Waste management and private sector participation – operational and behavioural perspectives

Municipal bodies in developing countries are largely occupied with management of solid waste. These municipal bodies are unable to deal effectively with the waste and are unable to recover maximum energy from the waste. In India, the participation of private sector in solid waste management (SWM) has not been widespread. This study tries to explore the perceived reasons for this lack of participation. Using the case study method, four cases of SWM firms in two different cities in India, Ahmedabad and Bangalore are studied and analysed. Six semi-structured and in-depth interviews of key persons in these firms are conducted using open ended questions and themes are generated from this data. Three major reasons for reduced private participation in the waste management activities as perceived by these respondents are: 1) lack of awareness of the value of waste; 2) absence of segregating behaviour; 3) low prioritisation by governing bodies.