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Guidelines for Initiating

Sustainable

Solid Waste Management Systems

in Rural India

May 2019

Developed By

Waste Warriors Society is registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860 (India) - Number 243/2012-2013

Registered Address: 24 Pritam Road, Dalanwala, Dehradun. Uttarakhand- 248001

Corbett Project Office: Village Bhakrakot, P.O. Mohan, Dist. Almora (via Ramnagar. Uttarakhand- 244715. M: 91- 7830199922 & 7830722999 E: corbett@wastewarriors.org W: www.wastewarriors.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/wastewarriors3 Watch our video; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI9r5vmnYbI

Read our publications: http://wastewarriors.org/report-financials/

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Contents Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 3

About Waste Warriors- The Corbett Project ......................................................................................... 4

Purpose .................................................................................................................................................. 5

Sustainable Solid Waste Management Systems .................................................................................... 6

Steps for Setting up the System ............................................................................................................. 7

Step 1- Garner Support ...................................................................................................................... 7

Step 2- Planning .................................................................................................................................. 8

Step 3- Organizing ............................................................................................................................ 11

Step 4- Community Preparation ....................................................................................................... 12

Step 5- Implementation ................................................................................................................... 16

Step 6- Monitoring and Corrections ................................................................................................. 19

Step 7- Supplementing the system .................................................................................................. 20

IMPORTANT Things to Remember ....................................................................................................... 22

Helpful Links ......................................................................................................................................... 23

References ............................................................................................................................................ 24

Annexures ............................................................................................................................................ 24

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Introduction

India has 250,000 Gram Panchayats consisting of over 700,000 villages and 8000 cities and towns. Over 65% of the population lives in rural areas and are governed by the Gram Panchayats under the respective state governments and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

Before the advent of the industrial revolution in India, villages in India were very rural. Plastic had not made its way into daily life and was only used for industrial purposes. Villagers led a conscious and conservative lifestyle and nothing was thrown away. Waste, if any, was mostly organic or recyclable which the very able, unorganized sector of scrap dealer or ‘kabadiwalas' could easily take care of.

The 90s saw rapid development in the country. Road and rail access to interior areas resulted in the widening of markets for all. Soon the purchasing power began matching the consumer-centric markets and plastic took over the daily lives of everyone. Lack of awareness, growing population, and ignorance towards conscious development has led to waste becoming a serious challenge in rural India. Today, with increased accessibility to villages, advertising, and overflowing tourism, there are only a few places where you will not get a bottle of cold drink or a pack of chips. Many small hamlets are becoming habitual to using plastic bags, disposable table wares and packaged food for their convenience and hygiene factors. With increasing litter and growing dumps, it has become necessary to address the problem of rural waste.

Rural waste is a result of increased consumerism and lack of knowledge at all levels in managing the resultant waste. The past decade has seen many initiatives across the country's villages in managing waste. Some, that worked for a while and some that are still going strong.

Administrative structure of Rural Development in India

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About Waste Warriors- The Corbett Project

By year 2017, they had successfully provided a solid waste management system to over 47 rural locations in Panchayat and forest areas including 37 villages with 2900 homes/shops, 70 schools with over 9000 children, entry gates for Corbett Tiger Reserve, 5 temple complexes, 6 forest rest house complexes, an Ayurvedic factory area, 2 PWD bungalows, an Eco-Tourism Centre & a Forest office compound at no cost. These locations are on the periphery of Corbett Tiger Reserve, which is India's first Tiger Reserve (1973) and Asia's Oldest National Park (1936, then called Hailey National Park).

The initiative has helped to create a system for managing solid waste in a scientifically acceptable manner in rural settings. It has helped make the area clean, reduced incidents of disease and man-animal conflict.

In November 2017, after realizing the importance of sustainability for the project, with the help of SBI Foundation, regular door to door waste collection was restarted with community participation of a monthly user fee of Rs 30 from every household and shops. It took a lot of convincing and continuous efforts by the team to restart waste collection in 12 Villages. Meanwhile waste collection continued in the 73 member-schools and our several waste collection centers, entirely with the help of SBI Foundation.

In April 2019, ICICI Foundation, has started to support the Project for an additional 9 villages.

Corporate Houses, Individual donors, family & friends continue to support the Project so the

work in 12 villages does not stop.

Waste Warriors Society through their Corbett project, initiated a rural solid waste management initiative in Nainital and Almora districts of Uttarakhand State in 2013.

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Purpose

This document is created to serve as a guiding light to those who want to clean their villages but do not know where to start or what are the different aspects to setting up Solid Waste Management (SWM) Systems and how to make them sustainable.

When Waste Warriors first initiated their work to set-up SWM systems in rural Uttarakhand, no such document was available. The team learned mostly from examples of others doing similar work, consulting with experts in the field, and conducting trial and error for what works with the target community and main beneficiaries. This journey was rough and more than once we felt the need of a manual that could guide. This resulted in the need to create a manual that would guide those who wish to learn more about and implement SWM systems in rural areas across India.

