Narrowed Issue

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cbar...@masonlive.gmu.edu

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Oct 18, 2012, 6:32:10 PM10/18/12

to global-tas...@googlegroups.com

Thank you everyone for your input in narrowing this topic. It looks like (see below) this exerpt is where our issue left off and any changes are certainly accepted and can be added/revised. Please let us know if this issue needs to be further discussed or if you feel there is a need for another WebEx meeting on this topic. We also want everyone to be happy with this narrowing and would like any feedback you may have.

The only issues that were still pending:
Joe had concerns about Dandura as the site possibly being an issue. This can certainly be addressed if it becomes an issue. And the Psychology team had concerns with the making sure the sorting included safe procedures, so I added HazMat compliant training. Robert had excellent ideas and shared the microcredit information, which could be incorportated into the plan of action.

Utilize the Dandura landfill location to implement a sorting and separation program that will in turn sell these sorted items for recycling and reusing purposes, and dispose of the hazardous waste in a proper way. Utilize the existing private sector waste collectors to provide a mobile collection service to the poor communities, which may be done by putting the proper bins (ie solid waste, food waste, recycle waste, toxic waste into proper containers, and then perhaps use the credit to encourage people to do this, and/or social media (as in people in the community serving as "actors" not facebook...lol...) that would be social psyc side. The business side would be to establish a business plan for distribution and servicing of these containers, as well as staffing the dumpsite with the properly trained people that are HazMat compliant.

cbar...@masonlive.gmu.edu

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Oct 19, 2012, 7:05:20 AM10/19/12

to Susmita Gorai, global-tas...@googlegroups.com

Hi Susmita AND Task Force, http://ecclkenya.com/ http://www.cityfarmer.org/NairobiCompost.html

Thank you for the thought that you put into this. I also feel that where we left off was probably still a little too broad.

I would like to ask everyone to take a look at this link. It was one of the original posting on basecamp when we were trying to establish an issue to deal with. This is an actual case study with a full report detailing a community based program that was implemented. This could be a model if we want to go with a community based program instead of the Dandora site.

http://www.cityfarmer.org/NairobiCompost.html

If we chose to remain with the Dandora site I think it has to include the sorting AND recycling. The recycling is how we will make profit for the people and sustain the funding for the program and grow it.

Here are some options that I propose about the recycling part.

Chose to deal with only the reusable items ie. glass, plastics, material to compost, etc.

We have to deal with the fact that there are hazardous work conditions so that trickles down to the fact that we need to deal with the hazardous waste as well. I would propose that this is where we utilize the private companies (because they are knowledgable in this field) and have them pick up this hazardous waste for proper disposal.

Here is a link to an accredited company that I feel would not just run and dump the waste inproperly. This also provides a lot of great information:

http://ecclkenya.com/

My personal opinion - I think if we try to tackle the Dandora project, it could be GREAT. There are alot of obstacles associated with it but if we invest a little more time into this part of the process and pull our knowledge and resources, it could be a valid marketable plan that makes a difference in this world.

I will post this part to basecamp for further discussion

Thank you Susmita for the time that you put into this. I think we need more input.

From: Susmita Gorai [sgo...@gatech.edu]
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2012 10:59 PM
To: cbar...@masonlive.gmu.edu
Cc: gtaskf...@gmail.com; Danielle Shaver
Subject: Re: Narrowed Issue

Christine, I think it all sounds good so far.

Danielle and I had a quick discussion today and here are some of the questions/points that we discussed and/or are unsure about in terms of the solution our team is thinking about. I also added some of my own thoughts. I apologize I didn't send this earlier!

1. Will our team's solution be only a sorting plan? Or will it be both sorting and recycling?

When I think of sorting I think of recycling as well because the materials can be reused after being separated and cleaned like glass and paper.

However once you have the trash sorted, what will happen next especially to waste you cannot immediately reuse?

When I think of recycling, I think of the entire process that waste facilities have to go through such as for plastic bottle recycling such as breaking down the plastic and then having to make new bottles out of them (although I am not very knowledgeable of the recycling process this is what came to mind). It seems like sorting and recycling are two different solutions and combining them into one solution may become too complicated because we have to still consider the fact that we have to get people to change their mentality in the first place to actually want to sort their trash.

2. Some thoughts about Revenue

Revenue is needed to start the program (e.g. including money for creating a recycling facility and purchasing bins and materials to handle the hazardous waste) but also revenue is needed to keep the program going (e.g. paying the workers who do the sorting).

3. Other Psychology Aspects

The Psych team initially has to figure out exactly how to get people to realize that sorting their trash is a good thing and how to get them to want to do it. There is also the need to get people to stop behaviors like burning their waste.

4. Mobile phones

Are mobile phones going to be used by the poor? Or are we planning to give cell phones to them?

5. Controlling Dandora

I understand that we are thinking of narrowing down our solution just to the Dandora waste site. I guess some other options would be the trash people throw in drains and open areas. Anyway, for Dandora how to control the cartels and illegal dumping? How to gain control of this dump site in the first place if officials aren't able to even gain access?

