The business (model) of municipal waste management: Case study of Bangalore - Saahas Zero Waste

Abstract

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (2016) India generates 62 million tonnes of solid waste per year. Out of these 62 millions, only 43 million tonnes is collected, only 12 million tonnes is treated and the rest ends up being dumped more or less legally and scientifically in landfills, lakes or rivers. As India gets more and more urbanised and life style conditions are bettering, waste generation will keep growing. The country is expected to produce 436 million tonnes of waste per year by 2050. There are different kinds of waste and this report will focus on municipal solid waste and on urban areas where the situation is the most challenging. Municipal solid waste refers to the trash discarded every day by the public. It includes wet waste (biodegradable food and vegetal waste), dry waste (paper, plastic, wood, metal…) and domestic hazardous wastes (mainly sanitary waste and containers of toxic products). In this report, waste management refers to all the activities required to manage the waste from the collection to the final disposal or sale. The recycling industry is obviously linked to waste management but wont be the main interest here.