The manual is based on Waste Warriors' experience of setting up and managing solid waste management systems in rural as well as urban locations and learnings from similar work being done across the country. The guidelines and the collection of waste, its storage, segregation, transportation, and disposal are in accordance with the Municipal Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016. The steps of implementation suggested here are what we felt were most appropriate and acceptable methods of managing solid waste and are based on the organizations experience and learnings from many similar projects across the country.

Despite this, the solutions provided here may not be an exact fit for every requirement. In fact, no solid waste management system is a ‘one size fits all' solution. Solid Waste Management practices need to be adjusted as per the requirements of the area, its residents, and the available resources. The suggested system is an outline for setting up sustainable solid waste management systems in a rural setting and should be redesigned as per individual scenario with inputs from all beneficiaries & stakeholders.

The reader can easily adopt the exact same method of implementation as suggested in this Guideline or change it as required to suit their needs.

We hope that this document gives a thorough understanding of implementing Rural Solid Waste Management systems to those who wish to take up the noble task of cleaning up India.

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Sustainable Solid Waste Management Systems

A sustainable solid waste management system is where you have affordable, long-term and cost-effective, efficient solutions for all the solid waste that is generated by a household, shop, locality, institution or any human dwelling in the target area.

Ongoing unregulated growth has created challenges for the existing solid waste management infrastructure. If we continue our current system of solid waste management i.e. burning and dumping in land or water, we are not only destroying our surrounding environment but also posing a major threat to our own health and wellbeing. Littered waste lying around forest areas also increases the incidences of man-animal conflict.

It is therefore important that a sustainable solid waste management system is set-up and implemented for all human dwelling. The aim of setting up a sustainable solid waste management system is to ensure that all solid waste generated within the village is collected, segregated at primary source and processed/ disposed of in the correct manner with minimum impact on the environment. The system also aims to reduce the amount of waste being generated, through awareness and education of inhabitants as well as maximizing on recycling, processing & upcycling thereby reducing the ‘actual waste' generated.

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Steps for Setting up the System

Step 1- Garner Support As the promoter/s* of setting up a solid waste management system in your village, town or locality, your first step is to garner as much support as you can for taking up this initiative. Start by talking to your family, friends, and peers about the problem of waste in your area and the need to address it appropriately. The more support you have for the initiative the easier its implementation will be.

Next step is garnering the support of the Gram Panchayat i.e. the Panchayat President, Vice-President, Secretary, and other Panchayat members. This is an important step for setting up solid waste management systems as it gives more credibility to the initiative and leverage from concerned government authorities for long-term sustainability of the project. The Panchayat body should express its willingness and resolve to take up the cause of providing a sustainable solid waste management system and ensure a clean village within a certain time frame (at least one year).

Another important aspect to the planning of sustainable solid waste management system would be, contribution of the community members in terms of a nominal user fee on a monthly basis. The remaining amount of the budget can be funded through various Govt schemes like 14th Finance Commission, State Finance Commission, Swachh Bharat Mission, MGNREGA, NRLM, etc. or through private donation (via Individuals, local businesses like Hotels, Colleges, Corporate, etc.).

*Promoter/s is/are the person/s who have first had the thought of setting up a solid waste management system where there is none. The promoters could be a Panchayat member, village key person, village member, a local government or non-government organization or just a well-wisher. Irrespective of who the promoter is, the key steps to set up the solid waste management systems, will not change.

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Step 2- Planning

1. Conduct Door-to-Door surveys of households, shops, schools, and all other establishment in the village/town. The survey should collect information about the establishment, inhabitants, nature and quantum of waste generated and the current waste disposal methods. Large scale waste generators such as restaurants, office buildings, hospitals, and markets, should also be included in the survey, and on-site visits are to be done to assess their waste nature and quantum. Create a map of the village alongside the survey which will be useful in planning the implementation of the system (collection, transport, and manpower requirements). It will also help in identifying dumping spots to be cleared later.

2. Research on methods of processing and treatment of common waste items and select the best possible options of disposal that can be adopted in the location. This guide suggests simple disposal methods for wet or organic waste, dry recyclable waste, dry non-recyclable waste and other hazardous types of waste. Wet waste can be easily converted into compost by the enclosed composting method or by using various home composting methods. The dry waste is sorted item wise and what is recyclable is sold to local scrap dealers (kabadiwalas). The non-recyclables are sent to a sanitary landfill maintained by the closest Nagar Palika (town authority). Other special waste like e-waste or medical waste, is disposed appropriately through respective agencies. See Box 1 for Common Waste Items and their Segregation.

3. Identify local scrap dealers for sale of recyclable waste. This includes an understanding of what waste is saleable in the area, what are the buying rates, transport required, options for waste that is not purchased locally, etc. Understand the system for disposing of non-recyclable waste- possibly through the current municipal waste collection service or at the local landfill/ trenching ground.

Conduct door

todoor surveys

Research on

methods of

processing

common waste

items. ?

