Zero Waste Management (ZWM)
Our current linear resource flow uses huge amounts of raw materials and generates huge amounts of waste. This will lead our society to resource depletion. ZWM is about redesigning this resource flow so that most of what is generated as waste can be reused as raw material for further production. This resource flow is more sustainable and will take us closer to ‘zero waste’ to be disposed of. ZWM involves action both before and after production

Pre-production Actions
Reducing Production (consumption): Producing and consuming only as much as needed. Redesigning Production processes: Producing using cleaner processes and packaging using less material. Production of safe and recyclable materials: Avoiding the use of toxic and non-recyclable materials, so that maximum resource can be recovered with least harm to the environment.

Post-production Actions
Reuse: What is produced should be reused as many times as possible. Eg. bottles, containers, bags, etc. Recycle: Recycling those materials that cannot be reused. Eg. Organic waste into compost, PET bottles into polyester fibres, glass bottles into glass panes, cotton rags into paper, etc.

Involving SHGs in ZWM

SHGs are made of women, who are more patient, reliable and are better suited to communicate with women, who are in charge of waste disposal in most households in India. Women’s incomes are usually supplementary to their family incomes making their involvement in ZWM projects viable. The government gives loans and subsidies to these groups. SHGs have an agreed code of conduct, and no team member can leave as she pleases. The SHG itself dispels any member in case the code of conduct is not followed. SHG members are often local people from the neighbourhood; this encourages them to be more involved in the project. Their involvement also increases the sense of ownership of other residents in the neighbourhood.

Seven partners, and their roles and responsibilities

District Administration (Collectorate)	:	Overall coordination of the project
Local administration (Municipal Corporation / Municipality / Special Panchayat / Village Panchayat)	:	Providing the basic infrastructure like ZWC sheds, tricycles, dustbins, tools, electricity, water supply, identification of SHGs, etc.
Community Association (Public)	:	Source segregation, handing over waste directly to waste collectors, paying monthly subscription fee, project management
Environment NGO	:	Providing technical support, training, awareness generation, monitoring, evaluating, documenting, etc.
Pollution Control Board (District Office)	:	Enforcing SWM bye laws
District Health Department	:	Creating awareness on various waste-borne diseases, enforcing SWM bye laws
Women’s Self-Help Groups	:	implementing the project in the field

Basic facilities in ZWM center

 Waste Secondary Segregation Unit.

 Recyclable waste tertiary segregation.

 Recyclable waste storage go down.

 Vermi-composting, Vermi-Wash and vermi-culture unit.

 Compost storage go down.

 Organic waste composting unit - eco-friendly composting tanks.

 Organic compost sieving and processing place.

 Cattle shed with male calves / dry cows.

 Tools storage unit.

 Workers Dinning / Meeting hall and Kitchen.

 Toilet/Urinal/Bath Room(Both for Physically Handicapped and Normal person)

 Security room near main gate.

 Attendance room.

 Rs.1/- coin phone with STD facility.

 Mega Bio – gas plants attached with filtering system or Bio- digesters

 Drying plot (Plastic cover / Papers etc.,)

 Tools, Materials and Barrels washing place.

 Clean & Hygienic Water with Cooler for drinking water.

 Plastic covers (Food packing covers), Plastic tumblers, Egg shells, citric fruits     Coconut shells etc., washing & processing units.

 Compost sieving and organic waste processing unit.

 Office room with Computer and facilities.

 Tri-cycles parking place.

Forty benefits for Rs 30/-

For just Rs. 30, you will enjoy 40 benefits / advantages over the current system. These are:

Waste will be collected at the doorstep.

Waste is collected between 7 and 10:30 am, mostly before office hours.

A free dustbin (bamboo) will be given to each household to separately store dry    waste.

The formation of residents’ association for ZWM also provides a platform for    people’s participation and ownership of other developmental activities of the    area. This also serves as the bridge between the local community and the local    administrative body.

A calendar – information card will be given to each household.

Workers will return any checks, important documents, license cards, ATM and    credit cards, jewels and money found in the waste from the houses.

Every household gets phone numbers to register complaint if they have    problems related to waste collection.

The tricycles have a distinct bell, so that the households don’t confuse it will the    sounds of other bells (ice cream vendors, etc.).

Waste is collected on all the seven days of the week throughout the year    (including rainy days). Workers work half-days even on holidays. One worker is    appointed to substitute workers on leave.

There will not be any unsightly road-side dustbins attracting flies and giving out    smell.

Stray dogs and pigs will stop visiting the area, thus preventing diseases like    brain fever and rabies.

No motorised vehicles are used for waste collection and no motorised equipment    is used for the ZWC operations. So, there is no noise or air pollution.

Small tricycles serve narrow streets and lanes.

Tricycles are covered to avoid littering.

We appoint a supervisor for every tricycle to monitor the waste collection.

All workers have uniform and ID card so that they can be easily identified.

