Survey of waste management at 5 local authorities surrounding North-

March 2011

Five local government authorities bordering North Bolgoda Lake, namely, -Mount Lavinia Municipal Council, Urban Council, Urban Council, Urban Council and Pradeshiya Sabha, tip 7500 metric tons of solid waste per month in Karadiyana, a marshy land of about 25 acres in extent, situated where Weras Ganga from Boralesgamuwa meets the Bolgoda Lake. Little do the residents in these local authorities realize that the waste they thought they disposed comes back to them as pollutants contaminating their neighbouring body of water and the general environment. It is the responsibility of respective local authorities do their best to (a) minimize the waste sent to the site and (b) pre-sort the waste sent to the site so that a maximum amount can be recycled and residuals are made minimal. The 3R Initiative at LIRNEasia carried out a survey to evaluate how well the local authorities are fulfilling their responsibility. Results are presented here for discussion and feedback.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

Composting biodegradable Non-biodegradable ‘Daily’ Waste Collection Cleanliness/Un-cleanliness waste at home waste collection services Services of Local Authorities

Out of the 182,000 Only 18% of the Over 68% of the households The major cleanliness issue households in 5-Local households in the 5-LA in the 5-LA area receive a in the 5-LA area concerns the waste collection service at drains. 38% of drains in the Authority (LA) area area have been made surveyed, only 21% have aware of the importance home. In Moratuwa and have litter and while 33% been informed by their of separating non- Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia have stagnant water. respective local authorities biodegradables and MCs this percentage is as that a compost bin could be provided with a service to high as 90%. General cleanliness of roads obtained at a concessional collect those separately. and roadsides are rate. Interestingly, 96% of the satisfactory. For instance, Among the five, Kesbewa households in the 5-LA area only 15% of the roads near This percentage value varies UC leads the group with a think it is good to enforce a houses have litter and piles across the local authorities coverage of 32% of its law on stipulating that rating of garbage were found in with 32% in Kesbewa UC, households. all waste that is handed over only 8% of them. 33% in Boralesgamuwa UC, to the LA should be 21% of in Moratuwa MC, Dehiwala - Mount Lavinia separated as biodegradable Only 14% of the households 14% in Dehiwala-Mount MC collects from 17% and non-biodegradable. said a worker comes to Lavinia MC and 5% in and Moratuwa MC from sweep the nearby roads and Panadura PS being aware 16% but Boralesgamuwa Such a collection system roadsides. 82% of that they can obtain a UC and Panadura PS do would benefit the local households are willing to compost bin at a not have any authorities since they can clean the area between their concessional rate from their arrangements to collect process their waste easier. homes and the road. local authority. non-biodegradable waste separately. Is it not time that you asked your local authority why Accordingly, Kesbewa and they do not use the ‘daily’ Boralesgamuwa UCs lead the group in terms of collection service to collect 2

reducing the biodegradable the waste separately? waste collected. Acknowledgement Waste Management Authority The Nielsen Company (Western Province) Details

Methodology Results

Selecting a sample of residents 1. Waste Collection Services

First, we defined the sum total of premises in LA area as 86% Collection- households, commercial places, industries and other 200% 90% 77% 96% 86% Regularity institutions. Then the following methodology was used to select samples from each type of premise. 150% 77% Collection- 61% 90% 76% 100% 96% 78% Day Households (sample, 1501/total, 182,012) 50% 66% A two-stage cluster sample method was used. First a 50% of 96% 93% 72% 68% Collection- 56% Service Grama Niladari Divisions (GNDs) in each local authority was 0% 21% selected at random. Then 15-33 households from each GND DMMC MMC BUC KUC PPS All were selected at random, from the list of households in the 2008 electoral list. Total number of households selected in for each local authority was 300. 68% of the premises in the 5-LA area receive a garbage collection service from their LGAs. 78% out of them say that Commercial Premises (253/13,730) there is a specific day for collection. 86% say that the service A systematic random sample was selected from the trade is regular. license list maintained by each local authority. 2. Waste Reduction and Source Separation Services Industries (52/377) Simple random samples were selected from the list 70% maintained by the Ministry of Industries on their website, except for Boralesgamuwa PS for which we used the Receive a 50% 32% Yellow Pages. compost bin

Various other Institutions(38/460) 30% 21% 21% 14% Divisional Secretariats typically maintains a resource profile 34% 33% Nonbiodeg 16% 17% 18% radable- for each LA within its jurisdiction. A simple random sample 10% collection was selected for each LA using the institutions in the KUC MMC BUC DMMC PPS All

respective lists (except for playgrounds and transport hubs listed) Only 18% of the households in the 5-LA area have a truck from the LA collecting non-biodegradable waste Surveying the residents separately. Only 21% have been informed by their LAs that Pre-prepared questionnaire was used by the enumerators a compost bin can be obtained at a concessional price. to obtain information from a person in each sampled premise. The person who had the best knowledge about the 3. Households vs. & Commercial Premises waste related services was selected as the respondent for each premises. The questions concerned on services such as

daily waste collection, source separation and collection, 60% 15% Compost- cleaning of the roads. Questions concerning the knowledge Awareness 20% of the residents concerning source separation, how they 40% Receive a obtained the knowledge, how they put their knowledge to 7% compost bin 18% practice as well as the operation of small scale industries at 9% Nonbio- 20% Collection the premises were also asked. 4% 17% 3% Nonbio- 0% Awareness Evaluating the cleanliness of public places Households Commercial Enumerators were asked to observe and note the cleanliness/ uncleanliness of drains, roads and roadsides in There is a significant difference between commercial public spaces within a radius of 10 meters outside of all entities and households with regard to the source premises surveyed. In addition, the main bus stand, railway station and public-park or playground plus 6 main junctions separation services received. Only 3% have been made in each LA area, totaling 42 spaces for the 5-LA area were aware about the value of non-biodegradables with only 4% defined as public places and observed. Other public spaces receiving a separate collection service. As for 2 such as reservoirs, cultivated or uncultivated lands or spaces biodegradables, only 9% have been made aware and only in uninhabited areas were disregarded. 7% have been informed about compost bins available at