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Box 1: Common Waste Items and their Segregation All waste is segregated at a primary source i.e. place of generation, into three main categories- WET waste, DRY waste, and SPECIAL waste. As per the available budget, bags or dustbins may be distributed to the village members for each type of waste. In rural areas, most households have pets/cattle who are fed majority of the food waste from the homes, leaving minimal food waste for disposal. Food waste can be composted in decentralized communal composting units or by training the households to manage their own food waste. Thus, regular (bi-weekly, weekly, bi-monthly or monthly, depending on the budget) door to door waste collection is to be provided only for DRY and SPECIAL waste. This waste, once segregated at source, can be easily collected in bags (reusable), and stored until the day of collection. See belowtable for common waste items and their segregation at source.

Wet Waste

Organic waste

Dry Waste

Recyclables

Special Waste

(including sanitary waste, e-waste, medical waste and hazardous waste)

Leftover or spoilt food (cooked & uncooked)

Vegetable and fruit peels

Leftover cooking oil/grease

Fruit seeds, including mango kernels

Coconut shells (including tender coconut shell), coconut fiber

Used flowers/dry flowers

Used organic plates/eating utensils

Coffee grounds, filters Tea bags, leaves Egg Shells Fish and Meat Bones Food stained paper Hair clumps Nail clippings Floor sweepings and

dust

Metal Paper & Paper Pieces Newspaper &

Magazines Cardboard Hard Plastic Glass Bottles & Jars Broken Glass Aluminum Foil Plastic Bottles &

Containers Milk Packets Rubber Cloth Tetra Pak containers Plastic Bags Chips Packets Styrofoam/Thermocol

including used plates/cups/glasses

Cigarette Butts Disposable Plastic

Cutlery Used mop cloth,

doormats, brooms

i) Reject Waste

Sanitary Pads, Napkins, Tampons (wrapped in newspaper)

Used condoms (wrapped in newspaper)

Soiled diapers (wrapped in newspaper)

Used Tissues Dirty Recyclables (cloth,

plastic bags, etc.) Ceramics (wrapped in

newspaper)

ii) Medical Waste

Expired medicines Tablet covers / Syrups

bottles Syringes and needles Used Bandages/Band-

Aids Cotton/ tissue papers

used for medical purpose Used razor/razor

blades/sharps

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Fresh Grass Clippings Garden Trimmings Dry Grass and leaves Dry Twigs, straw and

saw dust Animal droppings

(Horse, cow, chicken poop)

Destroyed old cushions, mattresses, blankets

Leather, Rexene items Discarded

shoes/slippers Milk packets Shampoo, oil, spice

sachets/packets

iii) E-waste

Used batteries, pencil cells, button cells

Fused bulbs / tubes / electrical items

Wires, circuit boards, cables, cords

Used printer cartridge Old or broken electronic

items / parts Old chargers, pen drives,

headphones Old/broken CDs, floppy

drives, DVDs

iv) Hazardous waste

Insecticide sprays / leftovers

Toxic rejects Old paints / old

household chemicals/cleaners

Expired cosmetics

4. Resource Planning is making a list of resources required for implementation based on the data collected in the survey. Awareness raising, manpower, equipment, storage, and transport are the resources that need to be organized & budgeted for. The most important facet to solid waste management system is Manpower, which is required for Awareness raising on SWM & implementation with waste collection and segregation, outreach/awareness activities, administration, data collection, monitoring, mentoring, and reporting. Solid waste management is a labour-intensive activity so consider manpower to be the most required resource. Two waste workers can cover about 50 households in a day on foot and about 100 with the support of a vehicle (jeep/ van, pedal cart, tricycle, or battery-operated vehicle) for waste collection. Workers can combine collection and secondary segregation in their work day by adjusting two hours for secondary segregation at the shed - one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening and using the time in between for collection. The experience in some places is that local women with no employment opportunities are trained in this work which gets the work done while also providing a source of income for these women. Those already involved in rag picking can also be recruited and trained. Equipment which includes uniform and gear (jacket, gloves, cap, water bottle, first aid kit, backpack) for the staff, dustbins/bags distributed to households, shops and other establishments, bags for collection, storage & sorting, composting material and tools, awareness materials and office equipment.

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Storage costs include a room to stock bagged dry waste, a segregation shed and a compost yard for wet waste. If the location has good internal roads and access, vehicles (jeep/van, tri-cycles or battery operated) can be used for waste collection. In addition, transport will be required for taking waste from the location of collection to the waste store, from waste store to the scrap dealers for sale and to the landfill or other similar disposal sites.

5. Financial Planning involves two types of costs. (a) Capital cost for setting up the system, and (b) Operational cost for recurring monthly expenses. Most equipment costs are attributed to capital costs and manpower, storage and transport are the operational costs. The financial planning must include the required budget as well as the source of funds. This shall indicate the expenditure to be incurred in the proposed system, and what are the sources of income available to cover the expenditure to make the system financially sustainable, including a nominal monthly user fee from each member in the community. Making the budget is an important exercise and must be done before actually starting the implementation action. The funds required and their source should be known for a smooth implementation of the system and avoiding roadblocks due to related issues. It is suggested that at least 25% of the total expense be covered by community contribution (i.e. through user-fee) and the rest be arranged through either private donation (via individuals, local businesses like Hotels, Colleges, Corporates) or through seeking funds from Govt. Schemes (14th Finance Commission, State Finance Commission, Swachh Bharat Mission, MGNREGA, NRLM, etc.). Annexure 1: Sample template for Annual budget for solid waste management system in one village.

