Making campus a zero waste campus

Abstract

Solid waste management is one of the major problems that we are facing today due to urban development. Landfills not only look ugly but are also a source of health-related problems due to water and air pollution. The greenhouse gases like carbon monoxide and methane from the garbage heaps cause air pollution and the leachate formed in the landfills pollutes water sources. Proper management of solid waste can help solve a lot of easily avoidable problems by following a few simple techniques. The waste that goes into the landfills can be broadly classified into biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. The main focus should be on segregating the two as both require different treatments for proper disposal. The biodegradable waste breaks down naturally through the process of composting and can be reused to nourish the soil. Non-biodegradable waste can be either reused or recycled. IIM-Ahmedabad campus is a huge campus spread across 106 acres in the heart of the city. It houses nearly 5,000 people including students, teachers, office employees and other staff. The waste generated in the campus is bound to be huge considering the size of the campus. The college currently spends INR 120,000 per month for its waste disposal. Apart from the economic cost, there is a huge social cost involved in this as mentioned above. Through this project, we would try to study the current practices followed by the college for solid waste management and suggest ways in which the waste can be handled in a better way in order to reduce the social and economic cost of the college. The primary objective of this project is that “No waste from IIM Ahmedabad campus should land up in landfills”.