazines and bottles can be sold to the kabadiwala
the man who buys these items from homes.

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In your own homes you can contribute to waste reduction and the recycling and
reuse of certain items. To cover you books you can use old calendars; old greeting cards
can also be reused. Paper can also be made at home through a very simple process and
you can paint on them.

Waste recycling has some significant

Some items that can be recycled or
advantages. reused
Leads to less utilization of raw materials. Paper Old copies
Reduces environmental impacts arising Old books
Paper bags
from waste treatment and disposal. Newspapers
Makes the surroundings cleaner and Old greeting cards
Cardboard box
healthier.
Plastic Containers
Saves on landfill space. Bottles
Saves money Bags
Sheets
Reduces the amount of energy required
Glass and Bottles
to manufacture new products. ceramics Plates
In fact recycling can prevent the creation of Cup
Bowls
waste at the source.
Miscellaneous Old cans
Utensils
Clothes
Furniture

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Comparing recycling with normal extraction

Aluminium Recycling one kilogram of aluminum It takes 20 times more energy to

saves up to 8 kilograms of bauxite, four make aluminum from bauxite ore
kilograms of chemical products and 14 than using recycled aluminum.
kilowatt hours of electricity.

Glass A 20% reduction in emissions from glass For every ton of recycled glass
furnaces and up to 32% reduction in used, approx 315 kilos of Carbon
energy usage. dioxide and 1.2 tons of raw
materials are spared.
Paper A ton of paper from recycled material Milling paper from recycled paper
conserves about 7,000 gallons of water, uses 20% less energy than it does
17-31 trees, 60 lb of air pollutants and to make paper from fresh lumber.
4,000 KWh of electricity.

Recycling Techniques
Many different materials can be recycled but each type requires a different
technique
Aluminium
Aluminium is shredded and ground into small pieces. These pieces are melted in
an aluminium smelter to produce molten aluminium. By this stage the recycled
aluminium is indistinguishable from virgin aluminium and further processing is identical
for both. The environmental benefits of recycling aluminium are also enormous. Only
around 5% of the CO2 is produced during the recycling process compared to producing
raw aluminium (and an even smaller percentage when considering the complete cycle of
mining and transporting the aluminium). Also, as open-cut mining most often used for
obtaining aluminium ore, mining destroys large sections of natural land.

Batteries

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The large variation in size and type of batteries makes their recycling extremely
difficult: they must first be sorted into similar kinds and each kind requires an individual
recycling process. Additionally, older batteries contain mercury and cadmium, harmful
materials which must be handled with caution.
Electrical equipment

The direct disposal of electrical equipment—such as old computers and mobile

phones—is banned in many areas due to the toxic contents of certain components. The
recycling process works by mechanically separating the metals, plastics and circuit
boards contained in the appliance. When this is done on a large scale at an electronic
waste recycling plant, component recovery can be achieved in a cost-effective manner.

Glass
Glass bottles and jars are gathered via kerbside collection schemes and bottle
banks, where the glass is sorted into colour categories. The collected glass cullet is taken
to a glass recycling plant where it is monitored for purity and contaminants are removed.
The cullet is crushed and added to a raw material mix in a melting furnace. It is then
mechanically blown or moulded into new jars or bottles. Glass cullet is also used in the
construction industry for aggregate and glasphalt. Glasphalt is a road-laying material
which comprises around 30% recycled glass. Glass can be recycled indefinitely as its
structure does not deteriorate when reprocessed.

Textiles

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When considering textile recycling one must understand what the material
consists of. Most textiles are composites of cotton (biodegradable material) and synthetic
plastics. The textiles composition will affect its durability and method of recycling.

Workers sort and separate collected textiles into good quality clothing and shoes which
can be reused or worn. Damaged textiles are further sorted into grades to make industrial
wiping cloths and for use in paper manufacture or material which is suitable for fibre
reclamation and filling products.

Fibre reclamation mills sort textiles according to fibre type and colour. Colour
sorting eliminates the need to re-dye the recycled textiles. The textiles are shredded into
'shoddy' fibres and blended with other selected fibres, depending on the intended end use
of the recycled yarn. The blended mixture is carded to clean and mix the fibres and spun
ready for weaving or knitting. The fibres can also be compressed for mattress production.
Textiles sent to the flocking industry are shredded to make filling material for car
insulation, roofing felts, loudspeaker cones, panel linings and furniture padding.

Paper
Paper can be directly recycled or treated with other biodegradable wastes. In
direct recycling it is separated into its component fibres in water, which creates a pulp
slurry material. A cleaning process removes non-fibrous contaminants and if required,
sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate is used to de-ink the material. This fibre is then
ready to be used to make new recycled paper. Paper is the main material that gets
recycled in most countries.

Plastics

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Plastic with its exclusive qualities of being light yet

strong and economical, has invaded every aspect of our day-
to-day life. It has many advantages: it is durable, light, easy to
mould, and can be adapted to different user requirements.
Once hailed as a 'wonder material', plastic is now a serious
worldwide environmental and health concern, essentially due
to its nonbiodegradable nature.

In India, the plastic industry is growing phenomenally. Plastics have use in all
sectors of the economy – infrastructure, construction, agriculture, consumer goods,
telecommunications, and packaging. But the good news is that along with a growth in the
use, a country-wide network for collection of plastic waste through rag pickers, waste
collectors and waste dealers and recycling enterprises has sprung all over the country
over the last decade or so. More than 50% of the plastic waste generated in the country is
recycled and used in the manufacture of various plastic products.

Conventional plastics have been associated with reproductive problems in both

wildlife and humans. Studies have shown a decline in human sperm count and quality,
genital abnormalities and a rise in the incidence of breast cancer. Dioxin a highly
carcinogenic and toxic by-product of the manufacturing process of plastics, is one of the
chemicals believed to be passed on through breast milk to the nursing infant. Burning of
plastics, especially PVC releases this dioxin and also furan into the atmosphere. Thus,
conventional plastics, right from their manufacture to their disposal are a major problem
to the environment.

Plastics are so versatile in use that their impacts on the environment are extremely
wide ranging. Careless disposal of plastic bags chokes drains, blocks the porosity of the

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soil and causes problems for groundwater recharge. Plastic disturbs the soil microbe
activity, and once ingested, can kill animals. Plastic bags can also contaminate foodstuffs
due to leaching of toxic dyes and transfer of pathogens. In fact, a major portion of the
plastic bags i.e. approximately 60-80% of the plastic

Waste generated in India is

collected and segregated to be recycled. Source of generation of waste plastics
The rest remains strewn on the ground, HOUSEHOLD Carry bags
Bottles
littered around in open drains, or in Containers
unmanaged garbage dumps. Though only Trash bags
HEALTH AND Disposable syringes
a small percentage lies strewn it is this
MEDICARE Glucose bottles
portion that is of concern as it causes Blood and uro bags
Intravenous tubes
extensive damage to the environment.
Catheters
Surgical gloves
The plastic industry the HOTEL AND
in Packaging items
CATERING Mineral water bottles
developed world has realized the need of
Plastic plates, glasses,
environmentally acceptable modes for spoons
recycling plastics wastes and has set out AIR/RAIL Mineral water bottles
TRAVEL Plastic plates, glasses,
targets and missions. spoons
Plastic bags
Designing eco-friendly, a biodegradable plastic is the need of the hour. Though
partially biodegradable plastics have been developed and used, completely biodegradable
plastics based on renewable starch rather than petrochemicals have only recently been
developed and are in the early stages of commercialization.

Waste management techniques

As cities are growing in size with a rise in the population, the amount of waste
generated is increasing becoming unmanageable. Managing municipal waste, industrial

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waste and commercial waste has traditionally consisted of collection, followed by

disposal. Depending upon the type of waste and the area, a level of processing may
follow collection. This processing may be to reduce the hazard of the waste, recover
material for recycling, produce energy from the waste, or reduce it in volume for more
efficient disposal. The local corporations have adapted different methods for the disposal
of waste
 Open dumps.
 Landfills.
 Sanitary landfills.
 Incineration plants.
 One of the important methods of waste treatment is composting.

