RECYCLING FOR SUSTAINABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT Almitra H Patel Member, Supreme Court Committee for Solid Waste Management in Class 1 Cities in India

LET US BE PROUD OF INDIA’S SMALL ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT ! We use gm non-degradable waste per capita per day in larger cities, vs 1-2 kg per capita per day in the West. This is NOT backwardness. We should not copy the ways of throwaway cultures. 2

In India, recycling supports 0.5 – 1% of a city’s population Almost all plastics are recyclable, and are collected if it is economically worthwhile and gives a survival wage. Thin carry bags are not collected now from mixed waste or at dumpsites. Increasing micron thickness to 20 micron, then 40 or more has not helped at all. 3

Thin-film plastics in our mixed waste is increasing In 1993, 1-2% by weight reached the dumps. In 2003, this rose to even 7-9% in some cities. In 2014, guesstimates are as high as 15-20%. Plastic volumes now exceed the volume of compost produced in compost plants. Plastics must be removed from compost to prevent damage to soil porosity and water absorption, and the poor germination of seeds. 4

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That is why we must keep ‘Wet’ and ‘Dry’ wastes unmixed at our homes and also during collection and transport MSW Rules 2000 direct Municipalities to “promote recycling or reuse of segregated materials” and “ensure community participation in segregation”. Then wet waste can be composted to make our fields more fertile, save water 6

City officials and Contractors are not serious about separate ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ collection because transport payment is by weight. So it is better to pay by household. Citizens keeping their wastes separate see it mixed in front of them, and quit in frustration. So city by-laws must insist that only plastic- free kitchen waste will be collected daily. Cities should have separate collection days for mixed recyclables, once or twice a week. 7

“Recyclable” is meaningless unless Recycling is actually done! We must make dry waste collection viable. If carrybags can fetch a street price of Rs 6 per kg, they can be shredded and very usefully used in asphalt roads, replacing 8% by weight of bitumen and giving 250% to 300% better road life and less pot-holes. Make ‘plastic roads’ mandatory like Himachal 8

Indians can recycle almost everything except ‘kurkure’. These are also useful in Plastic Roads 9

Collection costs must be affordable Voluntary take-back by industry is the most effective solution worldwide, as for glass bottles for soda and soft-drinks since 1900s. Do the same for sachets and pouches. A one-free-for-20-empties will bring in small sachets and pouches. This collection cost can be part of the EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) required in the Plastics Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, Amendment WE MUST USE THESE EPR RULES EFFECTIVELY 10

Definition of Extended Producer Responsibility = EPR in the Rules: 3g: “EPR means the responsibility of a Producer or Manufacturer of plastic carrybags and multilayered pouches or packages for the environmentally sound management of the product until the end of its life. This responsibility also applies to all manufacturers using such packaging.” 11

Duties of Cities and Producers / Users of Carrybags & Multilayers 6c (i) Cities must ensure safe collection, storage, segregation, transportation, processing and disposal of plastic waste (iii) Set up collection centres for plastic waste involving manufacturers (iv) Ensure its channelisation to recyclers (v) to (vii) : Create awareness, involve waste-pickers, stop open burning 12

Recyclers should demand EPR and help to make it successful 6 (d) : cities may ask the manufacturers, either collectively or individually, in line with EPR principles, to provide the finance to set up collection centres. (g) Cities should include this in Bye-Laws (h) Cities shall encourage the use of plastics in… road construction, co- incineration [in cement kilns] etc. 13

Upgrade Kabadi + Scrap shops to Ward-wise Collection Centres Form an Association of Kabadi and Scrap Shops in each city and town Put up a Website with their location on a map and their cell numbers Update weekly prices for different wastes for citizen and industry information Offer on-call pick-up of clean dry waste 14

Transport costs are a major problem for recycling lightweight wastes EPR is best utilised for bringing low-value plastics to recyclers. We need mobile low-cost shredders, mobile low-cost balers or compaction, mobile P2F (Plastics To Fuel) units, Some heavy-duty balers to move non- recyclables to cement plants as AFR = Alternat Fuel Resources to replace coal 15

Recyclers Associations should ask cities for Recycling Eco-Parks A given area should be like an industrial estate only for recyclers It should have UNINTERRUPTED POWER which is so important for plastics recycling It should have a heavy-duty baler, weigh- bridge and P2F unit for recycling rejects. All this can be funded through E P R 16

Create solutions for what is not currently being easily recycled Replace thermocole packaging with bubble- wrap or recyclable shapes like papier- mache, or bubble-wrap Change the gum on BOPP film labels on PET bottles if it interferes with recycling. Use PVC-free recyclable Polythene, banners, hoardings and eco-vinyl, toys and bottles STOP use-and-throw use of PVC bottles, toys 17

CREATE A NATIONAL MAP OF ULTIMATE RECYCLING FACILITIES WHY? An east UP recycler closed, so Dabur hair oil bottle collection in Puri stopped as Delhi was too far to ship this special waste. Kabadiwalas in small towns need links to the nearest glass-factory, or kurkure buyer. Recycling Assn can usefully prepare such a map for guidance and use of the waste trade, and recyclers who wish to set up new units in suitably economic locations. 18