Maldives

- 1192 islands
- seventh largest coral reefs in the world: 8920 sq km
- 89 tourist resorts (up from 64 in 1990)
- 45-50 planned resorts
- over last decade tourist arrivals in creased at annual rate of 8%
- fish catch increased by 5%
- economy expanded at average of 7% per annum for last 25 years
- reduced poverty by over 50% between 1997 2004
- low poverty and highest income per capita in South Asia
- 2004 tsunami disaster caused damage worth 62% of GDP
- Maldives on threshold of graduating form Less Developed Country status to
- Middle Income Group status with per capita GDP of USD 2800
- main economic activities: tourism, fisheries, manufacturing, transport and
related services
- est. 2500 registered small and medium enterprises- most locates in Male which
accounts for 27% of total population
- each about 600,000 tourists double population of Maldives
WASTE MANAGEMENT
- challenges: population, economic growth, dynamic tourist sector,
changing consumption patterns, tend towards increasing waste
generation
- direct correlation between waste generation and income
- Thilafushi not sanitary landfill lacks: liners, daily cover of wastes,
leachate and methane collection and processing systems
- Wastes burned in open air generates air, land and water pollution
around Thilafushi poses risks to human health and environment
A study sponsored by UNDP in 2004 (Identification of Existing Barriers to the Provision
of Effective Solid Waste Management Services within the Maldives and Recommendations
for their Removal) identified the following as the major barriers to delivering efficient
waste management services within the Maldives:
1. The pressing need for greater levels of government investment in waste management
infrastructure and equipment within the inhabited atolls and islands. This is not a problem
in the resort islands, but there are concerns about the design and age of some of the
equipment, such as the incinerators, and some of the prevailing practices such as dumping
food waste into the marine environment;
2. This lack of investment within the waste infrastructure within inhabited islands is
exacerbated by, as well as a function of the lack of appropriate cost recovery mechanisms
throughout the sector;
3. Inadequate institutional capacity and financial resources within key government
agencies resulting in an inability to fully execute mandated responsibilities;
4. The absence of a national waste management policy resulting in a lack of clear roles
and responsibilities, leadership and co-ordination;
5. Inadequate level of education and awareness, resulting in low levels of compliance
from the public, coupled with uncertainty about available options and best practices;
6. Weak legislative and regulatory framework that hinders effective monitoring and
enforcement; and

7. The limited involvement of the private sector in service delivery resulting

in opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce costs not being fully
realized.

RECYCLING AND INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT

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Integrated Waste Management (IWM) is the approach that can manage wastes in
a socially desirable, economically viable and environmentally sound manner.
IWM includes a hierarchy which gives the highest priority to waste prevention,
and in descending order of importance, reuse, recycling, composting, incineration,
and the lowest priority to sanitary landfilling of wastes.
Recycling plays an important role in IWM. A combined recycling and
composting program can divert as much as 80% from the waste stream.
Composting the organic fraction of wastes and recycling the inorganic materials
that have market value can result in social, economic, and environmental benefits.
Recycling and composting activities can create jobs, reduce poverty, conserve
natural resources, reduce pollution, save cities in collection, transport of disposal
of wastes, improve industrial competitiveness, and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.
1) Between 300-400 tons of metals / month are recovered and exported to India
2) Approximately 30 tons of PET / month are recovered and exported to India 10
The current recycling rate is about 15 % of the municipal solid wastes (MSW)
generated in Male. At the national level the recycling rate would be 4.9 %.

BEST PRACTICES IN RECYCLING IN ASIA

a) The socio-economic conditions and the waste itself in developing countries
differ markedly from those in developed countries. Most developing countries
suffer from widespread poverty, high unemployment, and scarcity of capital. The
wastes generated in developing countries tend to be highly organic. Therefore, the
methods and technologies commonly used in developed countries tend to fail
when used in low-income communities. Developing countries often require a
different approach for waste management and recycling programs.
b) Successful recycling programs in developing countries use labor intensive, low
cost and low tech approaches
c) Successful recycling programs in developing countries promote community
participation, often by providing incentives for recycling
d) Scavenging in developing countries is common, but it entails high risks to their
health
e) Successful recycling programs in developing countries often incorporate
scavengers into programs that involve separation of recyclables at the source of
generation
f) Combining composting and recycling can reduce as much as 80% the amount
of wastes that need final disposal

MARKETS FOR RECYCLABLES

The recyclable materials recovered from waste constitute commodities. As such,
they are the staple ingredients of a modern economy. Production activities require
a wide array of materials as inputs in order to transform them into infrastructure,
equipment, and consumer products that satisfy societys needs. Economies need

steel to build bridges and buildings; glass for windows and jars; aluminum for
airplanes and beverage cans, and so on.
In order to obtain the best prices, the following conditions must be met:
a) The minimum volume that buyers are willing to accept is one container
b) Materials must be sorted with a minimum of contamination (presence of other
materials)
c) Materials must be baled inside the containers
d) Potential buyers of PET in India stressed that the material should be baled and not
crushed, since once crushed it is very hard to assess its purity.
e) PET should not be exposed to the sun for extended periods of time, since the UV rays
degrade it.
f) Cardboard and paper should be dry and contact with water and food should be avoided
Based on an assessment of various recycling systems options, the consultant concludes
that the most viable business model for a public private partnership is a long-term
contract (e.g. at least 10 years) for a single materials recovery facility (MRF) enterprise
handling all types of recyclable materials found in Mals municipal waste. The quantity
of recyclable materials in Mals waste is too small to justify multiple public-private
partnerships (PPPs) to handle individual recyclables separately.

