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by esagor

Problem of india – waste management

Waste management

Historically, the amount of waste generated by human population was insignificant mainly due to the low population, coupled with the fact there was very little exploitation of natural resources. Common waste produced during the early ages were mainly ashes and human and biodegradable wastes, and these were released back into the ground locally with minimal environment impact.

Before the widespread use of metals, wood was widely used for most applications. However, reuse of wood has been well documented. Nevertheless, it is once again well documented that reuse and recovery of such metals have been carried out by earlier humans.

The Mayan Indians of Central America had dumps, which exploded occasional and burned. They also recycled. Homemakers brought trash to local dumps, and monthly burnings would occur. Many Mayan sites demonstrated such careless consumption. Consumption and waste of resources is probably related to supply available more than any other factor.

With the advent of industrial revolution, waste management became critical issues. This was due to the increase in population and the massive migration of people to industrial towns and cities from rural areas during the 18th century. There was a consequent increase in industrial and domestic waste posing threat to human health and environment.

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

Waste Hierarchy.

WASTE

HIERARCY

PRVENTION

MINIMISATION

REUSE

RECYCLING

ENERGY RECOVERY

DISPOSAL

In India the last three years have seen hazardous waste import increased by 48%.In 2009 6.4 million tonnes of hazardous waste came from the west to India and 5.9 million tonnes was produced domestically. Much of this waste was metal, electronics and plastics. They may have contaminated with lead, mercury and other toxins which can cause serious illness and environmental damage. The brass import increased by 60%.Battery waste import doubled. Municipal ash import rose 70 times. Iron and stainless waste steel import increased by 40%.Plastic waste import increased seven times.

This latest report on India’s waste shows how much the waste has increased in India over years.

WASTE MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES OF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.

Managing municipal waste, industrial 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 hazards of the waste, recover material for recycling, produce energy from the waste or reduce it in volume for more efficient disposal.

Collection methods vary widely between different countries and regions and it would be impossible to describe them all.

For example – In Australia most urban domestic households have a 240 litre (63.4 gallon) bin that is emptied weekly by the local council.

In Europe and a few other places around the world, a few communities use a proprietary collection system known as Envac, which conveys refuse via underground conduits using a vacuum system. Roosevelt Island has had this system since 1975.

In Canadian urban centres curbside collection is the most common method of disposal, whereby the city collects waste and / or recyclables and / or organics on a scheduled basis. In rural areas people usually dispose of their waste at transfer stations. Waste collected in then transported to a regional landfill.

Many areas, especially those in less developed countries, do not have a formal waste collection system in place.

Disposal methods also vary widely.

In Australia, the most common method of disposal of solid waste is in landfill sites, as it is a large country with a low density population.

By contrast, in Japan it is more common for waste to be incinerated because the country is smaller and land is scare.

INDIA’S WASTE REPORT

HAZARDOUS WASTE

Industrial and Hospital waste is considered hazardous as they may contain toxic substances. Certain types of household waste are also hazardous. Hazardous waste could be highly toxic to humans, animals and plants are corrosive, highly inflammable or explosive and react when exposed to certain things – eg – Gases.

Household waste that can be categorised as hazardous waste includes old batteries, shoe polish, paints tins, old medicines, medicines bottles, etc.

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 metals, chemical, paper, pesticides, dye, refining and rubber goods industries.

Direct exposure to chemicals in Hazardous waste such as mercury and cyanide can be fatal.

In India the last three years have seen hazardous waste import increased by 48%.In 2009 6.4 million tonnes of hazardous waste came from the west to India and 5.9 million tonnes was produced domestically. Much of this waste was metal, electronics and plastics. They may have contaminated with lead, mercury and other toxins which can cause serious illness and environmental damage. The brass import increased by 60%. Battery waste import doubled. Municipal ash import rose 70 times. Iron and stainless waste steel import increased by 40%. Plastic waste import increased seven times.

