The recent development of issue in Kathmandu in relation to the landfill sites and the disposal of solid waste has indicated that there is no more attraction for managing landfill sites and probably none of the neighborhoods in and around Kathmandu will allow landfill sites to be operated. The Gokarna site has been saturated and over used. Local residents will not permit the Okharpauwa, Ramkot and Siuchatar sites to be used as landfill sites and they cannot be utilized unless the infrastructure required for transportation, scientific processing and treatment as sorting, composting or incineration and finally dumping at landfill site is in operation.

The Zero Waste Concept, developed in USA and largely used world wide, is proposed as an appropriate method for Nepal as a whole that is capable to overcome the ever-rising hazards from the traditional ways of solid waste management. The concept invites for consuming the solid waste at the source of its generation through application of measures which will return the waste to its source of generation and reduce the waste practically to nil and need for landfill sites will be minimized. The waste generation at the source is monitored and managed by following ways:

• Separation of Reusable items - Furniture, TV, Motorcycle, Gadgets etc. - sending to re-users or manufacturers,


• Separation of Recyclable items - Paper, Wood, Metal, Glass, Leather, Plastic, Textile, Batteries, Tire and Tubes - Sendings back to manufacturers, or contribute to ZWN,


• Food Waste -Composting at home


• Construction debris -use to fill land reclamation areas


• Preventing mixing of various categories of waste


• Preventing dumping on streets and multiple handling


• Avoid taking home unnecessary items/ waste materials,


• Waste Collection from door to door or receiving at the specialized stations.


• Finally, avoiding the need for landfill and incineration sites

The Campaign being proposed here has two different strategies:

Immediate Strategy comprises of issuing mass request to General Public:

• To develop restraint and refrain from dumping on streets or public place;


• To Segregate various waste, not to mix them out, not to burn and not bury under ground;


• To utilize the energy of concern of various groups for mass education and awareness campaign instead of the protest rallies;


• To separate various waste and deliver to the special trucks collecting special items or to specialized collecting stations;


• To compost the food and agricultural products at domestic level using miniature biogas plant;


• To dispose construction debris at specially designated fill sites.


Medium Term Strategy will comprise of:

• Establishing NGO to deliver specialized services of collecting and delivery of the waste to the source of their generation;


• Developing agricultural waste digesting system as Bio-gas plant and sewage digesters


• Develop land reclamation areas for filling with construction debris.