Solid waste management is very important. An estimated 33 percent of the 2.01 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste produced annually around the world is not handled in an environmentally sustainable manner. A report published by “The World Bank” depicts that the average amount of garbage produced per person per day in the world is 0.74 kilograms; however, the variation is considerable, ranging from 0.11 to 4.54 kilos. High-income nations produce around 34%, or 683 million tons, of the world’s waste despite having just 16% of the global population.
Residents of developing countries, particularly the urban poor, are more negatively impacted by unsustainable garbage management than citizens of developed countries. Over 90% of trash is frequently dumped in uncontrolled dumps or burned outdoors in low-income countries. These actions have negative effects on the environment, public safety, and health. In addition to acting as a breeding ground for disease-carrying organisms and generating methane, poorly managed garbage can also encourage urban violence.
For the construction of sustainable and habitable communities, waste management is crucial, yet it is still difficult in many developing nations and especially in their villages. The cost of efficient garbage management typically accounts for 20% to 50% of municipal budgets. Running this crucial municipal service effectively, sustainably, and with social support demands integrated systems. The classification of global waste types and their state of presence can be established from the table:
Solid Waste Management: Pakistan’s take on it
Pakistan generates a lot of waste each year and mostly uses three methods to get rid of it:
- Size reduction
- Screening
- Landfills
According to several estimates, Pakistan’s urban regions produce 54,888 tons of solid garbage every day, of which only 60% is picked up by municipal officials. In most places, just 30 to 50 percent of the waste is collected. According to EPA Punjab (the largest province), Pakistan generates between 0.283 and 0.612 kg of solid trash per person per day, (which is a little less figure than the one given by The World Bank), with a 2.4% annual increase rate.
Usually, low-lying ground is used to dump solid household waste. This area could be used more productively, and recyclable items that could be valuable are lost. The primary issues with managing solid waste in Pakistan are:
- There is no adequate method for collecting trash.
- Streets are filled with trash.
- Waste segregation on collection is it practiced.
- There are no mechanism and maintenance for any sanitary controlled landfills.
- The link between garbage disposal practices and subsequent environmental and public health issues is unknown to the general population.
Injustice with the Villages of Pakistan
Mostly, the waste in villages is present in slurry form which is very challenging to manage considering the economic conditions of Village Sanitation Committee (VSC). Segregation doesn’t apply here as the agricultural waste (like leaves, branches, and leftovers) is mixed with household waste and hazardous waste (including animal’s organs and blood). Regarding the budgetary allotments for municipal services, Pakistan exhibits a clear inequality.
There is no waste collection system in rural isolation.There is a widespread and harmful notion that because open places exist where trash can be deposited, rural communities don’t need many or any waste collection and disposal facilities. Composting is a great way to get rid of organic waste; however no biodegradable materials are left behind and have a long-term negative impact on rural ecosystems.The Punjab’s government is concerned about the lack of a solid waste management system in Punjab’s villages and is eager to see “Litter-free Punjab“ in the ensuing years.
The following summarizes the current state of solid waste management in rural areas:
- Street garbage from homes and businesses is dumped there before being carried into drains and sewers.
- House owners sweep small streets to the sewers.
- Rare cleaning of wider streets
- Animal waste, excrement, and garbage are piled high outside and inside the villages.
- extremely unsanitary circumstances
- creating vector-borne illnesses
Current Practices
According to a study, around 455 households in particular parts of the village of Pakistan were surveyed. The findings demonstrate that, despite the fact that solid waste management organizations do not service significant portions of the population, most localities are acutely aware of the problems caused by improper solid waste disposal.
Door-to-door solid trash collection services only cover 12% of the entire sample. Only 47% of urban families and 3% of rural households said that local government employees pick up trash in their neighborhoods. Therefore, 59% of urban households throw away their trash in public areas or on the street, and 12% dump trash outside their homes. In rural locations where 67% of studied homes dump rubbish in vacant lots, 19% in landfills, and 11% directly outside their doors, there is no door-to-door pickup.
Given that 39% of rural households participating in the poll and 35% of urban families say that their kids play in or near rubbish dumps, the risk posed to kids is equally concerning.
Recommendations & Suggestions
Incentives & Taxes
Exchange for Risk (EFR) entails the implementation of user fees, taxes, and rewards for those responsible for collection. Taxes that aim to discourage particular behaviors may also be advantageous. For instance, they can be used to deter the careless and unlawful disposal of solid waste and to punish hospitals, other commercial facilities, and companies for discharging untreated garbage.
Environmental protection regulations include mechanisms for pollution fees, and provincial local government legislation also specifies penalties. The Waste Management sector also needs to adequately implement and enforce these processes.
Waste Disposal Facilities
The truth be spoken that we don’t actually have to capacity to deal all the solid waste of Pakistan produced per day so we can’t actually do anything even if all the waste is somehow collected at one place. We need to allocate some fraction of our budget in establishing the infrastructure of Waste Disposal facilities of we can step upwards in achieving our goals.
The Golden 3 R’s and a way forward to Net Zero.
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle has always proved to be handy whenever tested out, either at small scale or higher. Avoiding the production of trash is the greatest method to reduce it. Everyone should make every effort to consume less items overall. Use cotton or canvas bags when shopping instead of taking plastic bags, for instance, and buy products with the least amount of packing. If an item may be used again after use, it shouldn’t merely be tossed away.
It will improve resource conservation and reduce waste. Plastic bags, glass bottles, and other items can all be recycled. Recycling results in the creation of new objects from used ones. Nearly 20 to 30 percent of MSW contains recyclable elements. On dumping site, we need to make them useable for long time, reusable , and odor free.
In rural Pakistan, small villages are transforming with sustainable practices. From efficient solid waste management to wastewater and rainwater recycling, these initiatives reflect a shift towards environmental consciousness and resilience, promising a brighter future for local communities. In Pakistan, water recycling initiatives are paving the way for sustainable water management, addressing scarcity challenges and promoting environmental resilience.
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