Karachi’s Waste Problem – Can We Turn Trash Into Treasure?

By Anusha Fatima

Just a couple of weeks ago, there was quite an uproar in the city as some residents protested against piling up garbage by throwing it on vehicles and the premises of a company. While their way of protest was clearly misdirected and condemnable, their fury was justified as the accumulation of trash in almost all parts of the city has emerged as a huge challenge.

Mounds of rotting trash everywhere have brought all kinds of problems to the residents of this great city. From the emergence of life-threatening diseases to choking nullahs, unattended garbage dumping sites are ubiquitous and are causing major disturbance to the citizens of Karachi, its infrastructure, and its ecosystem.

In 2019, the Chief Minister of Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, revealed that Karachi generates about 16,000 tonnes of solid waste each day. Out of 16,000, only up to 70 percent make it to two landfill sites in Karachi, namely Jam Chakro and Gondpas, while at least 4,800 tonnes remain unattended and unlifted.

As a result, all kinds of trash can easily be spotted in the city, from plastic bags to snack wrappers, food remains to pieces of paper and damaged electronic devices, steel pipes to concrete blocks, and bathroom sinks to bathtubs. Some of this trash is also burned by citizens in an attempt to keep their vicinities clean. However, setting wasteful materials on fire releases a great number of harmful chemicals into the air, which has adverse effects on our health and our climate.

For decades, proper garbage disposal has been given less consideration than any other civic problem in the city, leading to severe social, environmental, and health concerns we are compelled to confront today.

Fortunately enough, there are already multiple countries in the world that we can look up to as a model for sustainable waste management. These countries are not only keeping their cities cleaner and attractive but yielding greater financial benefits by transforming trash into valuable resources.

One such example is Sweden, with over 12,000 tonnes produced every day, the country recycles 99 percent of its waste, and only 1 percent goes to landfill sites. In fact, the waste management system in this Scandinavian country is so efficient that it imports roughly 2.5 million tons of waste from neighboring countries each year to meet its recycling needs – which means the country literally runs out of trash.

Sweden is a technologically advanced country with good infrastructure and a modern government which are major contributors to methodical garbage management. But to our surprise, the entire system’s success is hinged on the basic strategy of segregating the waste at source. The dedication of Sweden’s citizens plays a key role in making the process super-effective. Most households in Sweden separate their waste into the following fractions: organic waste, electronic goods, glass, and paper which makes it easier to put this waste to proper use.

Unfortunately in Pakistan, especially in Karachi, the concept of waste segregation is nowhere to be found. Except for a few malls and public spaces, one would not find color-coded bins for garbage separation purposes. While it is part of the curriculum in elementary schools in developed countries, even adults here are not very well aware of the importance of waste segregation for effective waste management. For starters, it is critical to understand that waste segregation is integral to sustainable garbage processing. Not only does it make recyclable processing materials quicker and easier, but it also reduces the risk of contamination by other types of waste.

Just like in Sweden, if the masses also adopt the segregation practices for their garbage at source, it will be quite simple for the city administration and NGOs to utilize the debris better and efficiently play their role in freeing the city from the unnecessary litter that is not only destroying the elegance of this city but also contaminating the environment.

The writer is an environmental educator and community builder. She is the co-founder of TrashIt, a social enterprise promoting sustainable living, composting, and recycling. Through her startup, she aspires to build zero-waste green neighborhoods by designing circular waste systems; making sustainable products accessible; and hopes to bring together a tribe of eco-conscious citizens who are passionate about saving the environment.