Waste management in Sri Lanka

At present, it seems increasingly more difficult to find any place in Sri Lanka that is free of some sort of litter; whether it is on the roadside, in buildings and or even in the wilderness where it pollutes habitats of wildlife. This is mostly due to the country’s poor waste management practices and an overall devil-may-care attitude towards pollution.

Research shows that, as of 2017, Sri Lanka effectively managed only about 33% of its total waste generation of an estimated 10,750 metric tons per day. This suggests a net generation of more than 7000 metric tons of waste per day (0.4-1kg of waste per individual). Around 60% of all solid waste is generated within the Western Province out of which only half is recycled as per the guidelines of the Waste Management Authority and the Central Environmental Authority.

Paper despite being only 7% of the waste composition in the Western Province and being one of the easiest materials to recycle has become the focal point of recycling endeavours in Sri Lanka. At present, there are a few private institutions dedicated to tackling the wastepaper issue in the country. Companies such as Neptune Recyclers engage in collecting wastepaper for recycling, free of charge.

In Sri Lanka, the average paper consumption per capita is about 7 kilograms per annum out of which only 2 kilograms are collected for recycling. Most commercial establishments and households dispose of wastepaper by either burning them or disposing them as garbage, both of which are harmful to the environment.

Paper recycling is not a new technology. It had first become a commercial proposition in England in the early 1800’s, after Paper-maker Matthias Koops discovered the practical process of using wastepaper to manufacture new paper. There is significant importance to recycling paper, a few such reasons are,

1. Recycled paper produces 73% less air pollution than if it were made from raw materials. Carbone dioxide is one of the most harmful green-house gases due to its prevalence and recycling paper implies a reduction of 2.3 tons of CO2.

2. Recycling paper saves 80% of water compared to producing from virgin paper (roughly 26,000 litres) and saves 3.5 m3 in landfill spaces.

3. It significantly reduces deforestation, The Union of concerned Scientists (USC) of the US points out that ‘wood products’, including paper, account for about 10% of total deforestation. A ton of recycled paper will save between 12-31 trees.

Paper is generally an important part of day-to-day businesses, especially in sales businesses paper is used in receipts, bills, invoices etc. Individually, these maybe considered trivial, however it was found that in 2013, 1.3 million metric tons of thermal receipts were produced globally. This suggests that 34 million trees were cut down in a year to make receipts.

However, at the same time, it should be noted that paper products have been a crucial part of society. It has enabled the growth of literacy and cultural development long before the internet. it has aided in centuries of economic growth and development. Globally, around 400 million metric tons of paper are produced each year. This would mean a substantial number of people are employed in the industry, but then again, it also leads to deforestation. This leads to quite an ethical dilemma.

Why does so much waste go unmanaged in Sri Lanka?

In Sri Lanka, waste management is regulated by local governmental Authorities. However, they aren’t necessarily held accountable to national waste management policies. Most of the generated waste, collected or not, ends up in landfills, being burned or illegally dumped. In fact, most Local Authorities fail to service all households within their municipalities. Based on reports, only 24% of households in the Southern Province were serviced in 2017.

Short-term solutions for better waste management in Sri Lanka should not be opted for. It is vital to invest in long-term strategies for proper waste management. This should include raising public awareness on correct waste disposal practices, investing in waste management in rural areas and enacting a landfill tax that reflects the true environmental cost of dumping garbage. The landfill tax could also be used to discourage the use of landfills and money collected can be used to fund investment on sustainable waste management.

The biggest solution to the issue at an individual level is the practice of the 3R’s principle; Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Consumers awareness is a key element of achieving successful waste management at an aggregate level. Recycling efforts could be exalted by the practice segregating waste in one’s own home. Simple changes such as switching from a print newspaper to reading digital newspapers online, avoiding paper receipts where possible, making payments online and avoiding the use of disposable cups, are a few ways we could contribute to the mitigation of waste problem. This would create a balance of responsibilities assumed over the management of waste that is more conducive to recycling efforts. Further, a proper system should be established to direct segregated waste such as paper, plastic and polythene to be used in effective recycling. This stresses on the need for a better Institutional set up and better policies to be implemented to combat this issue successfully.

One of the major barriers to this however is public attitude to revise current waste disposal practices and this is a result of the lack of information on the impact of the existing practice on the environment. A ‘societal addiction’ to a knowingly harmful practice due to the availability of easy disposal, hence people are generally aversive to changes in the existing routine. Changing attitudes is an integral part of combating this problem. Sri Lanka boasts a high literacy rate compared to many developing countries, and this should be taken advantage of, at schools’, students are taught the importance of protecting the environment. This should be further emphasized on in a way that is impactful to children. This means, a more effective approach needs to be taken up when teaching young children the importance of recycling and waste management.

Most importantly, we need to take advantage of and encourage the use of technology to eliminate the unnecessary use of paper and plastic. For example, switching to softcopies or online storage methods and avoiding the use of disposable cups and plates are not only a significant step in the right direction towards saving our planet but also cost effective for an individual.

The mission of the Strategic Action Plan for Waste Management in the Western Province for 2019 to 2023 is, “to encourage reduction of waste generation and to inculcate the best waste management practices in the province to convert the waste to valuable resources, so that it could be used in the production process, which will finally drive us towards building a circular economy while protecting public health and the environment”.

It is imperative that public awareness is raised on the impact of ineffective waste management. A gradual decline of plastic products must be sought after, with the promotion of eco-friendly products.

Garbage is the embodiment of the phrase, “out of sight, out of mind”. while it’s in our home or in our presence, it acts as a burden that we can’t wait to get rid of. Once we get rid of it, we forget it completely. The underlying question we need to ask ourselves is, where does our waste go? is it being thrown into a landfill? And more importantly, what are its’ impacts? The harsh reality is that we are producing more garbage than the planet can handle, and its impacts are being felt worldwide, it is our duty to act now and act fast.

References:

https://invoiz.world/as-revealed-by-world-resources-institute-2/#:~:text=You%20will%20be%20surprised%20at,34%20million%20trees%20every%20year%E2%80%9D.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthias_Koops

https://www.intechopen.com/books/environmental-management-in-practice/the-effects-of-paper-recycling-and-its-environmental-impact

http://www.geocyc.com/

https://www.aiche.org/chenected/2016/10/sustainability-challenges-paper-industry#:~:text=The%20Union%20of%20Concerned%20Scientists,about%2010%25%20of%20total%20deforestation.

https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/Presentation%20Sri%20Lanka.pdf

https://urban-links.org/resource/municipal-waste-recycling-program-sri-lanka-janathakshan-fact-sheet/

http://www.cea.lk/web/images/REEB/Present_Status_of_SWM_2.pdf

http://www.ft.lk/columns/Zero-waste-a-wish-come-true/4-688198

http://www.pulse.lk/everythingelse/list-for-recyclers-in-sri-lanka/

https://www.thesolutionsjournal.com/article/overcoming-open-waste-dumping-practices-sri-lanka/

https://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=585#:~:text=Aluminum%20cans%20are%20one%20of,energy%20than%20making%20new%20ones.

https://efl.lk/status-waste-management-sri-lanka/

By: Rtr. Dulithi Jagoda, BSc. Economics and Finance, 2nd Year

Rtr. Alex Rajapakse, LLB, 1st Year

Rtr. Fathima Salihah, LLB, 1st Year