Municipal Waste Management in SL causing key social, environmental, economic concerns: UNDP

Sri Lanka’s Municipal Waste Management (MSW) is causing key social, environmental, and economic concerns as only 50 percent of the country’s waste is collected by the Central Environmental Authority (CEA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) highlighted.

Of the 7,000 tonnes of solid waste that is produced per day, only half is collected by the CEA’s Waste Management Division. According to the UNDP, 85 percent of the waste generated is disposed of inappropriately. The common methods of waste disposal are through open dumping and burning giving rise to health and environmental impacts.

The Western Province alone generates more than 59 percent (approximately 4,200 tonnes) of solid waste with a high degree of biodegradability. With trends in urbanization and rapid population growth, municipal waste generation is expected to rise to 2.2 billion tonnes by 2025.

As the country makes headway in its green recovery, the UNDP asserted it is crucial to build measures to introduce sustainable waste management options for Local Authorities (LAs).