concessional rates. 3

4. Cleanliness of Drains in the Vicinity of Households 7. Distribution of Compost Bins

240% 100% Odor 200% Willing to 80% 49% get bin Debris 48% 160% 45% 50% 53% 68% 53% 43% 60% 120% 34% 33% Stagnant Lack of 28% space 10% water 40% 30% 80% Garbage 29% 31% 16% 48% 45% 39% 24% 35% 21% 38% 17% Have 40% Litter 20% 20% 25% 25% 18% compost 0% 12% 13% bin Weeds 0% DMMCMMC PPS BUC KUC All DMMC MMC KUC BUC PPS All

Presence of weeds is the most prevalent problem. 38% of 18% of the households have compost bins. 24% say that

the drains in the 5-LA area have litter while 33% of them they have no space to keep one. 53% have declared their

have stagnant water. DMMC and MMC have the most. willingness to get a bin. If half of those willing to buy, indeed buy a compost bin, bio-degradable waste generated 5. Cleanliness of roads in the vicinity of households in around 45% of all households in the 5-LA area can be

managed at home. 120% Stray 100% animals Faeces 8. Information Sources Regarding Biodegradables 80% 19% 21% Garbage 160% 60% 15% Radio 15% 9% Litter 120% 40% 19% 22% 11% LA 16% Debris 20% 14% 10% 29% 17% 21% 15% 80% 20% Educational Leaves 20% 14% 0% Institutes 40% 80% 79% Newspaper BUC DMMC MMC PPS KUC ALL Vala 64% 58% 76% 69% Godali 0% TV

18% of the roads in the vicinity of houses have pot holes DMMC MMC KUC BUC PPS All

and mounds while there is litter in 15% and piles of garbage found in 8% of them. BUC has the most. In response to a multi-response question regarding knowledge about the value of non-biodegradable waste, 6. Cleanliness of Road-sides in the Vicinity of Households 69% of the households cited TV as a source of information. Only 20% cited newspapers. 240% Odor 200% 9. Information Sources Regarding Non-biodegradables 160% 45% Debris 43% 120% 34% 33% Stagnant 100% 28% 10% 80% water Radio Garbage 80% 11% 48% 45% 39% 21% 38% 7% 40% 35% 8% 8% LA 0% Litter 60% 15% 2% Educational Weeds 40% 75% 78% Institutes 60% 69% 66% 50% Newspaper 20% TV 38% of roadsides in the vicinity of the households have of 0% DMMC MMC KUC BUC PPS All weeds. 18% of the roads have pot holes and 10% have

garbage piles. Stray animals or faeces are not significant In response to a multi-response question regarding problems. BUC road-sides have the most problems. knowledge about the composting of biodegradable waste,

66% of the households cited TV as a source of information. 3 Only 8% cited newspapers.

. 4

10. Small Scale industries Notes

100% . The objectives of the 5-City Survey were to 80%  Provide sufficient information to begin a No conversation about the role of the 5 local authorities 60% 91% 83% 84% 87% 85% 86% concerned in reducing the amount and source 40% separating the waste sent to the Karadiyana site, Yes 20% and,  9% 17% 16% 13% 15% 14% Initiate a discussion about the methodology and fine- 0% tune and improve the method, if necessary DMMC MMC KUC BUC PPS All . In the absence of a site to process the collected waste, there is no point in source separation. It is difficult for 14% of the households in the 5-LA area have small scale each and every local authority to supply their own industries operating out of them them. waste processing and disposal site. It is the responsibility of the provincial councils to provide 11. Type of Waste Generated from Small Scale Industries common facilities for suitable clusters of local authorities Others 100% Iron . We measured the efficacy of a local authority in 80% Thread reducing and source separating the waste using two 3% 60% 6% Polythene indicators 58% 10% 23% 40% 21% Dung  Availability of a door-to-door collection for non- 66% biodegradable waste 50% 48% 44% Plastic 20% 30% 28% Paper  Ability of households to purchase a compost bin for 0% concessionary rates SawDust DMMC MMC KUC BUC PPS All Fabric . When comparing the performance of local authorities

cited here, the following differences between them 6% (or 14% of 44%) of the households in the 5-LA area should be taken into consideration

discard fabric as waste and 3% (or 14% of 23%) discard saw DMMC MMC BUC KUC PPS dust. In KUC, 9% (or 58% of 14%) discard fabric. Population 9600 9600 5600 3700 2600 density 12. Waste Sent for Dumping, March –May, 2011 Population 201,551 177,190 59,063 162,094 153,062

Area 21 18 11 44 60

3,500 3,332 Households 49,307 40,812 13,654 42,697 35,542 3,000 2,500 Commercial 2,490 4,350 1,780 2,290 2810 2,224 Premises 2,000 Industries 194 52 10 55 47 1,500 957 Other 156 120 23 69 112 1,000 573 346 Premises 500 *Persons per Square Kilo Meter **Square Kilo Meters 0 DMMC MMC KUC BUC PPS Chammi Gunatilake +94 77 284 2265 | [email protected] is a densely populated country. The ultimate goal of any local authority should be to reduce the amount of Sujata Gamage, PhD MPA 4wast e they send for dumping and send as much waste as +94 77 774 8470 | [email protected] separate as possible. www.lirneasia.net/