Open dumps
Open dumps refer to uncovered areas that are used to dump solid waste of all
kinds. The waste is untreated, uncovered, and not segregated. It is the breeding ground
for flies, rats, and other insects that spread disease. The rainwater run-off from these
dumps contaminates nearby land and water thereby spreading disease. In some countries,
open dumps are being phased out.

Landfills
Landfills are generally located in urban areas where a large amount of waste is
generated and has to be dumped in a common place. Unlike an open dump, it is a pit that
is dug in the ground. The garbage is dumped and the pit is covered thus preventing the
breeding of flies and rats. At the end of each day, a layer of soil is scattered on top of it
and some mechanism, usually earth-moving equipment is used to compress the garbage,
which now forms a cell. Thus, every day, garbage is dumped and becomes a cell. After
the landfill is full, the area is covered with a thick layer of mud and the site can thereafter
be developed as a parking lot or a park.

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Landfills have many problems. All types of waste is dumped in landfills and when
water seeps through them it gets contaminated and in turn pollutes the surrounding area.
This contamination of groundwater and soil through landfills is known as leaching.

Sanitary landfills
An alternative to landfills which will solve the problem of leaching to some
extent, is a sanitary landfill which is more hygienic and built in a methodical manner.
These are lined with materials that are impermeable such as plastics and clay, and are
also built over impermeable soil. Constructing sanitary landfills is very costly and they
are have their own problems. Some authorities claim that often the plastic liner develops
cracks as it reacts with various chemical solvents present in the waste.
The rate of decomposition in sanitary landfills is also extremely variable. This can
be due to the fact that less oxygen is available as the garbage is compressed very tightly.
It has also been observed that some biodegradable materials do not decompose in a
landfill. Another major problem is the development of methane gas, which occurs when
little oxygen is present, i.e. during anaerobic decomposition.
Many landfills also have a landfill gas extraction system installed after closure to
extract the gas generated by the decomposing waste materials. This gas is often burnt in a
gas engine to generate electricity. Even flaring the gas off is a better environmental
outcome than allowing it to escape to the atmosphere, as this consumes the methane,
which is a far stronger greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Some of it can be tapped for
use as a fuel.

Incineration plants

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This process of burning waste in large furnaces is known as incineration. In these

plants the recyclable material is segregated and the rest of the material is burnt. At the
end of the process all that is left behind is ash. During the process some of the ash floats
out with the hot air. This is called fly ash. Both the fly ash and the ash that is left in the
furnace after burning have high concentrations of dangerous toxins such as dioxins and
heavy metals. Disposing of this ash is a problem. The ash that is buried at the landfills
leaches the area and cause severe contamination.

Burning garbage is not a clean process as it produces tonnes of toxic ash and
pollutes the air and water. A large amount of the waste that is burnt here can be recovered
and recycled. In fact, at present, incineration is kept as the last resort and is used mainly
for treating the infectious waste.

Composting
Organic matter constitutes 35%–
40% of the municipal solid waste
generated in India. This waste can be
recycled by the method of composting,
one of the oldest forms of disposal. It is
the natural process of decomposition of
organic waste that yields manure or
compost, which is very rich in nutrients. Composting is a biological process in which
micro-organisms, mainly fungi and bacteria, convert degradable organic waste into
humus like substance. This finished product which looks like soil, is high in carbon and
nitrogen and is an excellent medium for growing plants. The process of composting
ensures the waste that is produced in the kitchens is not carelessly thrown and left to rot.
It recycles the nutrients and returns them to the soil as nutrients. Apart from being clean,
cheap, and safe, composting can significantly reduce the amount of disposable garbage.
The organic fertilizer can be used instead of chemical fertilizers and is better specially
when used for vegetables. It increases the soil’s ability to hold water and makes the soil
easier to cultivate. It helped the soil retain more of the plant nutrients.

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Vermi-composting has become very popular in the last few years. In this method,
worms are added to the compost. These help to break the waste and the added excreta of
the worms makes the compost very rich in nutrients. In the activity section of this web
site you can learn how to make a compost pit or a vermi-compost pit in your school or in
the garden at home.

To make a compost pit, you have to select a cool, shaded corner of the garden or
the school compound and dig a pit, which ideally should be 3 feet deep. This depth is
convenient for aerobic composting as the compost has to be turned at regular intervals in
this process. Preferably the pit should be lined with granite or brick to prevent nitrite
pollution of the subsoil water, which is known to be highly toxic.

Each time organic matter is added to the pit it should be covered with a layer of dried
leaves or a thin layer of soil which allows air to enter the pit thereby preventing bad
odour. At the end of 45 days, the rich pure organic matter is ready to be used.

Composting: some benefits

• Compost allows the soil to retain more plant nutrients over a longer period.
• It supplies part of the 16 essential elements needed by the plants.
• It helps reduce the adverse effects of excessive alkalinity, acidity, or the excessive
use of chemical fertilizer.
• It makes soil easier to cultivate.
• It helps keep the soil cool in summer and warm in winter.
• It aids in preventing soil erosion by keeping the soil covered.
• It helps in controlling the growth of weeds in the garden.

Rethinking waste management

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There is no Indian policy document which examines waste as part of a cycle of

production-consumption-recovery or perceives waste through a prism of overall
sustainability. In fact, interventions have been fragmented and are often contradictory.
The new Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules 2000, which came into effect from
January 2004, fail even to manage waste in a cyclic process. Waste management still is a
linear system of collection and disposal, creating health and environmental hazards.

Urban India is likely to face a massive waste disposal problem in the coming
years. Until now, the problem of waste has been seen as one of cleaning and disposing as
rubbish. But a closer look at the current and future scenario reveals that waste needs to be
treated holistically, recognizing its natural resource roots as well as health impacts. Waste
can be wealth, which has tremendous potential not only for generating livelihoods for the
urban poor but can also enrich the earth through composting and recycling rather than
spreading pollution as has been the case. Increasing urban migration and a high density of
population will make waste management a difficult issue to handle in the near future, if a
new paradigm for approaching it is not created.

Developing countries such as India are undergoing a massive migration of their

population from rural to urban centers. New consumption patterns and social linkages are
emerging. India will have more than 40 per cent, i.e. over 400 million people, clustered in
cities over the next thirty years (UN, 1995). Modern urban living brings on the problem
of waste, which increases in quantity, and changes in composition with each passing day.
There is, however, an inadequate understanding of the problem, both of infrastructure
requirements as well as its social dimensions. Urban planners, municipal agencies,
environmental regulators, labour groups, citizens’ groups and non-governmental
organisations need to develop a variety of responses which are rooted in local dynamics,
rather than borrow non-contextual solutions from elsewhere.

There have been a variety of policy responses to the problem of urban solid
waste in India, especially over the past few years, yet sustainable solutions either of

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 Waste Management

organic or inorganic waste remain untapped and unattended. All policy documents as
well as legislation dealing with urban solid waste mention or acknowledge recycling as
one of the ways of diverting waste, but they do so in a piece-meal manner and do not
address the framework needed to enable this to happen. Critical issues such as industry
responsibility, a critical paradigm to enable sustainable recycling and to catalyse waste
reduction through, say better packing, have not been touched upon.

Any new paradigm should include a cradle-to-grave approach with responsibility

being shared by many stakeholders, including product manufacturers, consumers and
communities, the recycling industry, trade, municipalities and the urban poor.

What is our waste?

Consumption, linked to per capita income, has a strong relationship with waste
generation. As per capita income rises, more savings are spent on goods and services,
especially when the transition is from a low income to a middle-income level.
Urbanization not only concentrates waste, but also raises generation rates since rural
consumers consume less than urban ones. India will probably see a rise in waste
generation from less than 40,000 metric tonnes per year to over 125,000 metric tonnes by
the year 2030 (Srishti, 2000). Technologies, which can process organic wastes have to be
a mainstay to any solution. The Supreme Court appointed the Burman Committee (1999),
which rightly recommended that composting should be carried out in each municipality.
Composting is probably the easiest and most appropriate technology to deal with a
majority of our waste, given its organic nature.

