Municipal Solid Waste Characteristics and Quantification as an Assessment of the Existing Waste Management System in the Cumilla City Corporation, Bangladesh

Solid waste generation and its management system were studied on different types of waste, generated from various sources such as households, hotels, bazaars, hospitals, streets, etc. of 27 wards at the Cumilla City Corporation (CuCC) area for 15 days. Both primary and secondary data on waste materials were collected for this project. The primary data collection process involved weighing waste by truckload while a questionnaire was used for secondary data collection. It was found that a total of 2,268 tons of waste was generated over the 15-day period, with food, vegetable, fish, and chicken residues making up 66%, paper products accounting for 10.64%, and polyethylene, plastic, and rubber wastes comprising 10.26%. The study revealed that approximately 79% of the waste materials were biodegradable, while the rest were non-biodegradable. Among the non-biodegradable waste, about 42% consisted of metals, 35% of glass, and 23% of plastic materials, all of which could be recycled. Additionally, there was a shortage of suitable dustbin systems, and most waste products were dumped in open fields. It was observed that 56% of people were unsatisfied with the existing waste management system of the city corporation, and only 38% were concerned about the environmental, health, and other impacts of these solid wastes. Thus, this research indicates that CuCC’s current waste management system is not up to date. The system needs to be improved, and public awareness should be raised to protect both health and the environment from the harmful effects of solid waste.