Step 3- Organizing

1. The prepared budget is used to start collecting the funds required for the implementation.

Use the budget to make proposals and seek private donations or Govt. funding, as well as share with the community for the requirement of funds. Finalize the fund flow for at least one year before implementation.

2. Recruit manpower as stipulated in the budget. Manpower will be required for awareness and education, waste collection and disposal, and monitoring/managing of the system. As mentioned before, waste management activities can be implemented by hiring and training a local woman through a local self-help group or a private enterprise. It is important that the required manpower is hired on wage and the system does not rely solely on local volunteers

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to do the job or expect the households themselves to take responsibility. Case studies have shown that having a door-to-door collection system is the most effective in implementing a solid waste management system. Help from volunteers, especially local students, should be sought for community outreach and conducting awareness and education activities.

3. Along with manpower the other important input is the equipment and facilities (transport and storage). Assess the transport and storage needs as per the preliminary survey and make arrangements for the same. It is not necessary that capital investment be done for transport and storage. These can also be hired from locals which will provide them additional income. Transport is required for door-to-door collection of waste, transporting bagged dry waste from village to waste store, transporting segregated dry waste to local kabadiwalas, landfill, processing center, etc. The cost and means of transport will be based on the distances. Storage space can also be hired from locals and does not have to be built. When renting or building a storage space, ensure it is a well-built structure, covered from all sides, has doors that can be locked, should be protected from rain, sun,harsh weather and animals, and have open space (indoors or outdoors) for secondary segregation. Purchase the equipment required like bags/dustbins for distribution and collection, gloves, composting equipment, uniform and staff gear, labels for store, administrative stationary, etc.

4. This is also the time to install machines or advanced technologies for implementing the solid waste management systems. The technologies could be using solar/battery powered vehicles for collection/transport, baling and shredding machines to reduce volume of waste, organic waste converters, waste to energy plants, etc. Explore the technologies available, and their suitability to your purpose and once it is decided to adopt a technology, make sure that the manpower is properly trained for its use and maintenance. It has been observed that complicated technologies are not suitable for rural areas as the waste volume generated is not enough to run the machines at the optimum level. Also, using complicated technologies is deterred due to the unavailability of continuous water, power supply, and repair and maintenance facilities.

5. Coordinate between all the inputs i.e. funds, manpower, equipment, storage, and transport and ensure everything is finalized before beginning the implementation that will start with Community Preparation.

Step 4- Community Preparation

1. Once the full plan of action is made on paper, the first step of implementation is to introduce

waste management to the community. As the Panchayat is already on board with the plan, start with a village meeting to introduce the plan to the village residents. Word will spread about the initiative and pave the way for further outreach activities.

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Conduct awareness programs for all members of the community, adults as well as children. Awareness programs for children can be conducted in local anganbaris, govt. and private schools in the area. Adult awareness can start by reaching out to the local SHGs, Mohalla committees, villages co-operatives, and in small village communities. The awareness programs should cover the importance of SWM, types of waste and their segregation, and disposal of waste. See Box 2 for suggested activities for SWM awareness.

2. Along with village members (adults and children) training and capacity building of other large establishments such as colleges, hotels, resorts, hospitals (govt. and private including first aid centers, and Sakhi Kendra), etc. in the village/town also needs to be undertaken in order to achieve full success with the proposed system. The awareness team should organize awareness session for the maintenance staff in these establishments, the employees and also help set up the solid waste management system, if required.

Box 2. Suggested activities for SWM awareness Information, Education and Communication (IEC) are three important aspects of awareness. These three ensure that the message is inscribed in the minds of the community and they are convinced to play their part and cooperate in the successful implementation of the initiative. The village members are the key stakeholder in the SWM system and the success or failure of the initiative depends largely on their behaviour. Therefore, it is very important that every resident residing in every household is aware and habituated to not littering, using the right bin for segregating waste into three different categories (Wet / Dry / Special) and is consciously making efforts for the success of the system. The segregation at source sounds like ‘no big deal’ but to get it into practice and be able to do it involuntarily with habit, takes time, effort, and practice. It is important that regular and frequent awareness is done for all the stakeholders throughout. SWM promoters, in association with GP functionaries, need to plan for a series of activities to educate the residents on why to scientifically manage solid waste; how segregation at source helps in reducing waste &maximising recovery and recycling, and the impact of poor SWM on health, environment and economy. The community members/households should be clear about their role and its importance in the success of the implementation and be excited to make their contribution to a cleaner village. Below are some suggestions for awareness activities that can be undertaken for this purpose.

a. Distribution of pamphlets and dustbin labels: Pamphlets can be distributed that explain the segregation process along with labels that can be placed on the bins or the bags. The pamphlet will contain information as well as motivate the residents to support the initiative reasoning its need, importance, and impact. Instead of pamphlets creative means such as calendars, posters, booklets can also be used for spreading information. The labels will be to identify the types of waste and their correct bin. These can be placed with the dustbin/bag to ease segregation at source.Some sample pamphlets are shown below.