Current Waste Collection System in Male

There is no municipal collection of wastes in Male. Waste collection is carried out by
private parties. There are three types of waste collectors:
a) By Bicycle: 50-70 individuals collect waste from households transporting it in bicycles
to the transfer station. Normally one man carry 15 kg in his bicycle does 5 to 7 collection
trips per day collecting 90-105 Kg of waste. Most of these informal collectors are migrant
workers from Bangladesh and some from India.
b) By push cart: 10-20 individuals collect waste from households using pushcarts. One
cart carries 70-100 Kg and they do 2-3 trips a day. They are also mostly migrant workers
from Bangladesh and some from India.
c) Private Companies: 2 private companies provide waste management services:
i) Masik Environment: They have 3 mini trucks. They collect waste from:
200 households, charging 150 Rufiya each / month
35 Offices, charging 300-1000 Rufiya each / month
7 shops, charging 100-1000 Rufiya each / month
20 cafs / restaurants, charging 500-1000 Rufiya each / month
Masik has 11 employees. One mini truck takes 5-6 trips per day.
ii) Recap Waste management: They have 2 mini trucks and 6 employees. They collect
waste from:
140-150 households, charging 200-300 Rufiya each / month 20

5 offices, charging 1000 Rufiya each / month

7 shops, charging 300 Rufiya each / month
27 Restaurants, charging 500-1000 Rufiya each / month
3 Guest houses, charging 500-800 Rufiya each / month
2 Schools, charging 800 Rufiya each / month
1 Hospital, charging 750 Rufiya each / month
Waste Transport and Disposal
All waste collected in Male is taken to either of two transfer stations: one for
industrial wastes and the other for municipal wastes. At the transfer station,
collected waste is loaded onto large trucks. These trucks drive to the ferry terminal,
where they are carried by ferry to Thilafushi, where final disposal takes place.
Waste collected in Male is gathered at two transfer stations, one for commercial wastes
and the other for household wastes. At the transfer stations, waste is loaded onto lorries
(trucks) that drive to the Vilingili Ferry Terminal. There, ferries that can carry 5 lorries,
take them to Thilafushi. When the ferry arrives in Thilafushi, the lorries drive directly to
the disposal area, where they empty their contents into the ground.
At the disposal area, wastes are put in piles and burned in the open. The smoke from
this open burning can be seen from Male. Open burning of garbage, given its
heterogeneous nature and the lack of monitoring on the presence of hazardous
materials, can pose significant risks to human health and the environment.

Table 2
Amount of Wastes from Male Disposed
at Thilafushi (tons)
Type of waste

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Domestic

50,733

71,925

65,623

61,554

60,604

67,243

71,380

65,752

Industrial

26,202

42,073

41,084

37,517

42,944

33,055

38,901

43,648

Total

76,935

113,998 106,707

99,071

103,548

100,298

110,281 109,400

Source: Waste Management Section, Male Municipality, 2007

CURRENT RECYCLING ACTIVITIES

Some materials are currently recovered from the waste stream for recycling. Some of
them are processed locally but most of them are exported. The following are the materials
currently salvaged from waste:
1) Between 300-400 tons of metals / month are recovered and exported to India
2) Approximately 30 tons of PET / month are recovered and exported to India
The current recycling rate is about 15 % of the municipal solid wastes (MSW) generated
in Male. At the national level the recycling rate would be 4.9 %.

A 15% recycling rate of MSW is not insignificant. The United States, with more than
7,000 municipal recycling programs, has achieved a recycling rate of 27%. Achieving
this rate has required significant investments in infrastructure, equipment, and
public awareness.
Since the recovery of recyclables occurs from mixed wastes, it requires more effort,
time, and the quality of the materials is lower compared to securing materials
segregated at the source.

Projected Daily Waste Generation and Population for Male Municipality through
the Year 2020

Item

Cost

Site Work
Structures
Moving Equipment
Processing Equipment
Total Construction Cost
Design, Engineering & contingency
Working capital
Total Financed
Annual Cost of Capital

$23,700
$167,760
$35,000
$65,900
$292,360
$43,850
$29,240
$336,210
$52,030

Market Value of Recycled Commodities ($/tonne FOB Mal)

Item
Price Range
PET Bottles (Baled)
$250 - $350
HDPE Bottles (Baled)
$200 - $300
Plastic Film (Baled)
$250 - $350
Aluminum Cans (Densified)
$700 - $800
Steel Cans (Densified)
$200 - $300
Scrap Metal (Loose)
$250 - $350
Cardboard Box (Baled)
$75 - $125
Mixed Paper (Baled)
$50 - $80
Source: Kamdar Exports and i-Supra Trade Links Pvt Ltd

Mal MRF Annual Revenue Estimate

Item
PET Bottles
HDPE Bottles
Plastic Film
Aluminum Cans
Steel Cans
Scrap Metal
Cardboard Box
Mixed Paper

Total
$6,850
$26,890
$89,970
$18,340
$95,760
$16,630
$25,260
$19,810

Annual Revenue

$299,510

Recycling revenue will have a significant impact on the financial viability of the MRF
enterprise. The consultant believes the assumptions made in this analysis are
conservative and that significant potential exists for the MRF enterprise to increase
revenue by handling additional tons of recycled commodities. One indication of this
potential is to consider the large volumes of PET bottles used in the Maldives. This
financial analysis is based on the assumption that PET bottles comprise 1.4% of Mals
municipal waste (23 tons/year of PET). According to International Beverages Company,
the Maldives consumes 300 tons per month of PET. If the MRF were able to capture just
5 percent of that, it would handle 60 tons per year of PET with a market value of
$15,000 to $21,000 versus the estimated revenue of $6,850.