Organic waste is viewed as a problem that needs to be managed, but this could change. This resource could be an asset for the environment and food security, and we all have a role to make this happen. The Western Province generates about 60 percent of Sri Lanka’s Municipal Solid Waste. 80 percent is biodegradable waste, primarily from kitchens andgardening as described in the Western Province Solid Waste Management Master Plan, 2023. This is concerning considering, as described in a 2023 study (Aloysius and Ananda), 22 percent of the population in Sri Lanka does not have enough food to sustain a healthy diet.
Organic waste management is also essential for the environment because improper management (e.g., sending it to landfill) releases more harmful greenhouse gases, such as methane. It also creates a liquid (leachate) that picks up toxic chemicals from landfills and carries them into water bodies, polluting them and posing further risks to human and environmental health.
When treated correctly (for example, by composting), organic waste can be a resource to improve food production and, therefore, assist in providing food security. The use of compost returns organic waste back to the soil, where it helps the production of crops for Sri Lanka’s growing population.
This is because compost helps maintain soil structure and nutrient levels and can be used as a natural pesticide. Turning organic waste into valuable compost makes nutrients less likely to be leached into water bodies (unlike chemical fertilisers). In addition, composting prevents harmful greenhouse gas releases because it’s treated in an aerated environment.
However, composting facilities managed by Local Authorities (LAs) are finding it challenging to handle the number of organic waste resources they receive because of a lack of space to create a quality product, a lack of technical capacity, and a lack of market interest in the resulting compost product. This was highlighted in two forums held in June this year, which brought together stakeholders from the Western Province to discuss challenges and opportunities for managing organic waste.
The forums were organised as part of the ‘Sustainable Organic Waste Value Chains’ project, which is a partnership between the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS-ISF), the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Janathakshan (GTE) Ltd, and Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka (SUSL). The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funded the research under the Knowledge and Linkages for an Inclusive Economy (KLIE) Grants Program.
Through scoping studies, stakeholder forums and then more detailed analysis at the household level, this project identified evidenced-based options to enhance sustainable waste management, food production and livelihoods. Adopting a positive deviance approach, the project engaged ‘positive deviants’ – households already employing innovative waste management practices, composting, and home gardening.
Challenges and opportunities to better manage municipal solid waste were explored during the forums. Forum 1 was held on 19 June with representatives from five local authorities (LAs): Moratuwa Urban Council (UC), Seethawaka North Pradeshiya Sabha (PS), Kotikawatta PS, Seethawaka PS, Kaduwela Municipal Council (KMC) and the Western Division Waste Management Authority (WMA), to showcase work to better utilise the resource of municipal organic waste. Forum 2 was held on June 20; participants representing government (LAs, waste management, agriculture and environment), civil society, households, private sector and academia spoke about what needs to change to improve organic waste management.
Several challenges were raised during the forums, including the increasing volume of waste entering the waste stream managed by LAs, low-quality organic waste produced by LAs, and the lack of household access to affordable equipment for composting.
Solutions were also offered during the forums, which addressed environmental and food security concerns related to organic municipal waste.
1. Composting at the household level is a pivotal way to tackle the organic waste issue (because it reduces the amount of waste going into the collection system and also acts as a driver for better waste segregation at that household and improves the quality of waste that does enter to LA collection systems.
Composting at the household level is one fundamental way to tackle the organic waste issue. It immediately reduces the waste going to the composting facilities and reduces the gases and toxic leachate it would otherwise produce in landfills.
This can make a big difference since households are the most significant food waste generators (even above food services and markets). Composting is a relatively affordable way of managing organic waste at a household level because it requires minimal equipment. It also provides a free source of nutrients for home gardening.
When households understand how to compost correctly, the quality of the organic waste improves because they know how to separate their organic waste correctly, improving the organic waste-derived products produced by LAs. By reducing the volume of organic waste being managed by LAs, the facilities can have more space to adequately move and aerate the compost, further improving the quality.
2. Collaboration between the government and support to households is needed
To enable more home composting, households must be supported in accessing composting equipment such as compost bins to start composting at home. Whilst equipment is one ingredient to home composting, more is required, such as mentoring and support to troubleshoot the inevitable challenges of composting, such as odour and pest control. Links to agricultural services and home gardening training and practice can also stimulate the value of composting for home gardening and food security.
This issue is more than evident – there is a need to reduce the amount of organic waste produced – and to better treat and utilise ‘organic waste’ as a resource. The active involvement of households, enabled and supported by LAs and agricultural and environmental government services can shift the mindsets and actions so that we can utilise organic waste resources and, in the process, improve food security and mitigate environmental impacts. Further information about the project can be accessed at https://www.uts.edu.au/isf/explore-research/projects/sustainable-organic-waste-value-chains-phase-2
Multi-stakeholder sharing forum held at IWMI, Colombo
