Turning wastes into resources

Resources can be recovered from wastes using existing technologies and Bangladesh can develop an effective recycling system

According to an agency report published in this newspaper on Monday experts from South and Southeast Asian countries have called for establishing cooperative global governance for waste management through building regional and global alliances. They made the call while participating in a five-day workshop on “Waste  Management and Reduction of Marine Litter” concluded in Singapore on Sunday.

Bangladesh faces major environmental challenges associated with waste generation and inadequate waste collection, transport, treatment and disposal. Current systems in this country cannot cope with the volumes of waste generated by an increasing urban population, and this has adverse impacts on the environment and public health. The challenges and barriers are significant.

A priority is to move from reliance on waste dumps that offer no environmental protection, to waste management systems that retain useful resources within the economy. Waste segregation at source and use of specialized waste processing facilities to separate recyclable materials has a key role. Disposal of residual waste after extraction of material resources needs engineered landfill sites and/or investment in waste-to-energy facilities. The potential for energy generation from landfill via methane extraction or thermal treatment is a major opportunity, but a key barrier is the shortage of qualified engineers and environmental professionals with the experience to deliver improved waste management systems in Bangladesh.

Waste management infrastructure has an important role in delivering sustainable development. Rapid population growth in Bangladesh has led to depletion of natural resources. Wastes are potential resources and effective waste management with resource extraction is fundamental to effective waste management. Value extraction from waste can be materials, energy or nutrients, and this can provide a livelihood for many people. The transition from wastes to resources can only be achieved through investment in waste management as this depends on a coordinated set of actions to develop markets and maximize recovery of reusable/recyclable materials]. Materials, energy and nutrient recovery must be the aim of future infrastructure development in Bangladesh. Resources can be recovered from wastes using existing technologies and Bangladesh can develop an extremely effective recycling tradition. The ‘scrap dealer’ systems produce recycled materials through an extensive and well-coordinated network across the country.

The problems associated with improper waste disposal could be significantly mitigated by requiring material recovery. Source separation of inert and high moisture content fractions would maximize the potential for thermal recovery and other treatment options. Waste-to-energy technologies produce energy, recover materials and free land that would otherwise be used for dumping.

Turning wastes into resources

Resources can be recovered from wastes using existing technologies and Bangladesh can develop an effective recycling system

According to an agency report published in this newspaper on Monday experts from South and Southeast Asian countries have called for establishing cooperative global governance for waste management through building regional and global alliances. They made the call while participating in a five-day workshop on Waste Management and Reduction of Marine Litter concluded in Singapore on Sunday. Bangladesh faces major environmental challenges associated with waste generation and inadequate waste collection, transport, treatment and disposal. Current systems in this country cannot cope with the volumes of waste generated by an increasing urban population, and this has adverse impacts on the environment and public health. The challenges and barriers are significant. A priority is to move from reliance on waste dumps that offer no environmental protection, to waste management systems that retain useful resources within the economy. Waste segregation at source and use of specialized waste processing facilities to separate recyclable materials has a key role. Disposal of residual waste after extraction of material resources needs engineered landfill sites and/or investment in waste-to-energy facilities. The potential for energy generation from landfill via methane extraction or thermal treatment is a major opportunity, but a key barrier is the shortage of qualified engineers and environmental professionals with the experience to deliver improved waste management systems in Bangladesh. Waste management infrastructure has an important role in delivering sustainable development. Rapid population growth in Bangladesh has led to depletion of natural resources. Wastes are potential resources and effective waste management with resource extraction is fundamental to effective waste management. Value extraction from waste can be materials, energy or nutrients, and this can provide a livelihood for many people. The transition from wastes to resources can only be achieved through investment in waste management as this depends on a coordinated set of actions to develop markets and maximize recovery of reusable/recyclable materials]. Materials, energy and nutrient recovery must be the aim of future infrastructure development in Bangladesh. Resources can be recovered from wastes using existing technologies and Bangladesh can develop an extremely effective recycling tradition. The scrap dealer systems produce recycled materials through an extensive and well-coordinated network across the country. The problems associated with improper waste disposal could be significantly mitigated by requiring material recovery. Source separation of inert and high moisture content fractions would maximize the potential for thermal recovery and other treatment options. Waste-to-energy technologies produce energy, recover materials and free land that would otherwise be used for dumping.