Samdrupjongkhar Thromde
What activities were carried out to address waste management issues?
MoU Signing with regional heads on the ban of single use plastic products. The MoU signing was to formalise the minutes of the Inter-agency Coordination meeting which was held in May, 2017 where by all regional offices under S/Jongkhar Thromde agreed not to use the single use plastic products (plates, cups, cutlery items). The ban of these products is not limited to official gatherings.
MOU signing with S/Jongkhar Initiative (SJI) for continuous supply of degradable alternatives to the single use plastic products. It’s difficult to ban plastic products if we do not provide alternatives.
Recycled Plastic Waste Exhibition: This was carried out to create awareness among students and the public. The exhibition was carried out in the form of a competition among the schools
Which single activity do you feel shall serve as an example to be replicated in other dzongkhags?
Ban on the single use plastic products.
What are your future plans and activities?
Replicate the ban on single use plastic products in the whole S/Jongkhar Thromde.
Samtse
What activities were carried out to address waste management issues?
Advocacy programme and activities:
Monthly clean up conducted on 9thof every month in all gewogs and towns in
Poster exhibition/competitions on plastic wastes organised with the schools.
Door-to-door awareness campaigns carried out by students for business communities and general public on “plastic wastes reduction”
Stream clean up and adoption by schools
Water sources clean up and protection activities carried out by communities in the gewogs
Awareness to drivers along Highway by Traffic Police and RSTA
Area adoption for ownership and proper waste management within Municipal area (demarcated into 20 zones).
Stakeholder consultation meetings organised in the dzongkhag.
Regular waste collections within municipal/town area (3times/week).
Establishment of 146 bio-gas plant during fiscal year 2017-18 . To date there are 804 biogas plants.
Replacement of single use plastic plates with eco-friendly bio-plates during events/programmes
Which single activity do you think shall serve as an example to be replicated in other Dzongkhags?
Pledge to reduce the use of single use plastic plates through alternative use of eco-friendly bio-Plates during any programmes. Samtse dzongkhag has a bio-plate factory.
What are your future plans and activities?
Continue advocacy/awareness programmess
Continue to encourage use of Bio-Plates as an alternative for single use plastic plates and explore other environment friendly alternatives
Collaborate with Law Enforcing Agencies (RBP/DoFPS/RSTA/Gewogs)
Thimphu
What activities were carried out to address waste management issues?
Conducted cleaning campaign
Conducted waste management awareness to all gewogs
Developed Dzongkhag Waste Management Plan (yet to be finalised)
Adopted cleaning of Dzongkhag Office premises every last day of the month
Celebration of World Environment Day
Introduction and collection of waste from urban periphery places like Kawang, Hongtsho, Khasadrapchu, Depsi by deploying waste dump truck at least twice a week
Which single activity do you think shall serve as an example to be replicated in other Dzongkhags?
Development of Dzongkhag Waste Management Plan is important to guide in the implementation of activities on management of waste
What are your future plans and activities?
Once the Waste Plan is finalised, all gewogs would manage waste generated within their jurisdiction. The dzongkhag is planning to convene a stakeholder’s consultation meeting to revitalise their roles and responsibilities in managing waste and to draw integrated solutions for waste prevention and management
Thimphu Thromde
What activities were carried out to address waste management issues?
1. Reduce waste at source
Waste segregation initially into dry and wet from 2015. Now, we are taking a step further to segregate waste at source. For example, people can sell their plastic waste for Nu10-15/Kg (Good quality plastics such as hard plastics, shampoo containers, broken chairs, flower pots and toys at Nu15/Kg and lower quality plastics such as candy wrappers, noodle covers and carry bags at Nu.10/Kg) and similarly, paper waste at Nu 5/Kg.
Organic composing has been initiated to convert kitchen waste into compost in various schools, institutions and at homes. Provide skills to convert their kitchen waste into organic compost by using locally available resources such as rice husk and barn, yeast, curd or yogurt. We are also supplying the raw materials for organic composting.
2. Recycling
Municipal paper and cardboard waste is collected and sent to paper recycling plant in Bjemina to produce egg trays.
In partnership with the Green Roads, plastic waste is converted into commercially valuable products such as fencing poles, flag poles, flower pots, threads for weaving good quality baskets and coasters
3. Social Media Apps :
a common platform for people to interact with TT and to report on illegal waste dumping and issues related to city beautification.
4. One day a week is dedicated to monitor illegal waste dumping in the city and addressing waste issues at the household levels. With the onset of monsoon, it is important that we don’t let illegally dumped rubbish block drains and cause flooding.
5. GPS tracking system introduced in each collection trucks to monitor waste collection services and mobile apps development initiated.
Which single activity do you think shall serve as an example to be replicated in other Dzongkhags?
Organic composting can be done either on small and larger scale, using locally available materials such as rice husk and bran, yogurt and yeast. Organic waste is currently 50% of the total waste stream going to the landfill.
The benefits-
Households will have organic compost from their kitchen waste; will not have to wait for collection trucks.
Reduce frequency of waste collection and so save on transportation cost of collection.
Reduces amount of waste going to the landfill and so the lifespan of the landfill is extended.
What are your future plans and activities?
The current fleet of collection trucks is not adequate and, we are planning to replace them, when the budget permits. The main challenge today is the problem with our collection trucks.
Establishing waste drop-off stations / centers where, people will be required to segregate their waste, while dumping.