Waste management in Sri Lanka: Challenges and opportunities

Most of the developing countries face the problem of managing waste properly. In 2012, cities world over, generated 1.3 billion tons of solid waste per year, amounting to a footprint of 1.2 kilograms per person, per day needless to state that with rapid population growth and urbanization, the municipal waste generation is expected to increase to 2.2 billion tons (MT) by 2025. Inadvertently, with the current trends continuing, it is likely to rise from 3.5 MTs to 6 MTs per day with, each person generating around 0.64 kg waste per day in Sri Lanka with an estimated 4.8 billion MT of waste collected per annum in the country. The main objective of this study is to examine the present situation of solid waste management in Sri Lanka whilst in determining the nature and extent of the problem, thereby identifying the challenges and opportunities towards maintaining a sustainable waste management system in the country. As a result, the study has identified several challenges, of which the absence of waste segregation, poor waste collection mechanisms and the lack of public commitment on waste management, to be some of the underlying causes of the prevailing issue. Thus, the prevailing system on waste collection, transportation and disposal aspects is nevertheless believed to be an issue that needs to be resolved. This is due to the lack of education and awareness amongst the public on waste management, the lack of technical knowledge and the absence of applying 3R principles. In this context, awareness through education and a changing in attitude of the public may be suggested as precautionary methods towards maintaining a sustainable waste management system. The participation of the public is to be quoted as essential, and it should be borne in mind, that this is not a feat that can be accomplished via a limited operation, but rather one which needs to be continued and maintained through ongoing efforts, in keeping the menace at a minimum. Thus, a new model for waste management is required for collection, transportation and the disposal of waste, which should not be harmful to the society nor to the environment. The existing waste management policy of the country should be further developed by considering the concept of zero waste, alternative waste management approaches like waste to energy, sanitary landfills and the acceleration of composting methodology, thereby leading the pathway towards enhanced sustainability.


Introduction
Solid Waste Management (SWM) is a major issue in developing economies and priority should be given to overcome this issue, due to the rapid growth of population as well as the increase of waste in developing countries. Although the quantity and quality of solid waste generated by urban areas in developing countries is low in comparison to the Western developed and industrialized countries notable in the west, municipal solid waste management still remains inadequate (Llic and Nikolic, 2016).
However, developed countries continuously apply varied approaches, notably composting, land filling and waste to energy processes to overcome issues. In this respect, it is appropriate to examine the strategies that have applied to overcome the issue.
Waste is any subsistence materials derived from 'primary use' or a 'useless defective'. Solid Waste (SW) or 'garbage comprises' of unwanted and discarded materials from houses, street waste, commercial and industrial operations. An increase in the urban population and the rapid change life styles, lead to the generation of solid waste. Generally, solid waste is heterogeneous in nature, for instant refuse of vegetables, food items, paper, plastics, rags, glass and glass. If solid waste is disposed of, on land, in open areas, then it causes a negative impact on the environment, ground water and on health (Mundhe, Jaybhaye & Dorik, 2014). 'Waste' has value for someone at the same time in which it doesn't for another.
If it is possible to convert 'waste' to value, then no more would a 'waste problem' persist in the world.
Most of the countries in the world, in particular, developing countries, face the problem of the proper management of solid waste within their territories. It has been creating different complications by the likes of diseases, unbearable stench, fire hazards, atmospheric and water pollution, aesthetic nuisance, together with social and economic losses. There have been many tragic situations of collapsing of waste dumps in several countries including in Ethiopia and Sri Lanka. Many have pointed out, that, developing countries do not possess the appropriate technology, furthermore, the lack of a proper management and leadership become the major defects of SW management in these countries.
Around the world, the generation of waste is increasing. The amount of waste generated by a country is proportional to its population and the mean living standards of the people (Grossmann et al., 1974). Furthermore, Medina (1997) indicated that the waste generation rates have a close relationship with the income levels of people. In addition, socio economic factors such as persons per dwelling, cultural patterns, education, and personal attitudes also play a role (Nilanthi Bandara, 2008). In 2012, the worlds' cities generated 1.3 billion tons of SW per year, amounting to a footprint of 1.2 kilograms per person per day. With rapid population growth and urbanization, municipal waste generation is expected to rise to 2.2 billion tonnes (BT) by 2025. If the current trends continue, we are likely to go from 3.5 MTs to 6 MTs per day by that point. In South Asia, approximately 70 BT of waste is generated per year, with per capita values ranging from 0.12 to 5.1 kg per person per day and an average of 0.45 kg/capita/day (World h t t p : / / w w w . n c a s . a c . l k / j o u r n a l / Bank). The continuous indiscriminate disposal of SW is accelerating and is linked to poverty, poor governance, urbanization, population growth, poor standards of living, low level of environmental awareness (Rachel et al., 2009;Ogu, 2000) and the inadequate management of environmental knowledge. However the waste generation rates will more than double, over the next twenty years in low income countries.
Even though human health and safety have become major concerns over waste management in the past, at present, society demands more than expected as in the past. Society expects sustainable waste management, which incorporates feedback loops, is focused on processes, embodies adaptability and diverts wastes from disposal. At a policy level decision making process, environmental consideration has played a major role in this sustainable system. Transitioning from a traditional unsustainable system to a sustainable waste management requires to identify and apply of leverage points which effect change (Jeffrey K. Seadon, 2010). Failure to do so may lead to ill-designed solutions that may not be effective enough to give any productive and sustainable results in waste management. Therefore, a system is required to control the generation, storage, collection, transport or transfer, processing and disposal of solid waste materials in a manner that best addresses the range of public health, conservation, economic, aesthetic, engineering, and other environmental considerations.

