Evaluation of circular economy potential of plastic waste in Sri Lanka | |
| Author | Samarasinghe, Keshan Lakmal |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.EV-19-07 |
| Subject(s) | Plastics industry and trade--Waste disposal--Sri Lanka Plastic scrap--Sri Lanka--Management Recycling (Waste, etc.)--Economic aspects--Sri Lanka |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Environmental Engineering and Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | The Oceans have already become the biggest dumpsite for a large volume of plastic waste every year. Plastic debris not only causes a significant impact to the marine environment but also imposes considerable pressure on social, economic and institutional environment. In Sri Lanka, plastic composition of municipal solid waste and volume of mismanaged plastic have increased exponentially during the past decades with its economic development coupled with rapid urbanization but neglecting sustainable waste management practices. The concept of circular economy (CE) is one of the best ways to address the adverse environmental impacts of the plastic waste. The study presented here is focused on investigating the CE potential of plastic waste in Sri Lanka. This is the first ever attempt of such nature. The specific areas of investigation included (i) estimating stock and flow of plastic (ii) analyzing characteristics, roles and responsibilities of relevant stakeholders (iii) identifying opportunities and barriers to plastic waste management (PWM) and (iv) analyzing and recommending policies for better PWM. The analysis of plastic material flow has indicated that in the year 2017, about 0.74 million tonnes of plastic was imported while only about 0.14 million tonnes of plastic exited the system boundary as exported products, exported waste, swept plastic waste to the ocean, and off-gas from thermal recycling processes. About 10,500 tonnes of municipal solid waste was generated daily and average per capita waste generation was about 0.47 kg/day. The amount of plastic waste swept to the ocean was about 0.07 million tonnes in the year 2017. These estimates indicate that Sri Lanka is the 18th largest contributor to marine plastic waste pollution in the world when compared with the figurers presented in the “Plastic Waste Inputs from Land into the Ocean” report. The country’s plastic waste collection efficiency is estimated to be about 41% of the total plastic waste generation (PWG). This low collection rate along with non-segregation of waste at source and inadequacy of proper collection systems and related infrastructure are some of the challenges. The plastic waste recycling efficiency is only about 3% of the total PWG while only 1% of total PWG is used for co-fueling in cement industry. It is concluded that the CE performance in the PWM can be effectively strengthened by providing the low interest loans and VAT relief for recycled products as against bringing rules and regulations needing a strong enforcement regime. Also, a multi-stakeholder dialog platform set up and managed at the national scale would greatly support such efforts. |
| Year | 2019 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Energy and Climate Change (Former title: Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change (DEECC)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Environmental Engineering and Management (EV) |
| Chairperson(s) | Vishvanathan, Chettiyappan; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Shipin, Oleg V.;Vilas Nitivattananon; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Asian Institute of Technology Fellowship ; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2019 |