However, new and expensive technologies are being pushed to deal with our
urban waste problem, ignoring their environmental and social implications. It is
particularly true in the case of thermal treatment of waste using technologies such as
gasification, incineration, pyrolysis or pellatisation. Indian waste content does not
provide enough fuel value (caloric value) for profitable energy production (and is
unlikely to do so soon). It needs the addition of auxiliary fuel or energy. Such
technologies put communities to risk and are opposed widely. For example, the United

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 Waste Management

States has not been able to install a new incinerator for the past five years, while costs for
burning garbage have escalated astronomically with rising environmental standards in
Europe.

While the more developed countries are doing away with incinerators because of
high costs (due to higher standards of emission control), developing countries have
become potential markets for dumping such technologies. Incinerators routinely emit
dioxins, furans and polychlorinated by-phenyls (PCB), which are deadly toxins, casing
cancer and endocrine system damage. Other conventional toxins such as mercury, heavy
metals are also released. Pollution control costs for incinerators can exceed over 50 per
cent of their already astronomical cost, and an incinerator for 2,000 metric tonnes of
waste per day can cost over 500 million US dollars. Ironically, the better the air control
works, the more pollutants are transferred to land and water, through scrubbers and filters
and the problem of safe landfill disposal of the ash remains.

Again, such measures go against the requirements of the Municipal Solid Waste
Management Rules 2000, which asks for source segregation of waste for cleaner
composting and recycling. The lessons of incinerating Indian urban waste do not seem to
have been learnt, despite a disastrous experience with a Dutch-funded incinerator in
Delhi. It ran for just one week in 1984, since the calorific value of the fuel was less than
half of that the incinerator needed.

Composting: the environmentally and economically sustainable solution

Composting of city wastes is a legal requirement provided under the Municipal
Solid Waste Management (MSW) Rules 2000 for all municipal bodies in the country. But
neither the central nor the state governments have yet responded to show any kind of
preparedness for it, nor have they been able to grasp it as an environmental and social
good that requires official support which can generate employment. The MSW Rules
2000 requires that “biodegradable wastes shall be processed by composting, vermi-
composting, anaerobic digestion or any other appropriate biological processing for the

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 Waste Management

stabilisation of wastes”. The specified deadline for setting up of waste processing and
disposal facilities was 31 December 2003 or earlier.

The production and sale of city compost is not the primary function of city
administrations, but it will need to be privatized for optimum efficiency and care. Several
entrepreneurs have already entered the field and many compost plants are in place, almost
all on public land made available at a nominal cost. These companies are willing to wait
for the five to seven years payback on their investment, but are facing tremendous
problems of producing compost from unsegregated wastes, and of marketing and
distributing their product. The government is indifferent to the problems of these compost
producers (i.e. a working capital crunch because of highly seasonal demand) and to
farmers’ needs (i.e., timely, easily accessible availability of affordable compost).

The Fertilizer Association of India, the leading lobby group for synthetic
fertilizers, is focused on protecting the fertilizer producers’ massive subsidies (Rs
142,500 million annually) for their chemical fertilizers – subsidies from which the
farmers do not benefit. This situation is increasingly coming under national debate. Just
12 per cent of this annual subsidy would meet the one-time capital cost of city compost
plants in India’s 400 largest cities (which include cities with populations of over 100,000
people) and would be able to produce 5.7 million tonnes a year of organic soil
conditioners. Integrated plant nutrient management (IPNM) would also reduce the
foreign exchange burden on the Indian exchequer because bulk supplies of phosphorus
and potassium must be imported. In addition, the government of India spends Rs 43.19
million on phosphorus and potassium concessions alone. (Phosphorous is used to store
and transfer energy within the plant. It is used in forming nucleic acids (DNA, RNA).
Potassium remains in tissues in ionic form and is not used in the synthesis of new
compounds as are nitrogen and phosphorous. Potassium is mobile in plants and tends to
move from older to younger, more active growing tissue.)

Emphasizing IPNM using city compost, which can be produced all over the
country can be a successful strategy if a focused inter-ministerial effort is made.

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 Waste Management

However, in spite of the fact that the Ministry of Agriculture renamed its Department of
Fertilizers as the “Department of Integrated Nutrient Management” a year ago, no policy
changes have taken place whatsoever. A proposed Task Force including the agriculture
and fertilizer ministries may soon formulate an Action Plan for IPNM.

The real economic benefits of compost use, like improved soil quality, water retention,
biological activity, micronutrient content and improved pest resistance of crops, are
ignored by policy-makers and fertilizer producers. Fertilizer producers do not yet realize
that preventing soil depletion and reclaiming degraded soils would in fact increase the
size of the market and therefore, also their market share, which is currently threatened by
globalization and world prices that undercut their own. Since most large fertilizer plants
are government-owned, another threat is the government’s intended policy of closing
down loss-making public-sector enterprises and disinvesting from profitable ones.

Preliminary surveys on municipalities' preparedness in implementing the MSW

Rules 2000 show that the majority of the cities are yet to embark on city-wide
implementation of door-to-door collection of waste, source segregation, composting of
organics, recycling and creating engineered and safe landfill sites for residual waste
disposal. The municipalities were given three years time to make such preparations but
most of them have not even woken up. This is the regard given to the apex court’s
verdict. Whether municipalities will enforce the MSW Rules 2000 and provide cleaner
and healthier cities is yet to be seen. For now, the risk remains that MSW Rules will
become yet another policy to gather dust due to government apathy.

Sustainable Waste Management; Case study of Nagpur INDIA

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 Waste Management

ABSTRACT
In India the amount of waste generated per capita is estimated to increase at a rate
of 1%-1.33% annually. It is estimated that the total waste quantity generated in by the
year 2047 would be approximately about 260 million tonnes per year. The enormous
increase in waste generation will have impacts in terms of the land required for waste
disposal. It is estimated that if the waste is not disposed off in a more systematic manner,
more than 1400 sq. km of land would be required in the country by the year 2047 for its
disposal.

At present the standard of solid waste management is far from being satisfactory.
The environmental and health hazards caused by the unsanitary conditions in the cities
were epitomized by the episode of Plague in Surat in 1994. That triggered public interest
litigation in the Supreme Court of India. Based on the recommendations of the committee
set up by the apex court in that Public Interest Litigation (PIL), the Government of India,
has framed Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2000, under the
Environmental Protection Act, 1986. One of the major requisite of these rules is to
establish door-to-door garbage collection system in the cities. Nagpur which is located in
centre of India has taken initiative in implementing MSW Rules 2000 by introducing
100% door-to-door garbage collection. It has enabled:

• Livelihood creation for 1600 people from most deprived segment of the society.
• Clean environment as 75% of the total waste generated is being collected from
• doorstep.
• Successful Public Private Peoples Partnership
• Use of ergonomic tools for managing waste
• Use of appropriate technology for waste management, also creating
• entrepreneurship opportunities.
• Effective recycling of waste for useful purposes.
• Partnership of Waste Producers
BACKGROUND

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 Waste Management

There has been a significant increase in municipal solid waste (MSW) generation
in India in the last few decades. This is largely because of rapid population growth and
economic development in the country. The per capita of MSW generated daily in India
ranges from about 100 gm in small towns to 500 gm in large towns. The increased MSW
generation can be ascribed to our changing lifestyles, food habits and change in living
standards. In India the amount of waste generated per capita is estimated to increase at a
rate of 1%-1.33% annually. It is estimated that the total waste quantity generated in by
the year 2047 would be approximately about 260 million tonnes per year, more than five
times the present level of about 55 million tonnes. The enormous increase in solid waste
generation will have significant impacts in terms of the land required for waste disposal.
It is estimated that if the waste is not disposed off in a more systematic manner, more
than 1400 sq. km of land which is equivalent to the size of city of Delhi would be
required in the country by the year 2047 for its disposal.

In our country municipal corporations are primarily responsible for solid waste
Management. But with the growing population and urbanization municipal bodies are
facing financial crunch and can no longer cope with the demands. The limited revenues
earmarked for the municipalities make them ill equipped to provide for high cost
involved in the collection, storage, treatment and proper disposal of waste. Municipalities
are only able to provide secondary collection of waste, means they only collect waste
from municipal bins or depots. A substantial part of the municipal solid waste generated
remains unattended and grows in the heaps at poorly maintained collection centers. Open
dumping of garbage facilitates breeding of disease vectors such as flies, mosquitoes,
cockroaches, rats and other pests.