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b. Door to door awareness: Door to door awareness is a resource intensive but most effective means

for awareness. This approach is especially useful in convincing the difficult members of the village that do not support the initiative. Meeting them personally, understanding their reluctance and providing solutions is many times useful in converting them. The awareness team can visit households and demonstrate to the residents the categories of waste with examples, what are recyclables; what hazardous wastes are? What is meant by primary segregation that the households are supposed to do? How to make compost at home? Different methods of upcycling waste, etc. Interpersonal awareness can also be done in groups in small community blocks, SHG meetings, panchayat meetings, etc. This is great opportunity to use innovation for awareness.

c. School awareness: The local school children are a magnificent source of enthusiasm and great

influencers. Awareness programs need to start with children as they can easily understand concepts (many are already part of school curriculum) and also initiate learning at home and among peers. The children’s awareness should include a brief orientation on SWM, and what is the SWM plan trying to achieve within the GP. The school awareness should be more demonstrative than instructive and done with help of props, activities, games, and craft. Waste Warriors has compiled a Manual for Conducting Awareness Programs that can be used for conducting children’s awareness. A link to the resource, titled, ‘A Guide Book to Children’s Days with Waste Warriors’ is available at the end of

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this document. Once aware, children can also be a part of the planning process to generate ideas and included in the awareness activities. Children tend to own up to such involvement and take responsibility for its success therefore they should be entrusted with small tasks that help the initiative.

d. Empowering workers: The capacity building of waste workers should also include training on

educating residents in polite ways. The sanitation workers are the ‘first line of exposure’ and know more about the on-ground situation which makes them the first person to identify and therefore resolve any hiccups arising in implementation. Waste workers should be trained for awareness of residents during the waste collection making it an improvised door-to-door awareness initiative.

e. Competitions: Competitions can be organised for various activities such as drawing and painting,

Rangoli, handicrafts, best garden decoration, best Ganesh decoration, etc and prizes given to the best entries. The competition topics and themes can be around waste management and prizes announced for individuals, households as well as communities. In enthusiasm to bag prizes, people make effort and clean up in front of their houses, and their streets to make a good impression and bag prizes.

f. Telecommunication: Using telecommunications is another effective means for IEC. SMS alerts can be

sent through a bulk messenger service that will alert residents every morning with a message on “good waste management practices”. A community group could also be created on WhatsApp to share information for awareness in a more tech savvy environment. The awareness messages should be sent out daily prior to leading up to the launch of the programme; then thrice a week and later reduced to once a week. The groups can also be a platform to share community feedback and grievances if any and to provide redressal solutions for issues.

g. Instituting local awards: As part of local festivals, awards like‘Swachhta Sainani of the Year’ ‘Street of

the Year Award’ or ‘Best Residential Locality Award’ can be instituted to commend efforts of the locals. These awards should be presented in a public ceremony and given every year so that people are motivated to keep their areas clean.

h. No-waste events: Organise no-waste events like cultural programs, flag hoisting ceremonies,

weddings, different festivities that promote a no-waste culture. Events could be on the occasion of local festivals like Holi, Dussehra, Diwali, when the whole village is present. No-waste event means to organise and conduct the event such that minimum to no waste is generated, and only sustainable items for decoration, entertainment and refreshments are used. This will help in motivating the residents to adopt a waste free lifestyle reducing the strain of waste on environment.

3. The SWM system is based on a community contribution model, in which a monthly user-fee is collected from each member for implementing the system. Along with adult awareness, village meetings should also be organized to convince members to contribute a monthly user-fee for the system. A user-fee of Rs 30-50 per household and higher for commercial establishments (based on volume of waste) can be levied (to cover approximately 25% of the implementation cost). The user-fee is not only to support the financial cost of implementation but also to ensure participation of the community in the initiative.

4. Depending on the plan, dustbins/bags should be distributed to each of the households/shops and other relevant establishments. Dustbins/bags are to be distributed for the entire village at least one week before starting the door-to-door collection so that a week’s waste is collected on the day of waste collection.

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5. The preparation will also include capacity building of the workers to be engaged i.e. the process of waste collection, transportation, segregation, processing and disposal of waste, safety at work, communication with villagers and financial knowledge. In rural areas, Self-help Groups can be involved to implement the waste management system. The Gram Panchayat can formalize the arrangement, by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the SHG or any other private implementing agency. These workers are to be trained to follow the system as planned and need regular capacity building throughout implementation. Selection and training are important for any manpower because wrong selection shall require frequent recruitment and training therefore manpower training should be done effectively and efficiently. Waste Warriors has compiled Standard Operating Procedures for all field activities with a checklist of items needed for each activity. Please view Annexure 3 for more details.

