In April, a massive fire consumed the Ghazipur landfill in New Delhi. The 65-metre-tall waste mountain released toxic fumes and methane that caused an air pollution crisis. The
incident is symbolic of the fallouts of rapid urbanisation, of which mismanaged waste is a major component.
Unsafe waste disposal uses up precious land resources and disrupts the natural environment by contaminating water, air and soil. While fires are a potential hazard in landfills, the constantly decaying waste also poses grave threats to the environment. Methane emissions are 26 times more harmful than carbon dioxide and exacerbate global warming. Leachate, a toxic liquid produced by decomposing waste, seeps into groundwater and contaminates it.
Without urgent and effective solutions, the ever-increasing waste issue will continue to contaminate air, water and land and hamper the sustainability of these large habitations.
The growing urban waste challenge
A World Bank Report, What a Waste 2.0, estimates that cities worldwide produce over 2.01 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste annually. Rapid urbanisation and changing consumption patterns have only accelerated this growth. By 2050, global waste generation is projected to increase by 70%. Left unchecked, this will not only convert large swathes of land into dumping sites but also contaminate air, water and soil in several inhabited areas.
This challenge is particularly acute in rapidly developing regions, where waste management infrastructure struggles to keep pace with urban growth. Several low and middle-income countries grapple with basic waste collection, with only 48% of waste collected in cities and even less in rural areas.
As per The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) India generates over 62 million tons (MT) of waste annually. Of the 43 MT which is collected, just 12 MT undergoes treatment before disposal. The remaining 31 MT (which would fill a space equivalent to the size of 62 football fields stacked 100
metres high) is discarded in landfills, untreated and unaccounted for.
Waste management—a pillar for sustainable cities
Effective waste management systems serve as a cornerstone of urban liveability and sustainability. Amid growing climate change concerns, well-executed waste management has a multi-fold impact that protects the environment and reduces the burden on natural resources.
A circular economy views waste as a resource rather than a burden. Circular models can create numerous opportunities including employment through green jobs in recycling, processing, and environmental technology sectors. Studies estimate that a circular economy in India can add $624
billion annually by 2050 and result in a 44 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Waste management solutions for sustainable cities
As urban populations continue to expand, investing in comprehensive waste management solutions becomes not just an environmental imperative but a fundamental requirement for creating thriving, liveable urban spaces. Instituting robust waste collection mechanisms, policies to reduce its
generation, and technological innovation for processing and recycling is the need of the hour.
Waste collection and segregation are necessary for its sustainable management. Separating recyclables, organic matter, and non-recyclable waste streamlines processing, maximises resource recovery, and reduces contamination. Municipal corporations must establish robust collection schedules, provide standardised bins for different waste streams, and maintain a reliable fleet of collection vehicles.
Resident Welfare Associations can complement these efforts by implementing door-to-door collection systems, organising community composting initiatives, and ensuring compliance with segregation protocols.
Strong collection mechanisms also support circularity. Circular models can open several avenues that utilise waste from landfills as a resource for other products. Technological innovation can help drive this transition more effectively, saving energy and reducing emissions in the process. For example, a biomining initiative by Blue Planet at the Perungudi landfill in Chennai reclaims valuable materials while simultaneously addressing environmental and land-use issues.
The initiative not only reduces CO2 emissions but also generates refuse-derived fuel, creating a circular economy solution for industrial energy needs. The project also aims to repurpose the reclaimed land for sustainable development. By September 2023, the initiative cleared 96 acres of the landfill. This effort helped preserve the Pallikaranai wetland. Legacy waste processing mechanisms mitigated 838,295 tonnes of
carbon dioxide emissions. The initiative avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 242 wind turbines operating for a year.
Collaborating for Sustainability
While waste poses a significant challenge, it also presents opportunities to transform urban landscapes and the economy. Through proper waste collection mechanisms, technological innovations, and circular economy approaches, cities can turn their waste management challenges into drivers of economic growth and environmental sustainability.
Effective waste management requires a coordinated effort from urban local bodies, the private sector and NGOs. Both manufacturers and end consumers have critical roles to play in these efforts. Extended producer responsibility measures that put the onus of product life cycles on manufacturers help incentivise more sustainable product design, promote recyclability, and encourage manufacturers to develop products with reduced environmental impact.
By encouraging companies to consider the entire lifecycle of their products, EPR policies create a powerful economic ramework that drives innovation towards more circular and sustainable production models. As urban populations continue to grow, we need critical investments in our cities’ capacities to handle waste. The examples of landfill remediation and resource recovery demonstrate that with the right combination of technology and collaboration, we can create cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable urban spaces for generations to come.
The writer is executive director (climate action), AVPN
