Disposing of Bangalore's waste : Which is better - Waste to Energy or Zero waste (Reuse, Reduce, Recycle)

1. Tackling Bangalore's garbage
WTE (Waste to Energy)
Or
Zero waste (Reuse, Reduce, Recycle)
?

2. Option 1
Waste to Energy
A set of technologies that uses mixed wastes as
fuel to generate heat to run steam turbines which
produce electrical energy.

3. WTE (waste to energy)
Very seductive option in an energy starved country.
Does not require segregation at source.
'One stop shop' solution for all waste – wet, dry
recycleable, dry non-recycleable.

4. Sweden – WTE heaven !
Only 4 % of the trash in Sweden goes to landfills.
The rest is used as fuel in its power plants.
20 % of Sweden's electricity comes from waste.
A lot of countries look up to Sweden as a role model
for waste management.

5. Option 2
Zero waste
The design and management of products and
processes to reduce the volume and toxicity of waste
and materials, conserve and recover all resources,
and not burn or bury them. Involves Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle.

6. Reuse, Reduce, Recycle
Wet waste Composted
Recyclable dry Recycled
waste
Eliminate – stop using
Non-recyclable non-recyclable materials
dry waste for packaging or any other
application

7. So which is better ?
Waste to Energy or Zero Waste ?

8. WTE vs. Zero waste
Environmental impact
WTE Zero waste
Toxic gases released, even with No toxic gases or ash resulting
scrubbers, toxic ash to be from reuse, reduce or recycle,
disposed of. Impacts health of
neighbouring communties. Wet waste gets composted into
valuable fertilizer that can replace
chemical fertilizers.
Emit 33% more CO2 per kW
than coal-fired plants. Paper recycling reduces
deforestation.
Needs a steady supply of fuel,
which is waste. Eliminates Reduces consumption of petroleum
motivation to Reduce waste. for plastics manufacture.
Promotes consumption of Energy requirement for recycling is
scarce and expensive natural far less than for manufacturing from
resources and energy. virgin material.

9. WTE vs. Zero waste
Economics
WTE Zero waste
Capital cost of a WTE plant is Capital and operating costs of
twice that of a coal fired plant. composting, biomethanation and
recycling units are considerably
High operating costs because of less, and more distributed
environmental compliance across different industry sectors.
requirements.
Nation saves foreign exchange
Requires petroleum import for on import of petroleum for
generation of virgin plastic. plastic manufacture.
You burn paper that can be Nation saves foreign exchange
recycled, and import pulp to on import of paper pulp.
produce paper again.
Provides cheap fertilizers to
Cost of twice that of a coal fired farmers that is better for the soil.
plant.

10. WTE vs. Zero waste
Social impact
WTE Zero waste
Promotes indiscriminate Poverty alleviation – can
consumption among citizens. improve earnings of 15,000
waste pickers in Bangalore.
No effect on industries' (India has 1.5 Lakh waste
responsibility to use recyclable pickers)
material.
Promotes social empowerment
Promotes caste divide – waste of Dalit families.
is unclean, people who handle
waste are unclean. Promotes social empowerment
of women.
Safe operations not possible in
the Indian context due to poor Involves communities in tackling
enforcement of environmental their own waste, inculcates
safeguards. responsible consumption.

11. Cost of energy production
Waste incineration (WTE) is more expensive than
nuclear energy, as well as solar , wind and coal
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration. Excerpted from Table 2-5, page 2-10 of
Updated Capital Cost Estimates for Electricity Generation Plants (November 2010)
O&M= Operating and Maintenance.

