5.4.7.2 Programmes and Policies to Remove Barriers
To overcome the barriers and to exploit the opportunities in waste management,
it is necessary to have a multi-pronged approach which includes the following
components:
- Building up of database on availability of wastes, their characteristics,
distribution, accessibility, current practices of utilization and/or disposal
technologies and their economic viability;
- An institutional mechanism for technology transfer though a co-ordinated
programme involving the R&D institutions, financing agencies, and industry
(Schwarz, 1997); and
- Defining the role of stakeholders including local authorities, individual
house holders, NGOs, industries, R&D institutions, and the government.
The efforts of local authorities in waste management could focus on: the separation
and reclamation of wastes through seperate collection of reusable wastes for
recovery; provision of reclamation centres where the public can deliver wastes;
arrangements for separation and reclamation at disposal sites and transfer stations
(de Uribarri, 1998); arrangements for waste disposal with by-product recovery;
and landfilling of residuals. Local authorities may enlist the support of the
public and individual householders as well as NGOs to store recoverable wastes
separately or deliver these to the reclamation centres. Local authorities can
also consult the industry on how wastes could be best ultilized to meet their
raw material requirement. Industry can be encouraged to accept wastes as secondary
raw materials (NWMC, 1990).
R&D institutions could play an important role in waste utilization by development
and dissemination of viable technological alternatives including pilot scale
demonstration, organizing technology transfer workshops, and dissemination of
information to industries. Land use and industrial estate planners can internalize
waste utilization and/or minimization concerns in the process of siting industrial
plants (Datta, 1999). The possibilities of siting industrial activities in such
a way that wastes from one unit could be used as raw material for another could
be explored. The arrangement might reduce capital outlay and operating costs,
and also facilitate transfer and processing of products and/or raw materials.
Governments may introduce fiscal and regulatory measures for reduction of wastes
and promotion of waste utilization. These may include incentives to producers
and users to accept reduced packaging, incentives to consumers to return reclaimable
wastes, incentives to local authorities to support reclamation and/or waste
utilization activities, incentives to industries using recovered materials,
financial support to R&D activities, awards to individuals and/or organizations
for waste utilization, and penalties for not adopting waste minimization and/or
utilization practices.
Programmes for providing training and education on waste minimization and utilization
with an interdisciplinary approach could be developed. Waste utilization as
a profession has no fixed boundaries. Skills of psychology, economics, material
sciences, process design, and ecology are but some of the many requirements
for the trained professional.
Even the best planned, designed, and executed waste utilization programme would
fail without the effective participation of the public. Education of the public
on waste utilization issues, therefore, would play a vital role in ensuring
the success of the programme. A public education programme would be aided by
the identification of appropriate communication systems (AIT, 1997; ESCAP, 1997;
Bhide, 1998).
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