Abstract:
Waste is produced much more quickly than it is properly disposed of in
emerging nations. In order to address the current problem, the informal sector
plays a significant part. Unfortunately, there are no records of the informal
sector in Pakistan. The contribution of the informal sector should be
acknowledged in order to improve the SWM system. With this study, we hope
to contribute in some little way to the previously indicated goal. In this study,
the informal sector's contribution to MSW management is identified along with
study area’s (Rawalpindi) actual per-capita MSW generating value, the physical
composition of MSW and recyclables on generation, secondary collection, and
final disposal sites. To that end, 30 households were selected based on socioeconomic conditions i.e. low, medium and high income groups. Sample
collection was carried out for 8 consecutive days starting from Sunday, 26
February, 2022-Sunday, 6 March, 2022 and total of 494.68kg waste was
collected, sorted into different fractions of MSW, weighed, and documented;
Excel was used to conduct additional analysis; revealing the per capita waste
generation of Rawalpindi to be 0.80kg/capita/day. Furthermore, stats were
expanded to cover the entire population of Rawalpindi. Due to time and
resource limitations, secondary data of MSW from secondary collection and
final disposal sites was acquired from RWMC. The comparison of the three
sites suggested that 520.66 tons of refuse is recovered daily by the informal
sector overall, containing fractions of plastics (217.91 tons), paper and
cardboard (146.85 tons), textiles (73.84 tone), glass (42 tons), leather and rubber
(7.5 tons) and metal (32.56 tons). This is a significant quantity of recyclables,
not to mention the monetary worth attached to it. By implementing this
research’s approach at the national level, we can guarantee that the recyclables
are under control, enabling the economy of the country to grow expeditiously.