The government is supposed to monitor the import of hazardous waste which enters India through a gap in the law that allows the import of waste for recycling. Most of the ports in India do not have radiation scanning technology. Workers processing hazardous waste use their eyes to tell the difference. Most of the waste enters through ports of Mumbai, Chennai, Calcutta, Cochin and Visakhapatnam.

In India, the Environment Protection Act, 1986, authorizes the central government to take all measures deemed necessary or expedient to protect the quality of environment and prevent any type of pollution. Hence, the Government of India has framed the Hazardous Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989 and Hazardous Waste (Storage Export and Import) Rules, 1989 to regulate the disposal of hazardous waste in India. These rules make it mandatory for any organization to seek the permission of the local state pollution control board for grant of authorization for carrying hazardous substances in the form of collection, reception, treatment, transport, storage and disposal of such wastes.

The sharp increase in waste generation is not matched by facilities for disposal of hazardous waste. In India, waste is either burnt or just buried at a place. The sharp increase in the quantum of generated waste and the inadequate space for its disposal has led to improper methods of disposal. Consequently, problems like contamination of ground water and increased air pollution have emerged as serious threats to general health and life.

E – WASTE

It is time that we accept that e-waste should not be treated as any other normal waste or as scrap. It can be dangerous causing ill effects to the human health if not recycled properly. It can also be used to extract confidential data of an organisation for misuse

Pace is a critical element that drives rapid changes in today’s world. With the electronic and electrical waste emerging as the new by products of the fast economic growth, everyone including government officials to corporate honchos is talking about electronic garbage.

The government of Tamil Nadu have found a way to deal with e-waste. The following article gives us a quick view about it.

Implementation of E-Waste Regulations Backed by Indian Industry

28April,2011 

The Government of Tamil Nadu in southern India has created a policy framework for e-waste management and the implementation of best practice. 

The policy, first announced last year is aimed at minimising e-waste generation, utilisation and disposal of e-waste in an environmentally sound manner. 

However the implementation of the regulations, and compliance with the conditions laid down in the policy are essential for managing e-waste explained Mr P W C Davidar, principal secretary, Information Technology Department from the government of Tamil Nadu during his special address at the Seminar on Environmental Sustainability organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). 

Davidar went on to add that the policy promotes the extended producer responsibility in the collection, recycling and disposal of e-waste through suitable mechanisms. Through this initiative, the manufacturer or retailer can make its own arrangement for the disposal of used products in an environmentally acceptable way. 

He further urged the manufacturing industry to look at the possibility of having a buy-back arrangement of electronic products, as is the case in the automobile industry. 

Dr Santhosh Babu, managing director of Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Ltd said in his address that e-waste generation has become alarming both in the public and private sectors. 

Presently, over 95% of the e-waste generated in the country is managed informally, which Babu said gives a huge business opportunity for players in the organised recycling sector. 

He also called for an effective mechanism in both the public and private sectors to ensure the implementation of the policy recommendations on e-waste, and urged the support of industry bodies like CII in organising awareness sessions on e-waste management in tier II & tier III towns, including local bodies.

Through this we come to know how there are ways to manage e-waste. Officials are drafting rules that pin the responsibility for disposal on the producer. Various recycling units are coming up to take over from the unorganised sector, which currently handles this hazardous waste in the most primitive and environmentally unfriendly methods.

But the problem is that the method of recycling is still hopelessly outdated in India. Presently, there are some formal recyclers in India, but their operation is limited to disassembly and segregation.

Only one recycler provides complete end-to-end, integrated recycling facility in India. Of the 70 million tonnes of e-waste generated globally, about 450,000 tonnes is from India, the bulk of it from television sets.

Mobile phones, printers and industrial equipment are also sources of electronic waste. The concern here is that,it is growing at a rate of 10-15 per cent annually in India,whereas the global rate of growth is 3 per cent.

E-waste comes to distribution centers like West Delhi’s Mundka and Mumbai’s Dharavi before being taken away by different agents to specialty processing markets like Seelampur in Delhi. Agents sell the components to others who sell them to factories. The finished recycled products much cheaper than their branded counterparts are sold in the wholesale markets.

