Sustainable waste management policy in Bangladesh for reduction of greenhouse gases

• Published in: Sustainable cities and society Vol. 33; pp. 18 - 26
• Main Authors: Shams, Shahriar, Sahu, J.N., Rahman, S.M. Shamimur, Ahsan, Amimul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2017
• Subjects: Greenhouse gas; Methane; Municipal solid waste; Policy; Waste management; Methane; Policy; Waste management; Greenhouse gas; Municipal solid waste
• ISSN: 2210-6707; 2210-6715
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2017.05.008

•Almost 68–81% of urban waste in Bangladesh consists of organic matter.•250.95 million CO2 equivalent of CH4 is generated from existing solid waste management.•1.29 million CO2 equivalent greenhouse gas (GHG) is emitted annually due to composting.•Existing Environmental Policy and regulatory framework is not adequate to address waste management.•A policy matrix for waste management has been proposed. The increased amount of waste generation resulting from urbanization, population growth and improved life-style is a major concern for many developing countries like Bangladesh. A major portion (68–81%) of the urban waste of Bangladesh is composed of food waste, which produce CH4 as they decompose anaerobically. The trends of waste generation indicate a growing rate of 0.1343 million tonnes per year. This study estimates that greenhouse gases (GHGs) of 1.29 million tonnes CO2 equivalent (CO2e) is emitted annually because of composting. This study also estimates that CH4 generated from existing solid waste is 250.95 million tonnes CO2e and 2.89 million USD could be saved as part of energy production through recovery of CH4 from landfill. The existing waste management policy neither includes any waste to energy recovery targets, nor does it explain any recycling or reuse targets. Besides, there are no provisions for incentives for waste minimization. Hence, this study proposes to formulate a comprehensive waste management policy considering reduction of greenhouse gas by reviewing existing laws on waste management system. A policy matrix for waste management has been proposed to overcome the flaws of existing environmental policy and regulatory framework.