National Solid Waste Management Strategy and Action Plan 2008 - 2010.

National Solid Waste Management Strategy and Action Plan is a national policy with a sectoral approach. The timeframe of the policy is 2 years between 2008 and 2010. The key objectives of the National Solid Waste Management Strategy are to: (I) reduce the amount of waste, (II) make best use of the waste generation, (III) develop and implement economic and social incentive mechanisms to change wasteful behaviour, (IV) improve and upgrade existing waste management and disposal systems and encourage waste management practices in order to minimize the environmental risk and harm to human health, and (V) provide a guideline for solid waste management practices work at rural or community level.
The National Solid Waste Management Strategy addresses the problems of solid wastes, with an emphasis on waste minimization not limited to resource conservation, waste segregation at source, waste disposal, recycle, reuse and composting. The Strategy aims at reducing the volume of waste residual for final disposal and thus alleviating the pressures on the capacity of the landfills. Public participation in waste minimization and recycling initiatives will be encouraged. More efficient and sustainable production and consumption practices will be adopted. In addition to that, industrial sector will be encouraged to use better waste management practices in line with the polluter pays principle. Minimum operating guidelines will be set up for all dump sites in urban centres. Innovative and appropriate ways will be developed to minimize generation of solid waste. To this end, waste minimization measures that are applicable to urban and rural dwellers will be identified. Effective reuse, recycle and recovery of resources will be promoted. Solid waste disposal systems will be developed for minimization at source and recycling or reprocessing for export overseas. Waste management will be strengthened by taking into consideration the environmental impacts. All solid waste management legislation will be harmonized with Environmental Management Act and the coordination of solid waste management activities will be strengthened amongst all concerned ministries and departments. Data on all waste streams and solid waste will be collected, including all relevant waste reports and estimates of solid waste at national, provincial, local and rural levels. Furthermore, a database of all private entities in the recycling and reprocessing industry will be established to keep the track of their activities as well as to develop a solid waste management plan. Local governments will be assisted to improve the solid waste management systems through institutional capacity building. Research will be conducted on solid waste management practices and appropriate technology in waste minimization will be identified for the country. In order to raise public awareness on national solid waste management systems, better solid waste management practices will be incorporated into the school curriculum and trainings will be carried out for communities.