Studying municipal solid waste generation and composition in the urban areas of Bhutan

Abstract

Bhutan lacks the solid waste data which are essential parameters for planning and scheduling of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) systems. The first ever large-scale research survey on solid waste generation and characterization in the urban areas of Bhutan was conducted between November 2007 and January 2008 using the method of waste sampling at source. The MSW generation rates in the urban centres were 0.53 kg capita(-1) day(- 1), which consists predominantly of organic waste materials of up to 58% indicating a great opportunity for composting. Domestic waste from the households contributed the maximum (47%) component of the total MSW generated from the urban centres followed by wastes from the commercial establishments. Attempt to study the correlation between household monthly income and the waste per capita generation rates did not yield any conclusive result.

Revisiting estimates of municipal solid waste generation per capita and their reliability

“…MSW generation per capita at the national level Figures 1,2,3,4,5,6, and 7 show the latest available data on MSW generation per capita of 157 countries by region [1,[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39]. Data for the 34 OECD member countries are from the OECD's iLibrary database, which compiles annual data on MSW generation per capita for all member countries.…”

Solid Waste Generation, Composition and Management in Paro Hotel Industry

“…Hence it is very important to study solid waste management in the hotel industry. A range of problems related to municipal solid waste management in Bhutan has emerged due to open dumping, open burning, rural-urban migration, insufficient waste collection services, as compounded by a lack of reliable data and coherent policy framework [8]. Troschinetz and Mihelcic [9] reported that Bhutan lacks a waste composition study, which would provide the fundamental basis for developing and implementing a successful solid waste management strategy.…”

“…Troschinetz and Mihelcic [9] reported that Bhutan lacks a waste composition study, which would provide the fundamental basis for developing and implementing a successful solid waste management strategy. The first ever waste composition data collection in Bhutan was carried out from November 2007 to January 2008 in ten urban areas in Bhutan [8]; since then, there has been no further study published for almost 10 years.…”

Waste and Worldviews

“…These inter views engaged a variety of actors, including villagers, government offi cials, religious leaders, and urban residents. My ethnographic research complemented that of a team of engineers at MOWHS who investigated the quantity of garbage produced in municipalities around the country (Phuntsho, Yangden, and Herat 2008;Phuntsho et al 2010).…”