Facts on Waste - Toxics Link - India Together

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Waste: Really?

No ado about much. A factfile on Waste from Toxics Link.

May 2002: Waste or Resource? Facts at a glance- About 0.1 million tonnes of municipal solid waste is generated in India every day. That is approximately 36.5 million tonnes annually.

• Per capita waste generation in major Indian cities ranges from 0.2 Kg to 0.6 Kg.

• Difference in per capita waste generation between lower and higher income groups range between 180 to 800 gm per day.

• The urban local bodies spend approximately Rs.500 to Rs.1500 per tonne on solid waste for collection, transportation, treatment and disposal. About 60-70% of this amount is spent on collection, 20-30% on transportation and less than 5% on final disposal.

• Calorific value of Indian solid waste is between 600 and 800 Kcal/Kg and the density of waste is between 330 and 560 Kg/m3.

• Waste collection efficiency in Indian cities ranges from 50% to 90%.

• Out of the total municipal waste collected, on an average 94% is dumped on land and 5% is composted.

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• Between 2000 and 2025 the waste composition of Indian garbage will undergo the following changes:

  • Organic Waste will go up from 40 percent to 60 percent
  • Plastic will rise from 4% to 6%
  • Metal will escalate from 1% to 4%
  • Glass will increase from 2% to 3%
  • Paper will climb from 5% to 15%
  • Others (ash, sand, grit) will decrease from 47% to 12%Toxics Link May 2002 References:
  • Status of Municipal Solid Waste: Generation Collection Treatment and Disposal in Class I cities, CPCB April 2000.
  • Manual on Municipal Solid Waste Management (first edition). Prepared by The Expert Committee constituted by the Ministry of Urban Development, The Government of India. January 2000.
  • Urban Waste: Status, trends and interventions. Ravi Agarwal, Srishti, January 2001.
  • Personal Communication with Dr AK Tripathy, Ministry of Non-conventional Sources.This factfile on waste is made available on India Together by arrangement with Toxics Link, New Delhi. **- Related: Solid Waste Management - Nagara Nyrmalya
  • Related: Environmental issues on India Together**