At present the standard of solid waste management is far from being satisfactory.
The environmental and health hazards caused by the unsanitary conditions in the cities
were epitomized by the episode of Plague in Surat in 1994. That triggered public interest
litigation in the Supreme Court of India. Based on the recommendations of the committee
set up by the apex court in that Public Interest Litigation (PIL), the Government of India
has framed Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2000, under the

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 Waste Management

Environmental Protection Act, 1986. The Municipal Solid Waste (Management and
Handling) Rules 2000 are as follows:

1. Collection of municipal solid wastes- Organizing doorstep collection of municipal

solid waste from houses, hotels, restaurants, office complexes and commercial areas.

2. Segregation of municipal solid wastes- Municipal authority shall organize awareness

programs for segregating the waste at source as dry and wet waste and promote recycling
or reuse of segregated materials.

3. Storage of municipal solid waste- Municipal authorities shall establish and maintain
storage facilities such that wastes stored are not exposed to open atmosphere and shall be
aesthetically acceptable and user friendly and it should have easy to operate design for
handling, transfer and transportation of waste.

4. Transportation of municipal solid wastes- Vehicles used for transportation of waste

shall be covered and waste should not be visible to public, nor exposed to open
environment and shall be so designed that multiple handling of wastes prior to final
disposal, is avoided.

5. Processing of municipal solid wastes- Municipal authorities shall adopt suitable

Technology or combination of such technologies to make use of wastes so as to Minimize
burden on landfill.

6.Disposal of municipal solid waste- Land filling shall be restricted to

nonbiodegradable, inert waste and other waste that are not suitable either for recycling or
for biological processing. Land filling of mixed waste shall be avoided unless the same is
found unsuitable for waste processing.

Swachata Doot Aplya Dari: A Scientific And Innovative

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Approach For Municipal Solid Waste Management

As can be seen from the above guidelines, collection and segregation of municipal
solid waste is a primary requirement for implementation of MSW Rules 2000. Primary
collection of garbage is important to prevent littering of waste on the streets. As per the
MSW guidelines, waste has to be collected in segregated form so that it can be recycled
to the extent possible by adoption of suitable technology. This recycling will minimise
the burden on landfills.

Though doorstep collection of segregated waste is important for municipal solid

waste management, it is not carried out by many of the municipal bodies in the country as
they are lacking in financial resources or the expertise to comply with those rules and
they often make little effort to revise outdated and deficient waste management systems.
As the authorities were hardly able to provide cost-efficient service to citizens, one
possibility was to outsource solid waste management by putting in charge professional
private organizations like Centre for Development Communication (CDC). The key
concept is a daily door-to-door collection of segregated domestic waste, but the model
includes all aspects of solid waste management from waste generation to waste
processing (e.g. recycling and vermi-composting) and the final disposal. The end
consumer is both main contributor and main beneficiary, as he should segregate the waste
instead of littering it and, in turn, profits from the cleanliness of the city and creation of a
new awareness that CDC work is generating. Presently the Swachta Doot project is being
successfully being implemented in several cities of India.

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 Waste Management

The Swachta Doot Project is a major solid waste management program that
includes the following aspects:
A. Daily door-to-door garbage collection
B. Waste segregation
C. Garbage lifting and Transportation
D. Employment Generation
E. Awareness building

A. Daily Door-to-door Garbage Collection

Daily door-to-door garbage collection is the core of the CDC model. It is most
essential for complying with the norms prescribed by the Municipal Solid Wastes
(Management and Handling) Rules, 2000 as well as the Supreme Court Guidelines for
solid waste management.

Swachta Doot
Rag pickers and private sweepers who were previously working in the same
sector and spent their life at foul-smelling and most unhygienic places rummaging
through debris with bare hands and getting an uncertain and irregular low payment for
this dirty work are brought into organised sector by CDC, and now called as Swachta
Doots

Training
Swachta Doots undergo a special training that equips them with the abilities
necessary for their job:
• Handling the waste in a proper and hygienic manner
• Polite and helpful behaviour towards local residents
• Discipline, sincerity commitment to their work

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 Waste Management

The properly trained workers collect the waste from households and shops seven days
a week and 365 days a year. This service is provided in the morning time (between 6.00
am to 1.00 pm). They wear colourful work clothes (uniforms) so that residents and
shopkeepers can easily identify them. Training and neat public appearance helps the
worker to be better accepted by the community.

The garbage is directly transported and unloaded to local containers (transfer stations)
using specially designed vehicles. Those Containers are brought to landfill sites outside
the city by municipal corporation workforce. There is a close cooperation between CDC
and the municipal bodies so that waste is not stored longer than necessary in residential
areas. This way of domestic waste management is in compliance of MSW guidelines and
Guarantees that:
• Waste is handled only once
• It is exposed nowhere
• There is no need of burning the garbage or dumping it in streets, drains and open
places

Equipment
CDC has developed a micro-plan to adopt waste collection to the special
conditions that prevail in different areas. For example, in slum areas different type of
waste is produced than in posh colonies and the size of the streets is varying. To
implement this microplan, CDC uses different types of vehicles. Swachta Doots collect
the garbage with specially designed mechanical tricycle
Rickshaws and multi bucket wheelbarrows. They have several advantages:
• Workers can access even very narrow roads (for example in Slum areas)
• Segregated waste collection
• The waste can be directly unloaded in the container. It does not have to be
touched.

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 Waste Management

So, hygienic conditions for workers are improved.

CDC follows a dynamic model of selection of equipment and modifies the equipment
according to the requirements of a particular locality, town or a city.

Evolution of Primary Collection Equipment

a) Open Body Tricycle Rickshaws:
The open body tricycle rickshaw is the most basic primary collection equipment
and its capacity is about 50 Kgs. Its benefits include low cost and since it collects the
mixed waste, it takes less time for waste collection from individual households. This type
of equipment is no more in use as it collects the waste in mixed form, which is in
contravention of MSW Rules. Further the collected waste is often dumped onto the
ground or road and attracts rag pickers to sort out the recyclable part of the waste,
exposing them to serious health risks. Additionally, since the waste is transported open to
atmosphere, it is non-aesthetic and it is also observed that waste keeps spilling from the
sides of the rickshaw.

b) 6 Container Tricycle Rickshaws:

In order to overcome some of the problems faced in the above model, CDC
evolved a 6-container tricycle rickshaw for primary collection of waste. The major
advantages of this type of equipment is that it allows collection of waste in segregated
form and prevents multiple handling as the waste can be directly unloaded to the
secondary collection vehicle. Due to these reasons, this type of equipment complies with
the MSW guidelines. Its cost is a little more than the open body tricycle rickshaw and can
carry 75 kgs of waste in one trip. The only limitation with this type of equipment is that it
led to frequent thefts of plastic containers requiring their replacement. This unnecessarily
adds to the costs.

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 Waste Management

Types of Containers

Metal Containers Plastic Containers

Heavy, Corrosive and Expensive Light Weight & Durable and Non-
Corrosive

c) Closed Body Container with 2 compartments:

In some of the areas, a new type of tricycle rickshaw has also been utilised viz.
Closed Body Container with 2 Compartments, which aids in segregated collection of
waste, and since it’s a closed body type the waste is not exposed to the atmosphere and
therefore has aesthetic appearance. This type of equipment can carry 150 Kgs of waste
and costs about Rs. 8000/-, which is a little more than 6 container type tricycle rickshaw.
The only limitation with this equipment is that since the waste cannot be unloaded to the
secondary collection vehicle, it leads to multiple handling, which is in contravention to
MSW guidelines. This type of equipment is highly suitable for smaller cities where the
waste can be directly transferred after collection to the landfill site.

d) Closed Tipping Bodies with 2 containers:

To overcome the problem of multiple waste handling, a further improvement is in
the design of rickshaw has been incorporated, that includes hydraulic lifting of the rear
side of the rickshaw unto the height of secondary collection vehicle so that the waste can
be directly disposed off. This type of equipment is most expensive and requires more
maintenance as compared to the earlier ones.

e) Mechanised Auto Rickshaws with closed container body with compartments:

In some cases CDC has deployed mechanised equipment in the form of Auto
rickshaws for primary waste collection. The benefits of this type of equipment include
high coverage area and can handle more waste. Further, since it has a closed container
body, it is aesthetic in appearance and can directly unload the waste to final disposal
point. This type of equipment is most optimum for smaller cities and towns as the overall
economics is favourable as compared to manually driven rickshaws.