Step 5- Implementation

1. The first waste collection is done in a week after the bag/dustbin distribution. The team for

waste collection visits each area on a weekly basis for collection. Use of some alerting signal like a whistle, bell or recording on speaker is recommended to alert households to bring their waste bins/bags outside to the curb. This saves time in knocking each door and waiting for them to bring the waste. The workers collect the waste (only dry waste is collected) in collection bags/carts from each household, and then reach it to the main road from where it is collected & transported to the waste store for secondary segregation.

2. Waste brought to the store undergoes secondary segregation i.e. sorting the collected dry waste into different items for recycling (through local kabadiwalas), upcycling (if undertaken), storage for further processing and non-recyclable waste. Technology can be used for the secondary segregation process by installing Automatic Waste Segregation Machine, a feeder belt for easy segregation, a shredder and bailing machine to reduce volume, or any other equipment as fit for the volume of waste generated. All waste stored in the store rooms before and after secondary segregation should be packed in bags properly closed at the mouth and labelled appropriately. The variety of sorting means the separated waste materials have a better chance to be further re-processed into useful resources. Separating the waste into organic matter, plastics, metal, bricks and stones and other substances out from the mixed garbage to the maximum will improve the reusing and recycling of waste.See Box 3 for a guide on reuse and recycling options for different waste materials.

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Box 3. Guidelines on reuse and recycling of common waste items

Electronic waste: All electronic waste collected should be carefully packed and sent to the closest e-waste

recycling center. E-waste recycling centers are available in all major cities where the waste items are

dismantled and refurbished or recycled by parts. Budget for storage and transport (once in 3 or 6

months) of the e-waste to the recycling center.

Medical waste: All medical waste collected should be carefully packed and sent to the closest medical

waste disposal center. Medical waste disposal facilities are available in all major cities where medical

waste such as expired/spoilt medicines, empty medicine bottles, covers, used bandages, stained cottons,

syringes, etc. are incinerated in a controlled environment. Budget for storage and transport (once in 2 or

3 months) of the medical waste to the disposal facility.

Plastic packets, bags, etc.: Plastic bags (polythene), chips packets, food packaging, chocolate wrappers,

biscuit wrappers, and all similar plastic packets can be converted into fuel in a Pyrolysis plant, search for

the closest pyrolysis plant and store the items until enough bulk is collected to be transported once in

few months. In case, a pyrolysis plant is not available in nearby areas, train local youth and women to

upcycle the plastic like ropes, weaved baskets, and other useful products which can augment their

incomes.

3. Some of the waste materials can also be used to make up-cycled products that can be sold. Up-cycling of waste although does not cover the total cost of the solid waste management system, it certainly contributes to cover the cost as well as give further business experience to those engaged in up-cycling. Especially in tourism heavy areas, sale of up-cycled products can be undertaken through local outlets/souvenir shops as also sale can be done via online channels and through chain outlets in cities. Government schemes under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission also provide support for such activities. Some links on up-cycling of waste material are given at the end of this document.

4. Only dry waste is collected through the door to door waste collection system, which means that the households are to manage their own wet wastes. Many rural households have cattle, pets so leftover food and other kitchen waste can be fed to animals. Remaining organic waste that is inedible like egg shells, spoilt food should be composted. Distribute composting bins to each household and provide training so each household can compost their organic waste at home.

Iron Materials Sold to a kabadiwala

Hard Plastic Materials Sold to a kabadiwala

Plastic packets, wrappers, bags Pyrolisis plant Fuel oil

Glass and broken glass Sold to a kabadiwala

News paper and cardboard Sold to a kabadiwala New paper/cardboard

Electronic waste E-waste collection centre Refurbish/Recycle

Medical Waste Medical waste collector Incineration

Construction and demolition waste

Brick making machine Bricks

Non recyclable waste Sanitary landfill

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Other alternatives would be to set up enclosed composting enclosures in communities to allow decentralized composting of food waste. The waste workers can monitor these enclosures and each household can bring their food waste here for composting. Some houses also have biogas plants that are useful in disposal of the food waste. In case such options are unavailable, the team should spread awareness and share information about the different composting methods for managing wet waste. A link to the resource, titled, ‘Simple Solutions for Organic Waste Management with Waste Warriors’ is available at the end of this document.

5. Non-recyclable waste remaining after secondary segregation should be disposed at the landfill/dumping ground in the closest town. Meet with the local authorities and get permission to use the grounds for disposal. In case no dumping ground is available nearby, as may be the case in many hill villages, or if the existing dumping ground is in dire state, it is suggested that a sanitary landfill be created in the community to dispose the non-recyclable waste being generated from the village.See Box 4 for guidelines on creating a sanitary landfill.

