Pakistan Bulletin
An up-to-date and informed analysis of key issues of Pakistan.
Solid Waste Crisis: The Urgent Need for Circular Economy Transition
December 2024
With rapid population growth, urbanization, and industrialization in Pakistan, the challenges in solid waste management and their impact on the ecosystem, environment, and people are aggravating.
Solid waste management and recycling remain one of the primary sustainability challenges for Pakistan. According to the International Trade Administration, Pakistan generates around 49.6 million tons of solid waste annually, whereas, the average waste generation per capita is estimated to be between 0.283 to 0.612 kg per person per day. The majority of solid waste is, however, generated in urban areas because of higher population density and more industrialized areas. Despite low per capita waste generation (as compared to other developed countries) there remain significant challenges to management and the recycling of solid waste.
One of the biggest challenges in the management of solid waste is the lack of formal regulations and mechanisms for the collection and disposal of solid waste. In urban areas, the formal entities for waste management are the local municipalities which only can collect 50% of the solid waste due to low budget allocations and a weak governance system. The rest of the solid waste is either collected by individual waste pickers or scavengers (accounted as an informal sector) or remains uncollected on the streets.
One of the biggest challenges in the management of solid waste is the lack of formal regulations and mechanisms for the collection and disposal of solid waste.
The informal collection of solid waste has several implications. On one hand, it contributes to recycling rates as waste pickers sort and sell the recyclable materials to small shops and they reduce the burden on the local municipalities for waste collection. However, on the other hand, there are several negative impacts such as improper handling of recyclable material, as informal waste pickers tend to collect and recycle high-value material, which leads to many recyclables remaining uncollected or being dumped in the end. Additionally, waste pickers do not adhere to protective measures while being exposed to hazardous materials in waste collection which puts them under significant health risks. In this way, the absence of formal regulations and mechanisms of waste management such as recycling facilities or waste separation rules prevents sorting, composting, and recycling of the waste, which lowers the recycling rates and increases environmental pollution.
Moreover, the lack of sanitary landfills all over the country is another barrier to safe and hygienic disposal of waste and decreasing recycling rates. Most of the collected solid waste is dumped in the open grounds within the city, creating large open dumps that are poorly managed. The poor management of the open dumps prevents the organized sorting of the waste and results in the loss of recyclable resources. Open dumps also release a significant amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) which contribute massively to air, water, and soil pollution and put hazardous health risks on people and communities living near those open dumps.
With rapid population growth, urbanization, and industrialization in Pakistan, the challenges in solid waste management and their impact on the ecosystem, environment, and people are aggravating. The poor waste management practices and low recycling rates contribute to significant resource wastage and increasing dependency on natural resources for fresh produce, making the economy inefficient and unsustainable. To address these challenges, the current solid waste management framework requires a transition from the linear economic model of ‘produce-use-dispose’ towards a sustainable circular economy framework of ‘reduce-reuse-recycle’.
The circular economy framework aims to optimize the use of materials and resources, extend their lifespan, minimize waste generation, and reduce resource consumption by involving stakeholders to adopt sustainable practices at different levels of production and consumption. The implementation of this framework is focused on the following core elements:
- A sustainable production chain, where producers incorporate sustainable practices such as using recyclable resources to create products with longer life spans and durability, as well as adopting cleaner technology to reduce resource consumption in the process.
- Formal waste management infrastructure, which includes creating recycling stations, collection and composting facilities, and material recovery facilities.
- Upcycling, where waste is converted into new and high-value products such as creating renewable energy or bioplastics from the waste.
- Sustainable consumer behavior, which includes educating and raising awareness among consumers on waste separation, composting, and recycling waste materials
The implementation of a circular economy framework in Pakistan will substantially help manage the existing solid waste crisis and it will also improve economic conditions by using solid waste as a resource. According to WaterAid, the transition towards a circular economy can create employment opportunities in the solid waste industry and can generate USD 1.2 billion per annum. Moreover, the UNDP’s recent portfolio addressing plastic pollution highlights how financing of clean and green technologies, which convert plastic into renewable energy, can help transition to a sustainable and efficient energy system.
Most of the collected solid waste is dumped in the open grounds within the city, creating large open dumps that are poorly managed.
In this way, adopting a circular economy framework is important to handling and resolving the solid waste management crisis. However, the transition requires collaborative efforts from different stakeholders such as citizens, policy-makers, and businesses to come together and play their role. Hence, by making strategic investments in infrastructure, raising public awareness, and promoting innovation in businesses, Pakistan can transform its waste crisis into a sustainable future, consisting of environmental resilience and regenerative ecosystems.
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