LWMC to build station to recycle construction waste

LAHORE

To address the issue of solid waste transfer and recycling of construction and demolition waste, Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) has planned to construct the first ever transfer station and recycling facility near Thokar Niaz Baig.

For the past several years, the provincial capital is witnessing a rapid spree in construction activities due to indiscriminate urbanisation. This is resulting in generation of approximately 5,000-8,000 ton solid waste on daily basis on an average and proper disposal of solid waste as well as recycling of used construction material has become one of the vital issues of the city.

Recently a large number of properties were demolished in Lahore due to the ongoing infrastructure development, construction of mass transit projects and road network projects. Majority of the debris of the demolished buildings was dumped in open places in different city localities. Kaporthala House, Kacha Ferozpur Road, Old Anarkali, Chauburji, More Samanabad, Multan Road and Ferozpur Road are some big examples of such cases.

Civic experts claimed that SW generation rate in Lahore City is 0.84Kg/Capita/Day whereas C&D waste is almost 85-110 ton being collected by the LWMC, whereas, the generation rate of C&D waste is 200-250 ton per day. The C&D waste consists of the soil, rubble, concrete, bricks and demolished material from residential and commercial buildings.

The increased construction activities are also resulting in generation of heavy material included concrete, wood, and asphalt (from roads and roofing shingles), gypsum (the main component of drywall), metals, bricks, glass, and plastic and salvaged building components, such as doors, windows, and plumbing fixtures. These materials need to be recycled or disposed of in a scientific manner; otherwise, it will result in various environmental issues.

Environmentalists said that C&D waste was a significant and growing part of the disposed waste stream. They said most of these materials could be graded as disposal and either reused or recycled. They added that at present there is no plant in Lahore for recycling of C&D waste and this will be the first.

Following the need, LWMC aims to develop an Integrated Solid Waste Manage (ISWM) system to ensure efficient collection, transportation, recovery and disposal of the waste generated in the city of Lahore to maintain cleanliness as a major task through efficient functions.

For the sake of providing sustainable, efficient and affordable municipal waste management services to turn Lahore into one of the cleanest cities of Pakistan, LWMC had already successfully completed first and foremost step, i.e. establishment of scientific landfill site at Lakhudair, said Jamil Khawar, LWMC’s spokesperson. He said LWMC had already applied for EIA of the project from Environmental Protection Department (EPD).

To relieve the operations for Lakhudair landfill site, the company has planned to build a Solid Waste Transfer Station near Thokar Niaz Baig, Lahore. Moreover, Construction and Demolition Waste (C&D), is also planned to be collected and recycled at the same transfer station, while remaining non-recyclable C&D SW will be dumped at Lakhudair Landfill Site, said a senior company official while talking with The News. He said the new site is comprised over 248.16 kanals and is located near Katar Bund Road facing Lahore bypass.

He said this transfer station would save the landfill site from load of recyclable demolition waste after collection and recycling of C&D waste. It will be used as a facility point where waste collection vehicles will deposit their waste cargo prior to loading into larger vehicles, the official said, adding large vehicles would transport waste to the end point of disposal in landfill site and in this way, the proposed transfer station will increase the life and operations of landfill site.

The LWMC officials said a crusher plant was also a part of the project which would crush the recyclable concrete building materials and other similar wastes to be reused in the manufacturing of building materials. C&D waste often contains bulky heavy materials.

LWMC’s spokesperson said the project would increase skilled labour opportunities and create hundreds of full time jobs. He said the project would promote sustainable development by using the recyclable waste and by improving the overall environmental quality. The project will create new economic dimensions i.e., installation of composting plant, Poly-Vinyl Chloride (PVC) and shopping bags recycling, etc and also decreased pressure on main landfill site, he concluded.