In New Delhi Seelampur is the biggest market for second hand electronic parts. But most of the shops here are not registered as legal recyclers which have deterred the entry of legal recyclers. The informal sector gets 95% of the business as they do not pay the cost to meet the environment norms. When a court order shut down all plastics burning in Seelampur five years ago, the industry merely shifted 8 kms away.

E-waste and human health

When human bodies are exposed to toxics there are various potential impacts including but not limited to lung cancer and damage to the heart, liver and other parts of the human body. Some elements like chromium and lead may also cause DNA damage.

On the other hand, substances like mercury can cause brain and liver damage if ingested or inhaled.

The burning of e-waste is very common in developing countries and it can leave high levels of lead present in soils and the water.

In India, the Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules were first announced under the umbrella of Environment Protection Act (EPA) way back in 1989 and there have been many classifications and amendments since then but there has been poor implementation of e-waste policy in our country.

The government of India has proposed a new set of rules called the E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2010. This provides for making the producer of electrical and electronic equipment responsible for the collection and appropriate disposal of e-waste generated at the end of the product life. Besides banning the import of used electrical and electronic equipment for charity in the country, these new rules also aim to regulate not only the producers, but also the recyclers and intermediaries.

CONSUMER VS MACHINE WASTE SEPERATION

In many areas materials for recycling is collected separately from general waste with dedicated bins and collection vehicles. Other waste management processes recover these materials from general waste streams. This usually results in greater levels of recovery than separate collections of consumer – separated beverage containers but are more complex and expensive.

When consumer – separated recycling is a government requirement, waste is often not well separated due to either ignorance or contempt of the rules. This results in glass containers that may have metal lids still attached and rotted food inside, aluminium cans full of chewing tobacco spit and cigarette butts, corrugated paper boxes soiled with oils, solvents or rotting food and inclusion of incompatible plastic types in a plastics recycling bin. This can all lead to process contamination, work stoppage, a system cleanout and landfill disposal of the contaminated batch of otherwise recyclable materials. Re-sorting of consumer – separated wastes is often needed to prevent recycling process contamination.

A common method of machine sorting of complex waste streams is to shred the entire streams into a fine particulate of similar size. A magnetic  conveyor belt removes ferrous metals from this particulate and cyclonic separation towers separate objects from the waste streams by mass. Spectral imaging such as with X- rays can further separate glass and various metals from the streams by scanning for X-rays absorption and firing precise puffs of air at the falling pieces to push them sideways into various sorting bins.

The remainder of the unsorted shredded materials is known as fluff and contains mostly plastics, paper and other organic materials. When vehicles are shredded and processed in this manner for recycling often a large mass of fluff results from the plastics used in the seat cushions, dashboard, roof liner, carpeting and so forth. There are not many well established processes for further separation and recycling fluff other than incineration and pyrolysis.

Waste management has become a major problem.

Developing countries, such as India, are undergoing a massive migration of their population from rural to urban centres. 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.

Urban India is likely to face a massive waste disposal problem in the coming years. Till 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, recognising 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.

India has a capacity to handle just 30% of its domestic waste. India’s capacity to treat hazardous waste is not growing at the same pace as waste generations. Although recycling industries are temporarily profitable; the damage to the environment is often permanent. Near Moradabad, the waters of the once –fertile Ramganga river have turned black with plastic ash. With no government control and little regard for the environment, the private waste-processing industry poses a threat to public safety in India.

ESSENTIAL STEPS TO EFECTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT ARE –

ü Minimise the amount of waste you produce.

ü Deal with your own waste.

ü Identify the hazards in the waste.

ü Segregate the waste.

ü Transfer sufficient information of the waste produced.

ü Use licensed and audited carriers and disposers.

THE DUTY BEGINS WITH THE PERSON WHO GENERATES THE WASTE AND IT CANNOT BE DELEGATED TO OTHERS.