Bokaro Steel City

One of our first pilot projects is done together with our partner NIDAN in Bokaro Steel City, Jharkhand. The project is based on building an initial pilot composting plant managing one tonne of organic waste per day as well as improving local recycling markets.

Situation

Nidan formalizes the role of waste pickers by employing them and entering into municipal collection contracts. In Bokaro, Nidan was awarded a contract to collect waste, compost the organic waste, and recycle the inorganic waste.

Complication: Nidan started collection of waste but was dumping it into the open dumpsite area as it did not have the expertise nor capacity to create an integrated solid waste processing plant.

Innovation

Working with the Bokaro Steel City Municipality and Nidan, Waste Ventures designed a compost facility at the dump site and is helping Nidan build a composting plant capable of processing 1 ton of organic waste per day. Simultaneously, we are helping Nidan explore local recycling markets and identify how it may capture greater economic value for the recyclable goods collected by its waste picker employees

Expected Outcomes

Social: Will enhance the incomes of 57 waste pickers including the creation of four new jobs.
Environmental: Every month, the integrated solid waste management site will compost 30 tons or organic waste producing 8 tons of nutrient rich organic compost. In the process, an estimated 15 tons of greenhouse gas emissions are eliminated monthly.
Financially: For waste pickers – we are able to offer better exchange prices for the recyclables collected – enhancing their income. For Nidan – the project will break even after approximately 6 months of operation.

News

• 2011-04-03 Pilot plant fully operational
  In good time for the most effective composting season, the pilot plant is now fully operational handling one tonne of incoming waste per day. The composting plant employs three waste pickers and one full-time supervisor, and will be able to produce 200-250 kg of high quality organic compost per day, as well as avoiding methane gas emissions which would otherwise have been generated from the waste decomposition. 
• 2011-03-01 NIDAN awarded collection contract for 100% of the city
  The SAIL municipal authority in Bokaro, awarded the full contract (previously only 40% contract was given) to NIDAN, meaning they can continue to expand their waste management activities in Bokaro Steel City for several more years.
   
• 2010-12-22 Composting training and testing started
  Training and initial test composting was started in Bokaro, developing the capacity of both the managers of the plant as well as the waste pickers who will work there once construction completes.

Next Steps

After two months of operation, Waste Ventures will look to expand the compost site to handle 5 tons of organic waste per day – shifting towards an even more efficient process of composting.  We will also expand recycling operations vertically in the value chain.