It is ensured that the workers have no police case, and have a good character    from the local police station.

Drains are cleaned, and the wild shrubs growing along the streets are cleared in    the afternoons.

Workers plant trees in the area and take care of them.

Workers develop and maintain street gardens. Waste will not be burnt ensuring    that there is no air pollution from burning.

Clean drains and the absence of dustbins discourage mosquito and house fly    breeding.

Supervisors have cell phones and can be contacted at any time.

Dead animals are removed from the area when informed.

Special service is provided on special occasions (functions, ceremonies and    family get together).

No phenyl or bleaching powder is used in the area or in the ZWC.

Employment generation for the local youth reduces anti-social activities (like    theft and pick pocketing) in the area.

Residents will be informed when the workers will be on leave for half-a-day.

Receipts are given for all monetary contributions made.

Servants will be trained (on request) on waste segregation and depositing it in    respective compartments in the tricycle every morning.

The tricycle contains a first aid and a tool box, which can be used by the    residents or passers by when needed.

The tricycle contains a complaint box, where residents can deposit complaints /    suggestions on any civic / environmental issue in their area. These will be    handed over to the appropriate authorities.

The local dumping ground is done away with, reducing soil, water and air    pollution.

One tricycle will not serve more than 275 families, ensuring a good ratio and    good care and individual attention to needs and problems.

Garden wastes are collected in the afternoons on request.

Some of the compost generated at the ZWC is used to develop roadside    gardens.

Workers also function as messengers for important events of social relevance    like polio vaccination drive, election information, demonstrations, etc.

Empty plots in the area will be cleared, cleaned and maintained, reducing    dangers from snakes and rodents.

Separate waste collection facilities for marriage halls and hotels ensure that    their waste does not get dumped in the residential areas causing inconvenience.

Local schools and colleges will be involved wherever possible, to generate    awareness. They will be encouraged to develop ZWM as a learning activity.

   ZWM Training schedule for workers

    Day 1

 Slide Presentation - What is SWM? Environmental problems because of waste;    the importance of their work; an overview of the work they are about to learn

 Segregation of paper, Cardboards etc.,

 Baling the segregated cardboards in a manner easy for transporting to the    recyclers

    Day 2

 Segregation of different types of plastic covers (recyclable and non-   recyclable)

 Segregating broken glass and different type of bottle.

    Day 3

 Segregating different types of plastic; this is a difficult one and needs a lot of    training, since many recyclable and non-recyclable plastics look similar.

 Segregating different types of metals like Aluminium, iron, copper, brass,    steel, bronze, etc.

    Day 4

 Door-to-door waste collection; Area visit with the workers to learn how waste    is collected from door to door and do on-site preliminary segregation of some    mixed waste

 Door-to-door collection of garden waste

    Day 5

 Segregation of organic waste into cattle-feed and compostable waste; Mixing    cattle dung slurry with compostable waste and loading it into the compost    tanks / beds; Washing the cattle feed and feeding the cattle, Biogas plant    maintenance

 Sieving manure and moistening sieved manure: Separating small pieces of    glass, metal, plastic and paper from the residual compost after sieving

    Day 6

 Eggshell cleaning, Citric fruits grading powdering (hand pounding), sieving    and packaging

 Coconut shell recycling. Separating fiber, leftover copra (dried coconut flesh),    coconut shell

    Day 7

 ZWC maintenance and cleanliness

    Day 8

 First Aid: Training by the local Red Cross Society, local doctors and hospitals’.

 IHealth care, hygiene and protective measures.

 Fire prevention and fighting measures. Training by the local Fire Department.

    Day 9

 Preparing the aerobic compost beds and tanks

 Preparing the vermi-compost beds and tanks

    Day 10

 The importance of maintaining the tricycles in good condition.

 Tricycle and tools maintenance and minor repair works; Training by the    tricycle manufacturer

    Day 11

 Carefully sketching the route map of the streets where waste collection is    done with important landmarks like temple, school, housing quarters, houses,    shops, hospitals, water tank, etc. marked on it.

    Day 12

 Street and roadside sweeping, and collecting the waste in tricycles.    Segregating the collected waste at the ZWC.

 Clearing bushes and wild growth from the roadsides

 Mixing the waste with cattle dung slurry and spreading it on the garden waste    compost yard

    Day 13

 Clearing empty plots of bushes and waste; Gardening in the cleaned plots and    along street sides

    Day 14

 Overall review and discussion. Asking questions and clearing doubts

 

   District ZWM Committee

Chairman	:	Disctrict Collector
Co-Chairman	:	Project Officer, DRDA
Convener	:	Deputy Director for Health
Members	:	Superintendent of Police (Police Department) PAPD Assistant Director Special Panchayat Assistant Director, Panchayat Regional Director for Municipal Administration (RDMA) Corporation Commissioner A Member of Pollution Control Board 2-3 NGO representatives Labour Inspector Inspector of factories 2 representatives local Resident Welfare Association Other relevant persons