Objectives
The major objective of this paper is to examine the present situation of the SW management in Sri Lanka and to identify the challenges and opportunities in maintaining a sustainable SWM system in Sri Lanka. In addition, alternative strategies will be identified for better SWM in the country.

Waste Issue in Sri Lanka
Waste has become an issue in the absence of or a weak management system for collection, transporting and disposal. Waste generates mostly at a household level while the rest is generated from industries.
The waste problem is not a major issue in rural and sub-urban areas, where, space is available for the disposal of waste unlike in urban areas of the country. It is a significant issue in the urban areas, especially, in the western province of the country.
A survey on waste amounts and Composition Surveys (WACS) conducted by the University of Peradeniya in 2014, revealed that, nearly three fourth of total waste is generated from kitchens. It must be noted that, more than 85 percent of total waste is degradable at the source. Table no

Source; Waste amount and Composition Surveys (WACS), 2014
A similar study conducted by the CEA also pointed out that, the waste composition of the source at the generated point is more or less comparable with the study done by the WACS. According to Fig. 01, about 62 percent of the waste is categorized as bio-degradable, while 7 and 6 percent belong to paper and wooden items which also fall under bio-degradable waste respectively. Altogether three fourth of waste could be categorized as bio-degradable which is capable of being decomposed by the action of microorganisms. This study further identified that, about 6 and 2 percent of waste are polythene & plastics and glass items which fall under non-degradable waste respectively. Non-degradable waste like polythene and plastic do not break down for several decades, if not centuries, and have a general tendency to poison the ecosystem, as they are petroleum based. Most of the waste generated in the Colombo Municipal Council which is the largest local government authority in Sri Lanka covers a resident population of over 600,000. The following table shows waste generation by different local authorities of the country.  (2014) According to Table 02, each person generates about 0.64 kg's per day, in Sri Lanka. It is higher in urban areas such as Colombo and Gampaha. Most PS do not collect all the waste generated in their territories but only a part of it is collected. It may be estimated that about 4.8 billion MT of waste is collected per annum in Sri Lanka. However, the actual figure may be higher than the given figure. Table 03, shows the waste collection of the country by provinces. Accordingly, more than half of the total waste is collected by the Western province. Even though the Western province generates 33% of the total waste, it collects more than 52% of the total waste of the h t t p : / / w w w . n c a s . a c . l k / j o u r n a l / country. All other provinces contribute less than 10% each. The Uva province occupies the lowest share of waste generation amounting to 6% while the Eastern, Central, North central and Southern Provinces produce more than 7% each of the total waste of the country.
According to It is an interesting fact that, at present, a total of 349 sites have been selected for the final disposal of waste by the local government authorities in the country. The waste is being dumped openly at these sites without a systematic manner. It doesn't provide a total solution for waste and also doesn't care about the environmental concerns. However, some of sites have being recycling but it doesn't function in a proper manner.

The Responsibilities of Waste Management in Sri Lanka
The responsibility of waste collection from its generated    Treating the Collected MSW as a "Resource". Encouraging the recovering of resources from collected MSW through the re-using of MSW for composting, Power generation, and production of biogas, bio-fuel, electricity, bio-gas and the use of state of-the-art technologies together with re-cycling.
 Improving a System for the Final Disposal of MSW. The establishing of engineered and/or sanitary landfills and the use of state-of-the-art technology for such events at a zonal and/or regional level.