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 Waste Management

f) Mechanised operations with Medium Utility Vehicles:

In line with the abovementioned mechanised operations, CDC has also
introduced medium utility vehicles for primary waste collection in some of its projects.
The advantage of this type of system is that it can handle more waste than auto rickshaws
and is most ideal for bin-free cities. It fully complies with the MSW guidelines and is
aesthetic in appearance, as waste is not exposed in the open atmosphere. The demerit is
that it is more expensive

Door-to-Door Garbage Collection - The Monitoring System

Supervisors and Zonal In-charges inspect the field everyday. They regularly get in
touch with households and shops to check for feedback, complaints and suggestions so
that a satisfying service can be maintained. The CDC customer care service, telephone
number is available from 6.00 am till 8.00 pm. In most cases complaints are redressed
within 30 - 60 minutes during working hours, or the next morning if problems arise
outside working hours.

B. Waste Segregation
Waste is not all the same. It has different characteristics according to which it can
be divided accordingly:
• Recyclable e.g. glass, paper, plastic
• Organic e.g. food leftovers, garden waste
• Toxic e.g. tin, batteries
• Reusable e.g. plastic bottles, polythene bags

While recyclable waste is dry in nature, the organic kind is wet and 100%
biodegradable. Hence, bacterial action is faster in the latter. If waste is segregated, it is
easier to handle, does not cause much pollution and can be reused, recycled or
decomposed. The CDC model of waste management is based on the principle of
segregating waste and treating it according to its characteristics. Waste should be

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 Waste Management

segregated at the place or source of origin. In order to realize this concept CDC,
implements the following approach:
• Educating the community about waste characteristics and the consequences of
• inappropriate waste dumping
• Collecting the waste in a segregated manner every day
• Using specially designed multi-chambered rickshaws for garbage collection

C. Garbage Lifting and Transportation

Since June 2004, CDC is also lifting the local containers and transporting them to
landfill sites in few cities. This enables CDC to co-ordinate the different processes of
primary waste collection and transportation. Containers are lifted before they overflow
and waste is not stored longer than necessary in residential areas. Furthermore,
superfluous containers can be removed for better public convenience.

D. Employment Generation
As CDC is not a profit-oriented organization, it is committed to improve quality
of life, especially for the deprived section of the society. For this reason, most grassroots
workers have been recruited from slum areas. CDC started its work initially with few
workers. This number increased every day and now CDC could create livelihood for
about 6000 persons in the Swachta Doot Project. The services have grown in various
cities and presently CDC is catering to a population of nearly 6 million.

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 Waste Management

The following table highlights some of the current projects of CDC in various cities
including employment generated approximate quantity of waste collected, utilized and
finally transported as inert material to landfill sites.

City Household Road Employment Waste Organic Recycle Inert

Covered sweeping Generation collect Matter Content inorganic

Jaipur 50000 150 300 100 60 10 30

Nagpur 450000 200 2500 900 540 90 270
Ahmedabad 30000 35 125 60 36 6 18
Surat 100000 N.A 100 200 120 20 60
Delhi 200000 450 629 126 N.A N.A N.A
Jaisalmer 3000 30 32 A.N A.N A.N A.N

Note: 1) Recyclable contents include paper, glass, plastic and metal

2) All weight values are approximate values.

Introduction of door-to-door collection service has improved the financial condition of

Swachta Doots who now receive regular payment as compared to the earlier situation
when they could earn low (12-15/-per day) and irregular incomes. They are now enjoying
dignified working conditions at CDC, as their profession is viewed with greater respect
amongst society members compared to their earlier work. As both genders are treated
equally the number of women is almost as high as the number of male grassroots
workers. Women are given the chance to make an own contribution to the living standard
of their families. Additionally unemployed or underemployed educated youth profit from
these job opportunities as they are recruited as Managers and Supervisors.

E. Awareness Building

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 Waste Management

It is CDC’s conviction that the cleanliness of city is a collective good. It can only
be achieved with the participation of all concerned. Therefore, CDC encourages and
motivates people to keep their surroundings clean. They are provided education regarding
sanitation and garbage disposal through various means of communication such as:

• Posters, folders, booklets, leaflets

• Exhibitions
• Wall paintings
• Living society meetings
• Debates and painting competitions in schools
• Regular talks with citizens

. BENEFITS OF SWACHTA DOOT PROJECT

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 Waste Management

Social
• Improving social standard of Swachta Doots by providing training and financial
• stability
• The community is made aware of the consequences of unscientific waste
throwing and can participate actively
• As the citizens are also involved in the project they develop a sense of
• belongingness
• People appreciate the service and consider it as necessary and essential. This
• makes the project self-sustainable

Economic
• City’s image as a “green and clean” city can boost local economy especially in
• tourism branch
• Creates new avenues of employment
• Composting of organic matter and recycling of paper, glass, plastics and metals
yield productive outcomes and reduces burden on landfill site

Public Health and Life Quality

• Waste is handled in a hygienic and scientific manner, so no pollution is caused at
• any stage
• Garbage on the roads is tremendously reduced
• Drains are no longer clogged with garbage – no smell, no breeding site for
malaria spreading mosquitoes, no meeting place for pigs and other stray animals
• Quality of life improves as the whole city looks clean and aesthetic This shows
that the model is not only a convincing theoretical concept but also a successful
intervention in the field of Municipal Solid Waste Management.

Key Highlights

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 Waste Management

• First project in India involving D2D collection of garbage from 100% households
on all 365 days.
• The only project on solid waste management in India to recruit physically
challenged persons. At present there are 37 such persons working on this project
and thereby earning livelihood for themselves and their families.
• No dependence on external funding.
• Community involvement on a large scale.
• Well-defined roles for NMC, NGO and the community under the scheme.

Strategy followed
All concerned stakeholders were consulted before finalizing the implementation
plan.
Implementation plan
• The work of D2D collection of waste by ‘Volunteer’ begins at 6.00 a.m. daily.
• Every household in the given group is attended daily.
• The doot goes around the demarcated households & announces his arrival by
blowing a whistle.
• When the cycle rickshaw is completely filled with waste, it is unloaded in the
nearby community dustbins. After unloading, the volunteer covers the remaining
households.
• During every unloading, the recyclable waste is separated by the volunteer.
• At no point of time, he does manual handling of the waste collected.
• Monitoring indicators have been set in consultation with the NGO, which have
• further ensured prompt implementation of the project, e.g. households covered,
timely complainant redressal, regular and surprise filed visits, community
feedback, etc. are monitored regularly.

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 Waste Management

RESULTS
• Benefits to NMC
Successfully implemented the Supreme Court guidelines. Savings worth Rs. 5 crores
in terms of lower costs for providing D2D garbage collection service to the citizens.

• Benefits to CDC (NGO)

Other municipal corporations in India are adopting Swatchata Doot model. CDC has
assisted in preparation of policy in Rajasthan.

CDC’s budget for the financial year 2003-04 was Rs. 53 lakhs. After being appointed
as implementer for this project, its financial credibility has escalated to Rs.15 crores.
Moreover, we have been appointed to implement similar project in other cities of India.
Financial institutions like Kotak Mahindra, ICICI, Tata Finance, etc. have come forward
to sponsor equipments required for D2D collection. To date credit worth Rs.1 crore has
been availed from these institutions.

NMC has further reposed its confidence in CDC activities and has handed over
the responsibility of secondary transportation of Municipal Solid Waste also to a joint
venture involving CDC. Improvement in sanitation.

• Benefits to Citizens
Regular D2D collection of garbage and active participation in the zero garbage drive.
Better and prompt service at minimum costs.

