After initiation of source separation programme, waste collectors of Katana pradeshiya  sabha  have understood the value of recyclables. They consider it a privilege to work in waste collection carts and for them having to work in a tractor is a punishment.

Katana pradeshiya sabha possess a huge compost site, which was 100% automated earlier but now functioning  manually.  Organic waste for compost production is collected from the Raddolugama housing scheme.  Garbage collection and source separation procedures have evolved according to this primary factor.

Waste  is collected separately as biodegradables and nonbiodegradables in the Raddolugama  housing scheme. Waste collection is done by carts and  the carts have been provided with large bins for collecting biodegradables. During initiation of the source seperation programme, pradeshiya sabha has distributed green bins to households in a selected part of the scheme to collect food waste. Upon expansion  of the programme residents in other areas have been instructed to give their food waste in separate bags.

Community organizations can also play a vital role in managing the waste in their localities. This success story is about a community organization in Badowita area that has been implementing a successful source separation programme since 2001. They have been able to achieve the support of 90% of residents in the area and handle 1.5 to 2 tons of recyclables from 1600 households per month in an environmental friendly and profitable way.

Badowita is a densely populated area under the jurisdiction of Dehiwala Mount Lavinia municipal council. The residents originally lived along canal banks in Kilulapona, Wellawatta Redimola Watta and Wawul Bogaha areas. In before early nineties they moved to Badowita under a relocation programme carried out by the Law Land Development Board and the Housing Development Authority in a bid to control floods.

Restarting life in the new locality was a challenge. They had to face various problems in getting their necessities fulfilled. To make a voice for their issues people got together to form community development organizations. There are six such community organizations that have got together to form the Badowita United Community Development Society.  Through this, they have found solutions for most of the problems they faced and solid waste management is one such area, the society had a roaring success.

There were heaps of waste along roads and community dumping sites before project initiation. Upon request of the united society to Dehiwala Mount Lavinia MC, Urban Development Authority, JAICA and Sevanatha has helped the community to start this novel kind of source separation programme.

With the assistance and sponsorship of  3R initiative at LIRNEasia, 300 green buckets were distributed freely among 300 households in Gala Uda road – Kaduwela.

The function was held at the Pradeshiya Sabha premises on 20th November, 2009 with the participation of Mr. Greshan Alwis, vice president of Kaduwela Pradeshiya Sabha, Mr. Lalith Nanayakkara, Community Development Officer, Mr. Jayathilaka, Secretary to the president, Ms. Deshika Kariyakarawana, representing the LIRNEasia and some office members.

With each bucket, a 100g sample of ‘Bokashi’ and a 3R bag was provided. The importance of proper waste exclude, method of using Bokashi and its benefits were explained to the gathering of about 200. It was proposed to collect domestic degradable waste twice a week after the green bucket distribution.Kaduwela Pradeshiya Sabha hopes to expand this practice to all house holds in the area in order to develop the composting process recently functioning at Wele junction - Kaduwela. Deshika Kariyakarawana.

Written by Deshika Kariyakarawana

Balangoda urban council solid waste managfemnt section took a step forward in recyclable collection by promoting founding of 3R societies in the area. Continuing the mission now the UC is offering more awareness and training to the memebers. For more details

Local authorities deal in a variety of sectors at grass root level and innovate a vast number of good practices. But the personnel practicing these do not recognize the value of their innovations and value of sharing it. this situation deprives the opportunity to use this knowledge in some other place. Therefore identifying and recording good practices is very helpful in the process of making the government service more efficient, productive, environmental friendly and etc.

Southern province has long been in the lead in innovating good practices. Having understood the importance of sharing good practices is now in to document them.

Maintaining a blog site is a more economical and efficient way of sharing information among the local authorities. Some selected local authorities in the Kandy district received training in maintaining a blog site . The second session of creating blog site was conducted on 27th August. Participants from Dambulla, Hanguranketha, Kundasale and Pathadumbara pradeshiya sabhas and Nawalapitiya urban council joined the second training session on blog site creation and maintenance for local authorities. Blog site created by the local authorities will soon be linked to this site.