Box 4. Creating a Sanitary Landfill A sanitary landfill is an underground structure made to dispose waste. Since landfills are made underground and land is a scarce resource, only waste that has no other disposal option should disposed in this manner i.e. use landfills only for non-recyclable waste. Landfill trenches are lined with a waterproof material at the bottom and sides and the waste filled is covered with soil at the end of each day. When the trench is full the waste is ‘capped’ with a covering that’s as waterproof as possible. The waterproof lining inside helps prevent harmful leachate from entering and polluting the soil.

Diagram of an engineered landfill

How to Create a Sanitary Landfill:

1. Select an area of land that is away from habitation, source of water or a farming land. Factors that should be considered when choosing a landfill site are topographic location- choose a flat land so that leachate does not run-off away from the landfill or water does not enter it, location of the water table- choose a site with deep water table so that the bottom of the landfill is far away from the water table, type of rock and soil- choose a site with loose soil and minimum rocky layer to allow deep trenches and prevent leaking of leachate.

2. The depth of the landfilling trench will depend on the waste to be landfilled and level of water table. Dig a large trench with sloping bottom that will help in leachate collection. Depending on the size to be excavated use machines or manual labor. Save the excavated soil for layering.

3. Line the bottom and sides of the trench with at least one feet of water proof plastic sheets and a layer of impervious clay. The sheets will prevent the leachate from seeping into the ground and

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polluting the water table. 4. The area at the downward slope of the trench will be used for leachate collection. The bottom of

the landfill is lined with a network of plumbing that functions as a collection system for any liquids. Insert vertical pipe at this spot with an outlet above the ground for leachate removal. The leachate removal can be excluded for small scale landfills.

5. Once the landfill site is set up, waste can be added into the trench in batches. Instead of simply filling the landfill trench completely with waste, organize the waste in layers alternating between waste and soil. This alternation of materials reduces odors and allows for more rapid decomposition, which is the breakdown of materials.

6. When a trench is full, seal it and cover with a thick layer of clay. 7. Keep about 10 feet distance between two landfill trenches to prevent high level contamination

or air. 8. After a few years (evaluate that the area is safe to use with no harmful gas leaking into the air),

the site can be converted into a park or open space for human use.

Step 6- Monitoring and Corrections

1. It is necessary that the system is monitored continuously and corrective measures are taken

for its smooth functioning. Supervisors and managers are appointed for monitoring the work

being done by the waste workers/implementing agency/SHG. They are responsible to

maintain all documentation regarding waste collected from members with details for all

members, village map, waste store and segregation, composting wet waste, waste disposal

and also training the workers to keep these records. The managers create monthly records

based on the data to share with stakeholders and keep them updated on the progress. Please

see Annexure 2(a&b): Sample Template for Waste Collection and User fee Information

Sheet to be maintained by the Manager and Supervisor and used by the field workers.

See Box 5 for the ideal chain of activities for a Solid Waste Management system

Box 5. Chain of activities in Solid Waste Management Systems

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2. The hand-holding and capacity building of waste workers/SHG (self-help group) members for project management i.e. collecting user-fee, maintaining accounts, deposit, and withdrawals in the bank, maintaining records should be ongoing throughout the implementation. This will help to not only keep the team motivated but also help in resolving ground level issues in their early stages to keep the system running smoothly.

3. Conduct monthly meetings with the implementation team as well as the stakeholders including funders, panchayat members, village members and large establishments to discuss the system being followed. The meetings will help address the issues, if any, resolve them in time and take corrective action. The meetings can also be a good opportunity to get feedback from the stakeholders for improvement.

4. It is advised to have a feedback channel for the community to contact the SWM implementers. It can be as simple as sharing a phone number with all members to contact in case of any issues or creating a WhatsApp group of all key members which the implementation team could also use as a grievance redressal mechanism to handle issues arising from the channel.

5. It is recommended to conduct an impact assessment study of the area upon three years of implementation to evaluate the impact of the SWM system. The report will help establish good practices for all stakeholders as well as provide information for other areas to replicate the system.

Step 7- Supplementing the system

1. Encourage community involvement through clean-ups and transformation projects on a regular basis. Conduct clean-ups in public areas and dumping spots with community participation to increase ownership of clean places. Transformation projects can also be undertaken with beautiful art work for forgotten public spaces to beautify the place and also use as a platform for awareness messages.

2. Provide dustbins to local schools that are repurposed from oil tin cans in case dustbins are not available in the schools. Public dustbins can also be installed in busy areas like markets, bus stops, etc. Having dustbins helps in inculcating a habit of using dustbins. The dustbins should be emptied on a regular basis and maintained to serve their purpose. The dustbins can also be sponsored by local businesses.

3. Public awareness can be done through placing metal signboards with awareness messages in the area of work. Placing cloth banners painted by local children for community awareness and creating wall murals with awareness messages in public places with high visibility such as temples, schools, bus-stops, shops, etc. is also a great option.See Box 6 for supplementary activities

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Box 6. Supplementary measure for Sustainable solid waste management

Installing signboards with awareness messages

Creating wall murals for public awareness

Installing

and

maintaining

public dustbins

to discourage

littering

Distributing

and

maintaining

dustbins in

local schools

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IMPORTANT Things to Remember

1. The solid waste management system has to function with no disruptions for at least a year to show tangible results in the behavior of members and appearance of the area. Throughout this period, continuous awareness and education should carry on and capacity building and monitoring of the system should be done regularly.