6. Some information about organic waste (we can think about this if we want to narrow our focus to 1 type of waste)

It is noted that over 50 per cent of this waste is organic and thus offers an opportunity for livelihoods from composting. The organic waste could also be used for energy generation, for example rotting vegetation produces methane which can fuel electricity-generating turbines. (http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=504&ArticleID=5564&l=en)

7. A problem with recycling

Low rate of waste recovery and recycling

Recycling, including of products such as papers, tyres, plastics, used clothes, and metals, is becoming increasingly popular. A kilogramme of old newspapers sells for between Kshs.15 to Kshs.27 while old tyres go for Kshs.50-300 depending on the degree of tear and wear, and size. Organic wastes are also increasingly being recycled to produce compost products. For example, community-based organizations (CBOs) managed by women are recycling market waste from Korogocho Market to produce organic manure for sale. The percentage of solid waste that is recovered from the Municipal point of view is only 8 per cent of the recyclable and 5 per cent of the compostables, however. There is recovery going on in the industries but the rate is unknown. Composting by groups has potential but the groups are facing a number of constraints, the most important of which is procurement of land to conduct the business. Another problem is lack of a stable market for the recovered materials, especially for wastepaper and compost. Thus, for example, the self-help activities of the Mukuru project earned Kshs 1.55 million in 1996 from the recovery of 1,018 tons of materials per year. This income was not sufficient for the project’s 60 members and for financing investments required to improve efficiency. A survey was conducted as part of this study at the Dandora dumpsite where scavengers recover recyclable materials from municipal solid waste. The scavengers were found to be recovering more than 30 different types of materials, with the major ones being ferrous metals (aluminium and copper). While there is considerable potential in recycling, there is a problem of recyclables being contaminated with un-recyclable wastes. In addition, there is no policy on recycling in the country, which has led to the practice of some recycling companies importing waste materials, and to the exploitation of waste pickers by middlemen and recycling firms. Industry operators encourage the setting up of recycling schemes (such as for aluminium cans, bottles, and polythene materials) to improve environmental conditions while also generating incomes to the poor. (http://www.unep.org/PDF/Kenya_waste_mngnt_sector/chapter3.pdf pg 37)

8. People

Who are we targeting exactly in our solution? There are poor unemployed people living near Dandora. Will we be interacting with them to stop them from dumping at Dandora?

Will we be targeting the rich people in any way? It seems like focusing on Dandora means we will not be needing to interact with the rich people of Nairobi, right? How about government officials and health officials? How do we influence them to become a part of our solution? Don't we need the government to make harsher rules and actually enforce them like stopping illegal dumping and burning of waste? How do we get the criminals to stop terrorizing Dandora?

9. The solution itself

I think there are different problem/solution pairs inside of the current solution.

I understand we decided we would be implementing a sorting and separation program as a solution to the specific problem being the Dandora dump site.

However, when you mention disposing of hazardous waste in a safe way this could also be a solution by itself to a specific problem of disposing hazardous solid waste. (For example: we could discuss increasing awareness of the problem with the hazardous waste (social psych) and then working with government and health officials to come up with a plan like some sort of modern treatment facility for hazardous waste (business)).

10. Actually, I am not sure I understand what this part is saying: Utilize the existing private sector waste collectors to provide a mobile collection service to the poor communities, which may be done by putting the proper bins (ie solid waste, food waste, recycle waste, toxic waste into proper containers), and then perhaps use the credit to encourage people to do this, and/or social media (as in people in the community serving as "actors" not facebook...lol...) that would be social psyc side.

What is the purpose of the mobile collection service. Is this for keeping track of revenue? Or for keeping track of the private waste collectors? Also, for the part on bins, are we providing the residents bins? If we are, this is also a different problem/solution because now we are focusing away from the Dandora problem and focusing specifically on getting people to sort their trash.

I am sorry my email is disorganized and lengthy. Feel free to ask me questions about what I wrote here and I will try to clarify.

Also, feel free to post anything from this email onto Basecamp if you find it relevant.

Thank you.

Susmita

From: cbar...@masonlive.gmu.edu
To: global-tas...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2012 6:32:10 PM
Subject: Narrowed Issue

Utilize the Dandura landfill location to implement a sorting and separation program that will in turn sell these sorted items for recycling and reusing purposes, and dispose of the hazardous waste in a proper way. Utilize the existing private sector waste collectors to provide a mobile collection service to the poor communities, which may be done by putting the proper bins (ie solid waste, food waste, recycle waste, toxic waste into proper containers), and then perhaps use the credit to encourage people to do this, and/or social media (as in people in the community serving as "actors" not facebook...lol...) that would be social psyc side. The business side would be to establish a business plan for distribution and servicing of these containers, as well as staffing the dumpsite with the properly trained people that are HazMat compliant.

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