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 Waste Management

Bio medical waste

Solid waste generated from medical establishment needs to be handled very
carefully as these wastes may contain infectious material. The hospital wastes deserve
special treatment and disposal unlike household waste. Different types of solid waste are
generated in hospitals, which need to be handled in different ways. Nowadays, hospital
wastes are more explicitly termed as health care unit waste. Thus, the hospital waste
management system should be operated very carefully and methodically to avoid serious
consequences. Hospital waste can be broadly classified into two types:
1) Solid waste containing of materials likely to transmit infection, and
2) Solid waste, which are normally safe to handle but may get infected as they are
produced in hospital premises.

Obviously, the first category waste needs very careful handling and disposal
while the waste of second category can be handled in normal manner with a precaution
that they are not mixed with the infectious material. In either case, contact with wastes by
the workers should be avoided Further classification of hospital waste is as follows:

1) General waste: This includes domestic type of waste, packing material, garbage from
hospital kitchen and other waste material which do not pose a special handling problem
or hazards to human health and environment.

2) Human anatomical wastes, blood body fluids: This includes waste consisting of
anatomical human tissues, organs, waste body parts, blood fluids, blood and blood
products and items saturated or dripping with blood, body fluids contaminated with blood
and body fluids removed during / after treatment, surgery or autopsy or other medical
procedures.

3) Microbiological wastes: Wastes from laboratory culture stocks or specimens of

micro-organisms, live or attenuated vaccines, human and animal cell culture used in
research and infectious agents from research and industrial laboratories, waste from
production of biological dishes and devices used for transfer of cultures.

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 Waste Management

4) Waste sharps: Wastes consisting of sharps, such as needles scalpel, blades, syringes,
glass, etc. That may cause puncture.

5) Highly infectious waste: Waste containing highly infectious living and non-living
pathogens.

6) Isolated waste: Biological waste from material contaminated with blood, excertion
exudates or secretion from human and animals isolated due to communicable disease.

7) Discarded medicines: Waste comprising of expired, contaminated and discarded

medicines.

8) Discarded glasswares: Waste generated from glasswares and glass equipment used.

9) Soiled waste: Waste generated from soiled cotton, dressing, bedding, etc.

10)Disposable (PVC/plastics, cardboards & thermocol): Wastes generated from

disposable items other than the waste sharps.

11) Biotechnology wastes: Wastes generated from activities involving genetically

engineered organisms or products and their cultures not declared to be safe.

12) Incineration waste: Ash generation from incineration of any bio-medical waste.

13) Liquid waste: Waste generated from laboratory and washing, cleaning,
housekeeping and disinfecting activities discharge into drains.

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Waste Quantification
According to WHO report, 85% of hospitals wastes are actually non-hazardous.
10 % are infectious and 5 % are non-infectious but hazardous.

Treatment technologies
There are five board categories of medical waste treatment technologies:
Mechanical process:
Mechanical processes are used to change the physical from or chacharcterisities
of the waste either to facilitated waste handling or to process the waste in conjunction
with other treatement steps. The two primary mechanical processes are compaction and
shredding.

Thermal process:
Thermal processes use heat to denotaminate or destroy medical waste. Most
microorganisms are rapidly destroyed at temperatures ranging from 49c to 91c thermal
treatment processes include the following
• Autoclaving: Steam sterilization (autoclave) systems are designed to bring steam
into direct contact with waste in a controlled manner and for sufficient duration
to kill pathogenic microorganisms that may be contaminating the waste. There
are several different types and designs of autoclave systems. Without full steam
penetration and contact into the most densely packed wastes, decontamination
will not be complete and sterilization cannot be achieved.

• Microwaving: One medical waste treatment process uses a combination of

shredding and Microwaving. Waste is loaded into the system and shredded while
being injected with steaming. An auger conveyor past a series of magnetrons, or
microwave generators transports the shredded and steam-moistened waste. The
heat generated in the waste by microwave radiation accomplishes
decontamination. Shredding also reportedly provides up to an 80% volume
reduction.

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Chemical disinfection processes: Most medical waste treatment systems use chlorine
compounds, but other disinfectants, such as phenolic compounds, iodine, alcohol,
formaldehydes, etc. could also be used. Most chemical solutions are used as aqueous
solutions. Water is needed to bring the chemicals and microorganisms together as
necessary to achieve inactivation.

Irradiation Processes: Irradiation is synonymous with electromagnetic or ionizing

radiation. Recently, irradiation processes, gamma radiation and electron beam radiation,
have been developed or considered for medical waste treatment.

Biological process:
A system is being developed using biological reactions will not only decontaminate the
waste but also cause the destruction of all the organic constituents so that only plastics,
glass, and other insert will remains in the residues.

Selection of waste management options

In an infectious waste management system, several options are available within
each area of management. Options for treatment techniques for the various types of
infectious waste, types of treatment equipment, treatment sites, and various waste
handling practices all need to be carefully evaluated. The selection of available options at
a facility depends upon a number of factors such as the nature of the infectious waste, the
quantity of infectious waste generated, the availability of equipment for treatment on-site;
regulatory constraints, and cost considerations.

Since treatment methods vary with the waste type, the waste must be evaluated
and categorized with regard to its potential to cause disease. Such characteristics as
chemical context, density, water content, bulk and so on, are known to influence waste
treatment decisions. For example, many facilities use a combination of techniques for the
different components of the infectious waste stream, such as stream sterilization for
laboratory cultures and incineration for pathological waste.

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The quantity of each category of infectious waste generated at the facility may
also influence the method of treatment. Decisions should be made on the basis of the
major components of the infectious waste stream.

Another important factor in the selection of options for infectious waste

management is the availability of on-site and off-site treatment. When selecting an on-
site treatment system, both the treatment technology and the vendor providing the system
should be carefully evaluated. For some facilities, however off-site treatment may offer
the most cost-effective option. Off-site treatment alternatives include such options as
crematories operated by morticians, a shared treatment unit at another institution, and
commercial or community treatment facilities. It is also important to consider prevailing
community attitudes in such matter as site selection for off-site treatment facilities.

Cost considerations are the determining factor in the selection of infectious waste
management options. Cost factors include personnel, equipment cost (capital expense,
annual operating, and maintenance), handling costs (for infectious waste and the residue
from treatment), and, if applicable, service fees for off-site treatment option.

Thus till now we saw that medical waste include waste from dentists, morticians,
veterinary clinic, home health care, blood banks, and private practices, as well as
hospitals and clinics. Regulated medical waste thus includes cultures and stocks,
pathological waste, human blood and blood products, sharps, animal waste, isolation
waste, and unused sharps.

Chemotherapy waste should also be segregated from non-infectious waste.

Infectious waste should be packed and stored in a safe manner which will protect waste
handlers and the general public from possible injury and/or disease that may result from
exposure to the waste.

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Treatment methods substantially reduce or eliminate the potential for a waste to

spread disease. Incineration, autoclaving, microwave processing, chemical disinfection,
and irradiation systems are currently used to treat infectious waste.

Though we have so many waste disposal methods depending on the type of waste
yet hospitals generally have been slow to improve their handling and disposing of the
waste materials, which are increasing in quantity as a result of more patients and higher
per-patient waste loads.

What the effect has been on health and safety has not been measured, but without
proper management, wastes containing contaminated materials, dangerous chemicals, or
discarded needles are a potential hazard to millions of patients, health care workers, and
visitors. Furthermore, the health of entire community can be jeopardized if these wastes
are temporarily but inadequately stored outside the hospitals or thrown onto open dumps.

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Environmental Concern
The improper management of bio-medical waste causes serious environmental
problems in terms of air, water and land pollution. The nature of pollutants can be
classified into biological, chemical and radioactive. There are several legislations in India
concerning environmental problems, which are addressed in this website under the
section of legislations. The radioactive waste generated as part of bio-medical waste is
covered under the Atomic Act. Environment problems can arise due to the mere
generation of bio-medical waste and from the process of handling, treatment and
disposal. Although pollution cannot be mitigated completely, it can be reduced to a large
extent. This section deals with causes, hazards and steps to minimize the hazard.

Air Pollution
Air pollution can be caused in both indoors and outdoors. Biomedical waste that
generates air pollution is of three types - Biological, Chemical and radioactive.

