Assessment of plastic packaging waste management and leakage in Kathmandu City, Nepal | |
| Author | Lamichhane, Mira |
| Call Number | AIT RSPR no.MPA-22-12 |
| Subject(s) | Plastic scrap--Nepal--Kathmandu--Management Plastics--Environmental aspects--Nepal--Kathmandu |
| Note | A research study submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Marine Plastics Abatement |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Plastic waste is everywhere from mountains to marine. Like other cities in developing countries, Kathmandu does not have a specific and special management system for plastic waste. The organic fraction is in a higher amount but plastic waste especially plastic packaging is increasing on a daily basis. Furthermore, Nepal's plastic waste management regulation and directive are just limited to the ban on 40-micron plastic bags. Little or no effective measures are taken to reuse and recycle plastic packaging materials as the capital city of Kathmandu still does not have proper waste segregation and material recovery facilities. This study assessed the present practices for plastic packaging waste management in Kathmandu and its leakage into the environment. The results of the study provide a better understanding of plastic waste management practices within the city. Moreover, issues and challenges faced by the different stakeholders are analyzed regarding plastic waste management. The methods of this study include a questionnaire, interviews, field observation, and material flow analysis by using the STAN software and Waste Flow Diagram. The study estimates 21626 tons of Plastic Packaging Waste to be generated in 2022. Among the total generation, 97% is estimated to be collected from both formal and informal collection services and 3 % of plastic waste remains uncollected depending on the current collection system. The existing management of waste shows that only 9% of plastic packaging waste is recovered for recycling and energy, 48% ends up in landfills, and 43% remains mismanaged. Furthermore, 15% enter into the water system, which means it enters into Bagmati and its contribution river. Finally,16% is retained on land, 1% is on storm drain and 11% of plastic packaging waste is burnt in KMC. The results identified the city’s major challenges concerning plastic packaging waste management as implementing source segregation, people’s awareness and participation, sustainable source of financing for infrastructure development, establishing the material recovery facility inside the city, and finally, lack of legal provisions like EPR governing plastic waste management. |
| Year | 2022 |
| Type | Research Study Project Report (RSPR) |
| 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 | Marine Plastic Abatement (MPA) |
| Chairperson(s) | Thammarat Koottatep |
| Examination Committee(s) | Shrestha, Sangam;Xue, Wenchao |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Government of Japan |
| Degree | Research studies project report (M.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2022 |