2. Understand the needs of the area and brainstorm with experts whenever possible for any issues. Pointers can also be taken from systems being followed in other parts of the country.

3. The system set-up should ensure solid waste collection provisions are made for the entire village/town, and surrounding areas as possible, and the collection of waste, storage, segregation, transportation and disposal is done in the most appropriate manner, as suggested above and in accordance with the Municipal Solid Waste Rules, 2016.

4. Waste should be segregated into DRY, WET and SPECIAL at primary source, by placing separate dustbins. The WET waste needs to be disposed on a daily basis, DRY waste can be collected on a weekly basis and the SPECIAL waste can be collected on a monthly basis.

5. The collected waste will be sorted and after sorting: recyclable waste will be sold to a scrap dealer; recyclables that don’t sell locally are to be transported for disposal is to be packed and stored until enough bulk is collected for transport. Food waste is to be composted on site (in the households or in community composting enclosures) with horticulture waste (trees, leaves, branches, etc.); non-recyclables to be disposed at the closest landfill/dumping ground or in a sanitary landfill created for the purpose.

6. Large scale waste generators like eateries, restaurants, schools, office buildings may require a daily waste collection service. Budget for the same accordingly.

7. Awareness and training of the direct stakeholders i.e. village members, shops, schools, institutions, hotels, etc. should be regularly conducted to support the SWM system.

8. Local leaders, teachers, youth can also be trained to assist with awareness and monitoring of the system to ensure long term sustainability of the program.

9. Signboards, wall murals, public dustbins can greatly help in changing habits of littering and waste management by spreading the message.

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Helpful Links IEC materials A Guide Book to Children’s

Days with Waste Warriors http://wastewarriors.org/report-financials/

Recycle Rap video https://youtu.be/j1Vi7iOfsGk

An update in the work done by Waste Warriors Corbett Project

http://wastewarriors.org/report-financials/

Simple Solutions for Sustainable Solid Waste Management with Waste Warriors

In English http://wastewarriors.org/report-financials/

In Hindi http://wastewarriors.org/report-financials/

Simple Solutions for Organic Waste Management with Waste Warriors

In English http://wastewarriors.org/report-financials/

In Hindi http://wastewarriors.org/report-financials/

Waste upcycling ideas

How to make plarn from empty chips packets

There are three video links to add here from

Part 1: How to make Plarn (plastic yarn) from empty chips packets: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1327072260705090

Part 2: How to make Rope from Plarn1

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1327093967369586

Part 3: How to make Rope from Plarn2

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1328922463853403

Upcycled AMAZING products from waste!

https://www.facebook.com/pg/wastewarriors3/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1669394493139530

Aarohana Eco Social Developments Upcycling Project

https://youtu.be/g7xkPF2fa18

Building a Sanitary landfill

Sanitary Landfills: Definition and Issues

https://bit.ly/2OBmJR1

Landfills

https://bit.ly/2NsXdks

Difference Between Sanitary Landfills and Open Dumps You Must Know

https://bit.ly/2DeN7PC

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References

1. Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016, e-waste (Management) Rules, 2016, Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules 2016, Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016, Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 http://envfor.nic.in/sites/default/files/Waste%20Management%20Rules,%202016.pdf

2. Solid Waste Management in Rural Areas A Step-by-Step Guide for Gram Panchayats A Companion to The Facilitators of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) http://www.nird.org.in/nird_docs/sb/doc5.pdf

3. Solid and Liquid Waste Management in Rural Areas https://mdws.gov.in/sites/default/files/Primer%20SLWM.pdf

4. Handbook on Scaling up Solid and Liquid Waste Management in Rural Areas http://swachhbharatmission.gov.in/sbmcms/writereaddata/images/pdf/technical-notes-manuals/Scaling-up-SLWM-in-Rural-areas.pdf

5. Toolkit for Public Private Partnership frameworks in Municipal Solid Waste Management http://swachhbharaturban.gov.in/writereaddata/Tookit-Public.pdf

6. Solid Waste: Guidelines for Successful planning (International Solid Waste Association)

7. GUIDELINES FOR THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF MANUAL SANITARY LANDFILLS (Pan American Center for Sanitary Engineering and Environmental Sciences)

8. TOOLKIT FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT RULES, 2016 http://www.npcindia.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Guidelines-of-implementation-for-SWM-Rules-2016.pdf

9. Various articles on the subject on websites such as www.study.com, www.downtoearth.com, www.cpcb.nic.in

Annexures 1. Annexure 1 Sample template for annual budget for solid waste management system in

one village. 2. Annexure 2a Sample template for waste collection data sheet & 2b user fee information

sheet to be used by waste collectors 3. Annexure 3 Standard Operating Procedures and Checklists for activities