12. CO2 emissions by energy source
Energy generation from waste incineration is
dirtier than from other fuels*
*Nuclear plants produce no CO2, hence not in this comparison
Source: U.S. EPA, 2007, epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/affect/airemissions.html

13. EU is moving away from WTE
EU Resource Efficiency Roadmap, approved by European
Parliament 24th May 2012
(32) (…) taking into account the waste hierarchy and the need to bring residual waste
close to zero; calls on the Commission, therefore, to make proposals by 2014 with a view
to gradually introducing a general ban on waste landfill at European level and for
the phasing-out, by the end of this decade, of incineration of recyclable and
compostable waste; this should be accompanied by appropriate transition measures
including the further development of common standards based on life-cycle thinking; calls
on the Commission to revise the 2020 recycling targets of the Waste Framework
Directive; is of the opinion that a landfill tax – as has already been introduced by some
Member States – could also help achieve the above ends;

14. Sweden ? Recycling heaven ?
Really ?
Economically, Sweden would be better off recycling
and reusing its waste instead of burning it.
Sweden is generating energy at with far more
atmospheric pollution than with traditional coal or oil
fired power plants.
Sweden does not have enough waste to feed its
hungry WTE plants, and is now having to import
waste.
The European Parliament has recommended moving
away from WTE.

15. Waste management hierarchy
Energy recovery by burning waste is the worst possible option
to dispose of waste, next to dumping.

16. Towards Zero Waste
Pune, San Francisco
Pune, India
Zero waste program run by waste pickers'
cooperative.
Collection,segregation, sales of recyclable
waste.
7000 members - 92 % are Dalit women.
Dramatic change in their incomes, more
empowered.
Get health insurance, low interest loans.
City saves Rs. 15 Cr. a year because of lower
Waste disposal cost.
San Francisco, USA
Has a Zero waste program.
78 % waste is reused or recycled. Target 90 %
by 2020.

17. Let's decide wisely
The waste disposal issue is not about making Bangalore
look beautiful for visitors and investors. It is not about 'Not
In My Backyard' and ruining someone else's backyard.
Only a small mind will think this way.
It is about fixing the issue with a holistic solution that does
not ruin anyone's backyard – not Bangalore, not
Mavallipura, not Mandur. A WTE plant will have to be
located somewhere, and it is going to pollute someone's
backyard with toxic gases and residual ash.
We're just starting down a path to a sensible waste
management solution, and this is the time to lay the
correct foundation.

18. Easy decision to make !
1 Starting a Zero waste program that is beneficial to
the environment, is economically self-sustaining and
will improve the lives of thousands of women and
dalit families.
2 Burning our waste to generate a measly amount of
energy, in the process wasting scarce raw material
that can be reused or recycled, while polluting the air
and ground in the process.

19. Sources of data
The battle of incinerators vs. Recyclers
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-battle-of-incinerators-vs-recyclers-1239360.html
Environmental life-cycle comparisons of recycling, landfilling and incineration
http://www.airqualitymatters.ca/wp-content/uploads/Richard-A-Denison.pdf
Zero waste strategy
http://www.belkorp.ca/VBT_090723_SRM.pdf
Incinerators: Myths vs. Facts about “Waste to Energy”
http://www.no-burn.org/downloads/Incinerator_Myths_vs_Facts%20Feb2012.pdf
On the road to Zero waste – successes and lessons from around the world
http://www.no-burn.org/downloads/On%20the%20Road%20to%20Zero%20Waste.pdf
GAIA - Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives
http://www.no-burn.org/
San Franciso – Dept of environment Zero waste page
http://www.sfenvironment.org/zero-waste

20. The author
The author is a core part of the Sada Zero movement in the locality of
Sadashivanagar, Bangalore. Sada Zero has been running a waste
segregation and recycling movement for the past 2 years in half the locality,
with 70 % of the residents segregating waste even though it is voluntary.
Waste collectors collect, segregate and sell the recyclable waste, and keep
the earnings.
Volunteers in Sada Zero work hands-on with the collectors – go door to door
with them, actually collect the waste, train residents, convince them to
segregate, etc.
Some Sada Zero presentations
http://www.slideshare.net/zerowaste
Disclaimer : The opinions in this document are the author's own.
GV Dasarathi
dasarathigv@gmail.com