Video

Roughly 62 million tonnes of municipal solid waste are produced every year in India. Of this, around 86 percent is collected but only 37 percent is processed. Most of the waste collected ends up in landfill sites. Estimates also forecast a doubling of this waste volume by 2030, which will therefore rise to some 165 million tonnes per year. 

At the same time, India has the potential to harvest 5.4 million tonnes of compost from urban waste every year, as up to 50 percent of this volume consists of organic wastes. The management of organic waste presents a particular challenge to many cities, however, such as the densely populated port city of Kochi in the Indian coastal state of Kerala.  

In Kochi, more than 80 percent of the waste generated consists of organic materials – such as food waste from markets, restaurants or businesses. 

As part of a German-Indian cooperative venture, GIZ is working on behalf of the BMUV’s Export Initiative Environmental Protection to help authorities at national and local level to develop an independent urban strategy for organic waste management. 

The video offers insights into the waste management strategy adopted by the City of Kochi, which is setting an example in the handling of organic waste for India as a whole. Speakers in the interview include the Mayor of Kochi, Dr Chithra, and Mr Naisam from Kochi Municipal Corporation, who talk about setting up the organic waste management system, strengthening the participation of women and the significance of waste separation at household level.