Indoor air pollution: Pathogens present in the waste can enter and remain in the air in an
institution for a long period in the form of spores or as pathogens itself. This can result in
Hospital Acquired Infections (Nosocomial infections) or Occupational Health Hazards.
The patients and their attendants also have a chance of contracting infections caused due
to pathogens or spores which are air borne. However, there are very limited statistics
available in this field. This is an area which requires research.

Indoor air pollution due to biologicals can be reduced by covering the waste
properly, routing the waste in such a way that shortest distance is used and sensitive areas
are avoided. Segregation of waste, pretreatment at source etc., can also reduce this
problem to a great extent. Sterilizing the rooms will also help in checking the indoor air
pollution due to biologicals.

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Indoor air pollution can also be caused due to: Poor ventilation: The building design
plays an important role in maintaining proper ventilation. Faulty air conditioning also
will result in poor circulation of air within the room

The paints, carpets, furniture, equipment, etc., used in the rooms, can give out
volatile organic compounds (VOC) Use of chemicals: Disinfectants, fumigants etc., give
out acidic or hazardous gases.

The indoor air pollution caused due to the above chemicals or poor ventilation can
cause Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) to the employees. Proper building design and well-
maintained air conditioners could reduce the SBS. Chemicals should be utilized as per
prescribed norms. Over use of chemicals should be avoided.

Outdoor air pollution: Outdoor air pollution can be caused by pathogens. When waste
without pretreatment is being transported outside the institution, or if it is dumped
openly, pathogens can enter the atmosphere. These pathogens can find their way to
drinking water, food stuff, soil etc., and or remain in the ambient air and cause diseases in
animals and human beings. Proper waste management practices can reduce this pollution
to a large extent.

Chemical pollutants that cause outdoor air pollution have two major sources-
open burning and incinerators. Open burning of bio-medical waste is the most harmful
practice. The presence of plastics and hazardous materials in the waste will generate
harmful gases such as oxides of sulphur, oxides of nitrogen, carbon dioxide etc., and
suspended particulate matter. These when inhaled can cause respiratory diseases. Certain
organic gases such as dioxins and furans are carcinogenic.

Open burning of bio-medical waste should be strictly avoided. Pollution control

devices should be used for technology produces toxic emissions. The design parameters
and maintenance of such treatment and disposal technology should be as per the
prescribed standards.

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Water Pollution
Bio-medical waste can cause water pollution. If the waste is dumped in low-lying
areas, or into lakes and water bodies, can cause severe water pollution. The liquid waste
generated when let into sewers can also lead to water pollution if not treated. Certain
treatment or disposal options can also cause water pollution. Water pollution can either
be caused due to biological, chemicals or radioactive substances.

The pathogens present in the waste can leach out and contaminate the ground
water or surface water. Harmful chemicals present in bio-medical waste such as heavy
metals can also cause water pollution. Poor landfilling technology may cause water
pollution in the form of leachates. Excess nutrient leachate such as nitrates and
phosphates from landfills can cause a phenomenon called eutrophication (where surface
of the water body develops algal blooms). Water pollution can alter parameters such as
pH, BOD, DO, COD, etc. There are instances where dioxins are reported from water
bodies near incinerator plants. Dioxins enter the water body from the air.

The standards for effluent release from institutions should be maintained. Proper
waste management practices will reduce the water pollution considerably. Incinerators
should be sited away from water bodies. Care should be taken to have proper liners in
landfills to avoid leachate from entering water bodies.

Radioactive effluent
Many shipments of radioactive material are in liquid form. The residues of these
shipments constitute the principal liquid radioactive waste requiring handling and
disposal. Radioactive waste in liquid form can come from chemical or biological
research, from body organ imaging, from decontamination of radioactive spills, from
patients urine and from scintillation liquids used in radioimmunoassay. Undoubtedly,
this last source of liquid waste produces the largest volume of liquid radioactive waste.
Very low-level liquid radioactive waste is usually handled by direct dispersal in the sewer
system. Higher level radioactive waste, such as that generated in radioiodine therapy, can
be stored pending decay, followed by appropriate radiation monitoring and subsequent

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dispersal in the sewer system. It is not usually necessary to collect and confine patient
waste. Under normal circumstances, urine and faeces can be handled as nonradioactive
waste so long as the patient’s room is routinely monitored for radioactive contamination.
In the case of contaminated liquid scintillation phosphorous, the toxicity of the chemical
matrix is probably more hazardous than its radioactivity. Indeed the chemical toxicity of
this material may preclude its direct disposal in the sewer system. From a practical
standpoint, it is acceptable to identify a sink in the laboratory as a waste receptacle if the
daily disposal is restricted to 100 kBq.

Land Pollution
The final disposal of all bio-medical waste is to the land. Even liquid effluent
after treatment is spread on land. Hence, pollution caused to land is inevitable. However,
it can be minimized to a large extent through proper treatment. Open dumping of bio-
medical waste is the greatest cause for land pollution. Landfilling is also harmful to a
limited extent. Soil pollution from bio-medical waste is caused due to infectious waste,
discarded medicines, chemicals used in treatment and ash and other waste generated
during treatment processes. Heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, mercury etc., which are
present in the waste will get absorbed by plants and can then enter the food chain.
Nitrates and phosphates present in leachates from landfills are also pollutants. Excessive
amounts of trace nutrient elements and other elements including heavy metals in soil are
harmful to crops and are also harmful to animals and human beings.

Leachate containing concentrated heavy metals and or microbes which is released

from landfills can lead to ground water and surface water pollution. Radioactive waste
generated from institutions can cause soil pollution. Cadavers, protective clothing,
absorbent paper generated in the nuclear medicine imaging laboratory will also cause soil
pollution.

Minimizing the waste and proper treatment before disposal on land are the only
ways of reducing this kind of pollution.

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Health hazards:
According to the WHO, the global life expectancy is increasing year after year.
However, deaths due to infectious disease are increasing. A study conducted by the WHO
in 1996, reveals that more than 50,000 people die everyday from infectious diseases. One
of the causes for the increase in infectious diseases is improper waste management.
Blood, body fluids and body secretions which are constituents of bio-medical waste
harbour most of the viruses, bacteria and parasites that cause infection. This passes via a
number of human contacts, all of whom are potential ‘recipients’ of the infection. Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and hepatitis viruses spearhead an extensive list of
infections and diseases documented to have spread through bio-medical waste.
Tuberculosis, pneumonia, diarrhoeal diseases, tetanus, whooping cough etc., are other
common diseases spread due to improper waste management.

Occupational health hazards: The health hazards due to improper waste

management can not only affect the occupants in institutions, but also spread in the
vicinity of the institutions. Occupational health concerns exist for janitorial and laundry
workers, nurses, emergency medical personnel, and refuse workers. Injuries from sharps
and exposure to harmful chemical waste and radioactive waste also causes health hazards
to employees in institutions generating bio-medical waste. The problem of occupational
health hazards due to bio-medical waste is not publicized as there is lack of information.
Hence, the Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000 prescribes a
form under schedule VI to report such incidences in order to develop a database. There is
plenty of scope for research in this field. Proper management of waste can solve the
problem of occupational hazards to a large extent.

Hazards to the general public: The general public’s health can also be adversely
affected by bio-medical waste. Improper practices such as dumping of bio-medical waste
in municipal dustbins, open spaces, water bodies etc., leads to the spread of diseases.
Emissions from incinerators and open burning also leads to exposure to harmful gases
which can cause cancer and respiratory diseases. Exposure to radioactive waste can in the
waste stream can also cause serious health hazards. An often-ignored area is the increase

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of in-home healthcare activities. An increase in the number of diabetics who inject

themselves with insulin, home nurses taking care of terminally ill patients etc., all
generate bio-medical waste which can cause health hazards.

