Assessing circular economy through sustainable solid waste management: Case of Tier-II Indian City - Cuttack

As the cities grows, the challenges to settle proper infrastructure in Tier-II cities in India also grows as most demand and focus lie on Tier-I cities. Solid waste management (SWM) services, being one of the major infrastructural concerns is mostly overlooked in many Tier-II cities in India. Though municipalities have addressed many challenges in SWM services, yet it continues to face issues related to collection, treatment and management. Financial support for SWM services is an important question that needs to be addressed in academic research. This research aims to develop effective circular economy and sustainable solid waste management strategy for Cuttack City, a Tier-II city in India. This study focuses on estimating municipal solid waste (MSW) generation, evaluating existing management systems, identifying opportunities for improvement and formulating a financial model. Primary data was gathered through household surveys to understand waste generation behaviours, segregation practices, and willingness to pay (WTP) for enhanced waste management services. Secondary data, sourced from governmental reports and prior studies, was analysed to estimate waste generation, evaluate current solid waste management practices, and propose improvements. Analysis revealed that 70% of households in Cuttack City are willing to segregate and recycle waste, and an average of 80% of household are willing to pay for daily collection, Odor free services and street cleaning. The revenue generated out of WTP can be further used for investing on transportation of waste, labour wages, composting and recycling, which in turn returns the after-sale value in marketing.