The Challenges of Waste Management in Sri Lanka
One of the biggest problems in Sri Lanka is to manage the management of SW in a sustainable manner.
The prevailing system of waste collection, transportation and disposal are yet to be resolved. It is possible to identify these issues which are discussed below as the challenges of WM in Sri Lanka.
Waste segregation: Segregation is the systematic process that waste is separated into different types. It can be done manually at a household level or mechanically. Basically, waste could be divided as dry and wet waste. Then, it could be further divided into solid waste, bio-degradable, non-biodegradable, toxic waste and recyclable waste. Thus far, we do not have a proper system or the proper practice of segregation at the generation or collection points. Every individual has the responsibility to practice such a segregation system. Nevertheless, only a few are practicing it.
Waste collection and transport: Waste collection, storage and transporting of waste are essential elements of any WM system and can be major challenges in towns and cities. As in an acceptable manner to cut down on the amount of waste people throw away. The simple logic behind the principle is easy to understand, if there is less waste, then there is less waste to recycle or reuse. Any items that can be used again for another purpose or in a different way is called 'reuse'. People can reuse most items such as plastic bags, furniture, toys and repair some broken items that they used. On the other hand, they can sell or give it to others for charity.
Recycling is a process which will be transformed again into raw materials that could be shaped into a new product. All materials could be recycled or transformed except for a few items in the world. About 38% of the waste such as glass, paper, wood items and so on could be transformed into recyclable items in Sri Lanka.
Waste segregation: Waste segregation is essential as the amount of waste being generated causes many problems. Most of the bio-degradable waste could be transformed into fertilizers and only a small proportion of the waste has to be discarded. Unfortunately, the bulk of waste is not being segregated yet by the responsible people and the quantity of waste would be much higher. In particular, household waste can be separated into different baskets for the different categories of waste such as degradable and non-degradable which should be disposed separately.
Attitudinal change: Waste could be identified as 'two sides of a coin', which highlights the idea of the environment as a gift and a responsibility. People were open-minded about the environmental impact on improper waste management. Everybody should understand that waste is from nobody, it belongs to everybody. Therefore, everybody has a responsibility to manage waste in a proper manner.
Independent authority: At present, there are many institutions which deal with WM in Sri Lanka.
Therefore, a strong and independent authority is required to regulate WM if WM is to improve and be kept in a sustainable manner in the country. The absence of clear regulation and enforcement will make deter in a timely and in a proper manner. The WM sector needs to include attractive and profitable business models with clear performance requirements imposed, with financial penalties applied when WM services are not working effectively.

Alternative Strategies for better WM practice
It is an important fact that the education on WM should be further expanded for all the sectors which start at the kindergarten schools. The role and responsibilities of WM of each individual should be communicated and instructed in a proper way. It may be one way of forming responsible citizens who manage waste as resources whilst applying 3R principles and creating a zero waste or waste less society in the future.
It is a vital requirement that WM must involve waste segregation at sources such as households, market or industries to allow more efficient value extraction and recycling. It should be separated into dry/ wet or bio degradable/ non-degradable etc. Then, the waste would have significant benefits for waste collectors and the people who are involved in the WM field. Innovative and practical waste management regulations could be imposed. The WM sector needs to include attractive and profitable models with financial penalties from polluters and WM discipline breakers. Then, the WM services include collection, transport and disposal which will be sustained effectively and efficiently.
Short term and long term comprehensive WM planning requires to overcome WM issues in the country.
Private sector involvement should be strengthened for most of WM activities. Local level provincial councils and the Ministry of Local Government could monitor and evaluate the WM practices. To achieve the targets, training and capacity building is required from the grass root to the top level people who are engaged in WM.

Conclusion and recommendations
The quantity of generated waste is continuously increasing due to the growing population and increase in development. The Modern way of life has led to serious waste problems in the country. Easy products require more packaging and the habits of the people are also associated with generating larger quantities of waste, discarded wrappers from inevitable fast foods. Modern day waste contains a higher proportion of non-degradable materials which have caused an acute waste issue. The problem has further h t t p : / / w w w . n c a s . a c . l k / j o u r n a l / worsened due to the extensive use of plastic products such as plastic bottles. Despite the huge amounts of waste produced, the standards of waste management in the country are still poor. These include outdated and poor management of waste and, the inefficient handling, collection, transportation, disposal of hospital wastes and hazardous waste together with the dumping of wastes. Waste at the roadside, drains blocked up with garbage and plastic items and rivers filled with filthy garbage indicate that, solid waste is a major environmental problem in Sri Lanka.
This situation has diminished the environmental quality to sustain life. If the present rate of solid-waste production goes on without a proper waste management system, there will be significant negative impacts on the quality of the environment. In addition, the inadequate awareness and knowledge about solid waste management issues, and the ignorance of the effect of improper SWM has definitely worsened the problem.
Sri Lanka needs a long-term goal to establish a sustainable and effective SWM that are cost effective, economically viable and environmentally sound. Strategies that have been recommended for waste minimization are part of the waste management hierarchy and involve 3R principles such as reduce, reuse and recycle.
The situation could be managed in a sustainable manner through several implications. Providing awareness from schools up to the higher education level in different scales and standards would be ideal.
It may be able to change the attitude and awareness of the masses through formal and informal education.
The appropriate technical knowledge and equipment should be provided to the local government institutes. Technical training is also an essential component for the people who practically engage in SWM at the field. WM requires not only technological knowledge but also public participation, consultation and stakeholder mutual understanding and dialogue on activities.
Waste segregation is a vital part of SWM and attention should be paid to impart all stakeholders to follow the principles of waste segregation. It should be practiced from the household level to the top level institutions of the country.
It is necessary to establish an apex independent institution to regulate SWM in the country. The institution should control all other institutions which deal with SWM. The institution could apply a good market model for managing SW in a profitable manner. The Legal framework should also be established to raise the required additional funds for the efficient management of the institution and also the PPP would be an ideal concept to strengthen SWM. h t t p : / / w w w . n c a s . a c . l k / j o u r n a l / The available WM policy of the country should be further developed by considering the concept of zero waste, with alternative WM approaches like waste to energy, sanitary landfills and accelerating composting methodology which is required to manage the waste in a sustainable manner.