Sudipta Adhikary
Abstract
Organic waste is growing in volume as cities continue to experience rapid growth and development. This research analyses how waste is managed and processed by the Sakthan Thampuran wholesale market in Thrissur, Kerala, India. It also analyses the interactions, relationships, volume, and types of waste processed by the vendors and market authorities. It was noted that, on average, unsold or spoiled waste, especially leafy leafy vegetables and unsold fruits, was the largest contributor to the daily waste of the market. Also, at the time of the study, the market operated a waste management process that included source separation, on-site, i.e. market site, waste diversion to a bio-composting facility, and minimal diversion of waste to animal feed. Also noted was the improvement of waste diversion and waste processed by the municipality, which decreased waste to landfill. Despite the positive improvements, there continues to exista number of challenges, especially seasonality, storage, and demand. Lastly, this research illustrates that the market has demonstrated, to a certain extent, that waste management can also create value. More management can be focused on value retention, and continued education, monitoring, and resource management.