Project Dates

Start: 2015

The Story

As in many parts of the world, the improper management of solid waste is increasingly affecting the health of the population in Mumbai. Water, air and soil resources continue to be polluted. A new municipal waste treatment system, which has been in operation since 2017, has helped the rapidly growing Indian megacity to manage its waste streams and thus improve living conditions step by step. When put into operation, the plant was the largest waste treatment facility in Southeast Asia that met western standards.

The plant prevents approximately 90% of the waste from being dumped in landfills and saves 400,000 tons of CO2 per year. The waste is sorted and the organic fraction (600 t/day; 185,000 t/year) is passed to the biological treatment plant of the Austrian company Compost Systems. It is composted over a period of eight weeks and processed into a compost that is highly valuable not least for agriculture. Furthermore, the avoidance of additional landfills is also another important step for the health of the population.

Success Factor | Hero Moment

Above all, it has been important to communicate the advantages and benefits of the project so that local stakeholders clearly recognize the benefits of the project and fully support it.

In order to provide a stable framework for the common objectives and to define an intended common line of action, agreements like MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) have proved important, not only to have a formal document but also to create kind of an initial hero moment for all stakeholders involved.

Submitter

Compost Systems GmbH