Bio-medical waste can cause health hazards to animals and birds. Plastic waste
can choke animals which scavenge on openly dumped waste. Injuries from sharps are a
common feature affecting animals. Harmful chemicals such as dioxins and furans can
cause serious health hazards to animals and birds. Certain heavy metals can affect the
reproductive health of the animals

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Bio-Medical (Handling & Management) Rules

The ministry of environment & forests has issued draft rules for management of
bio-medical waste. The following are some of the salient features of these rules:

The rules will apply to hospitals, nursing homes, veterinary institutions, animal
houses or slaughterhouses generating biomedical waste.
• State government can notify authorities for the purpose of granting authorization
for collection , reception, storage, treatment and disposal of bio-medical wastes,
from
 Directorate of health services,
 Directorate of animal husbandry or veterinary services,
 State pollution control boards\committees, and municipal authorities.
• Every hospital, nursing home, veterinary institution, animal house generating bio-
medical waste need to install an appropriate facility in the premises or shall set up
a common facility within a period of nine months from the date of
commencement of these rules.
• Any person generating\handling biomedical wastes or operating bio-medical
waste treatment facility, needs to make authorization from appropriate authority.
• A generator or an operator of biomedical waste facility needs to take all measures
necessary to prevent damages or adverse effects to the environment. He is also
required to submit detailed information about the types and quantities of bio-
medical wastes collected or handled by him. This must be done every year.
• An authorized person handling any biomedical wastes needs to segregate various
categories of wastes as per classification specified in the rules.
• Waste of different categories shall be segregated, stored, treated and disposed as
per procedure prescribed in rules.
• The authorized person needs to maintain records about the category of waste
generated, quantity, storage, transportation and treatment details, which are
subject to verification by appropriate authority.

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Status surveys of medical waste management

The status of bio-medical waste management in different metropolitan cities
considered is:

Delhi: CPCB conducted surveys of 66 major hospitals in Delhi, during may 28 to

June 18, 1997 and from July 16 to October 24 1997. it was found that 19 hospitals
have installed incinerator for treating their medical wastes, out of which only 11 are
with double chambers. Further 20 hospitals are in the process of providing
incinerators/ autoclave.

Mumbai: Mumbai has a large number medium to small sized hospitals and clinics
besides the large hospitals, which are run by the government, the municipal
corporation or private trust, all India institute of local self government, Mumbai has
conducted a study to collect information on the present practices of waste
management in hospitals. It was found that only 19 % of the large privates of
hospitals use incinerators and some large private hospitals make use of their waste
like organs, tissues etc. segregation of wastes is not practiced adopted in an organized
manner. Although about 45 % of the private hospitals claim to segregate the waste, it
is not separated. It is the from of ret rival of useful things like plastic bottles; card
boxes by the lower staff. There is no colour coding used for waste segregation.

Banglore: A report on management of health care waste for bangolre city has been
prepared by M.S. Ramaiah medical college, banglore. Out of 68 health care setting
visited by the project team only 9 have incineration facilities whereas 11 burn in open
air. Segregation of waste sharps is done in only 13 setting.

Indore: Average quantity of bio-medical waste generated from the government

hospitals is 1.43 kg/ day/ bed, while average quantity of biomedical waste generated
from private hospitals is 1.49 kg/day/bed. Thus private hospitals generated more
quantity of bio-medical waste.

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Case study
The Hinduja foundation has established an ultramodern hospital and Medical
Research Centre in Mumbai in collaboration with Massachusetts’s general hospital
(MGH), Boston.

P.D.Hinduja National Hospital and Medical research centre is a charitable

institution, with a life span of 40 years. It assimilates the finest in medical and surgical
talent and technique to bring them closer to common man. This dream was nurtured in
heart of great founder Mr. Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja.

The hospital stands today as a concrete testimony to the fulfillment of the

founders dream. Located on the busiest artery in central Mumbai, this is a 16 storeyed
fully air conditioned building. It has an inpatient capacity of 335 beds inclusive of 47
critical care beds in different specialties. The inpatient services are complemented by an
outpatients department centrally air conditioned building which houses doctors
consulting rooms and diagnostic services. The hospitals offers expertise in various
specialties to include Cardiology, Neurology, Pheumatology Endocrinology, ENT,
General medicine and General surgery, etc. except the Maternity department.

The hospital management and professionals lay emphasis on quality. Hospital has
well qualified and dedicated professionals, medical and paramedical staff who are
regularly trained to further enhance their skills.

It has a separate waste management department, which manages its waste in the
following manner:
This hospital has a manpower of more than 1500.The waste is segregated at
source. Every room and department in the hospital are provided with four different
colours of bags in which wastes are collected depending on their density of infection.

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The description of wastes collected according to the colour bags as done in this
hospital is given below:
Red: Waste, which is highly infecting are collected in these bags, such as HIV affected
patient waste, soiled waste etc. Then these bags are sealed and disposed to the hospital
laundry. There they are separately washed to make them free of infectious
microorganisms. Then they are mixed with general lot washed and then can be reused.

Green: All the waste which can be recycled or reused are collected in this bag and
sometimes sold as scrap. Example: plastic containers, which can fetch some revenue.
They are sold as scrap after a pre-disposal treatment.

Yellow: All the waste, which is highly infectious, is collected in such bags. Wastes such
as bandages, body fluids, etc. are collected and then incinerated in the campus itself. The
hospital has an in-house incinerator. Such waste is almost half a kg. per bed.

Black: All the administrative waste is collected in these bags. Waste such as paper, paper
products etc. are collected. These bags are than handed over to the BMC agents. There is
a special vehicle, which collects these wastes twice a day. Almost one and a half-ton of
such waste are collected everyday.

All other types of waste such as waste sharps, needles, syringes are incinerated as
and when collected.

Once the waste is segregated and sealed in their respective bags no person from
house keeping department touches it. It directly goes in the disposal system. With such
perfection in waste management system this hospital faces no difficulty of any kind. To
add to it the outlet of the incinerator goes right up towards the sky above the 16 floors in
the atmosphere not affecting the residents in the locality.

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As an endorsement of the quality services the hospital has been awarded the ISO-
9002 certification award from KEMA of Netherlands for quality management systems.
So with such an efficient waste management system hospitals shouldn’t face any
difficulty in disposing of any type of waste. But this is not possible in all types of
hospitals. Hospitals, which have sources, can afford it, but a hospital run by government
or trustees face certain difficulties. They have inadequate methods or rather knowledge
about disposing of their waste, which may lead to unethical disposal causing harm to
human beings and above all our environment.

To avoid this the government has taken certain steps, which makes every hospital
of India to adopt an efficient waste management system. Our team members through
certain doctors collected these facts. We are listing some of them in this report.

Government of India passed an act in the year 1996 giving specifications

regarding disposal of solid waste in hospitals.

This act was amended in year 1998 and it was passed in July 1998. This act gave
notification from the ministry of environment and forests notifying the rules for the
management and handling of the bio-medical waste. The rules were called as the Bio-
Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules.1998. They came into force on the
date of publication of the office gazette. The rules applied to all the persons who
generate, collect, receive, store, transport, treat, dispose, or handle bio-medical waste in
any form. This act gave various specifications regarding some terms, duties of various
people involved in this field, types of waste and their disposal systems, prescribed
authorities and certain standards for treatment and disposal of the bio-medical waste.
Example: the act explained segregation, packaging, transportation and storage of the bio-
medical waste. the act gave standards for incineration, autoclaving, deep burial, etc. this
act also specified treatment for the waste resulting of incineration, autoclaving,
microwaving.

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The Bureau of Indian Standards gave “Indian Standard Solid Wastes- Hospitals-
Guidelines for Management” in the year 1989.these guidelines gave specific grades for
the terms involved in medical waste management. These grades are recognized in the
whole country.

Example: standards are given for types of solid waste, their hazards to human
health and environment, transportation and disposal along with air pollution control due
to incineration, auto-claving, etc.

In the same manner the central pollution board has also given Environmental
Standards and Guidelines for Management of Hospital Waste. Like other acts these
guidelines also specified ways of disposal, types of wastes, etc.
To add to this list government gave some easy ways for disposing medical waste in
private nursing homes and small hospitals.

Wastes are produced in every walk of life. Hotels, hospitals, industries, and so
forth. All produce huge amounts of waste which vary in intensity of being harmful to the
environment. People go to hotels out of their will but people going to hospitals do so
because of sufferings and illness. Hotels therefore produce waste, which are not very
harmful, but hospitals produce waste, which need special mention because they are
hazardous in nature. The waste generated in hospitals and hotels is increasing day by day
due to the increasing population and their ever increasing needs.

Hospital waste can spread infection, which may affect the entire population and
this may lead in spreading dangerous diseases.

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