Waste to Energy

In cities and towns waste related issues are often mentioned as an immediate need by households and decision makers. This happens because of a number of reasons, first slum, peri-urban and low income areas do not receive any waste collection service from the municipalities. Second, waste related work is an important source of income and employment for a number of poor men and women. Third, better waste management can improve health, the living environment and can generate income for people.

In developing countries waste management is a neglected sector and on average 50% of the generated waste is not collected and remains lying in the low income areas. Collected waste is disposed of in an un-controlled manner, often creating adverse impacts on water resources, smoke and dust to the nearby population and degradation of land. Research has showed that waste-related work creates 2% to 5% of employment in Asian towns, with most of those benefiting being poor men and women. Municipalities spend 40% of their operational budget on waste-related activities, which often benefit commercial, high and middle income areas only.

Estimates show that 10 million chronically poor people rely on waste picking for their day to day survival. Practical Action works in this area because it is close to our philosophy on income and employment creation, improving the environment and conserving resources. It also provides a range of opportunities where innovation and technology can improve the situation in the ground. There are also opportunities for influencing global policies and practices.