Abstract:
Urban waste is a rapidly arising problem in many countries including Sri Lanka. It has become a critical environmental concern particularly in the more urbanized areas. With growing quantities of waste materials, caused by changing consumption patterns, the volume of the solid waste has exceeded the present capacity for adequate and effective waste management. The Inclined, Step Grate (ISG) composting unit developed by the Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Peradeniya, is specially designed to treat urban waste and produce compost for the agricultural sector of the country. The plant is designed to operate under minimum pre-sorting. Therefore the produced compost is contaminated with various kinds of materials found in urban waste, and the effectiveness of compost making process is reduced by 25%. Appropriate sorting procedure will create ideal condition for composting process in the developed units. Therefore the aim of the study was to develop suitable methodologies for participatory approach in source separation of urban waste leading to improved quality compost.
This study was carried out within three Pradeshiya Sabahs (Udunuwera, Yatinuwera,
Gangawata Koralaya). Secondary data such as disposal practices of local authorities,
availability of resources, number of locations, disposal practices of generators, systems of
collection of the existing system were gathered within the study area. Waste composition
identification was done and awareness programme was launched. A questionnaire was
prepared for conducting a survey. The system of management and commitments of the local authorities were collected to develop a suitable methodology for participatory approach and to motivate and create enthusiasm.
According to the public views, local authorities are not doing their duty as expected. There is no regular supervision of the waste collecting system. Local authorities have limited resources to conduct the programme well. Main problem for this unsatisfactory system is due to the poor linkage between public and local authorities. Public always expect financial incentives, consider source separation a burden, and think that the local authorities should clean up the waste that they generate. Without getting rid of the ideas, providing financial incentives and regular supervision of local authorities, participatory approach will not help in the source separation programme, since the statistical analysis of the questionnaire did not show a significant difference between before and after introducing the programme. As a suitable method for reducing solid waste, composting can be done without any contamination problem by introducing source separation through participatory approach.
