L O O K I N G TO T H E F U T U R E

Generating Biogas from Municipal Kitchen

Waste : An Experience from Gaibandha
Uttam Kumar Saha
Head, Energy & Urban Services Program, Practical Action Bangladesh
Uttam.Saha@practicalaction.org.bd

Abstract—Demand for energy increases with popula-
tion growth. Sustainable and affordable energy is the
foremost need for Bangladesh that cannot depend on
non-renewable energy source alone. With rapid
urbanization, the country is also facing the challenge
of managing solid waste. Turning municipal waste into
biogas for mass usage is a solution that Bangladesh
needs to adopt urgently. Practical Action committed to
excel in its commitment to challenge poverty with
technology, is working on turning waste into source of
renewable energy. We believe, biogas from waste can
highly contribute to the growing demand of energy in
the country.
In urban areas, approximately 60% of waste is
generated by residential areas and around 74% of
the total generated waste is compostable. The
municipal solid waste has high moisture and organic
content coupled with high prevailing temperatures
and energy content of house hold food waste is
1,300 kWh/ton. Bangladesh currently has nine (9)
city corporations and 324 municipalities, generating
almost 20,000 ton of municipal waste per day which
can generate 1.6 million m3 of biogas as energy.
However, most of these wastes remain unutilized;
creating health and environmental hazard.

CURRENT SCENARIO OF SOLID WASTE IN PRACTICAL ACTION’S ENDEVOUR

BANGLADESH
Bangladesh is a developing country with one of the Over the last 50 years, Practical Action, a UK based
highest rate of urbanization. Per capita waste gener- NGO, are working in Asia, Africa and Latin Ameri-
ation rate has increased by 50% in last 20 years. In ca to establish technology justice for the wellbeing
1991, 20.8 million people generated 6,493 ton of the poor people. Our aim is to develop, upgrade,
wastes per day. 20,000 tons waste are now generated demonstrate and put into practice appropriate
per day by 40 million urban people. The tendency of technology within communities using participatory
waste generation per day per person have also approaches.
increased from 0.31 kg to 0.50 kg. However, scien-
tifically organized waste management system is still We provide skill training and extend capacity
limited in the country. Dumping in open landfill is building support to local authorities and service
the general practice. With growing housing demand providers. We share knowledge among people we
open sites are also becoming scarce day by day. work with and beyond for practical implementa-
Generally, waste has been considered as problem for tion. And last but not the least, we advocate and
the urban population. influence for policy changes to ensure technology
justice for all.
Table: Urban population and waste generation
growth rate of Bangladesh Practical Action has field based experience in
promoting small scale and innovative technologies.
Per day We have proven track record in integrated solid
Total
Urban per person GDP waste management. We further utilized this experi-
urban
Year Population waste per capita
(million)
waste
generation (USD) ence to promote waste to biogas at end users’ level.
(ton/day) In 2011, we have piloted a project on waste to
(kg)
biogas in Gaibandha, a northern secondary town of
1991 20.8 6,493 0.31 220 Bangladesh. With resource and support from
UNICEF and with our own innovative funds we
2005 32.76 13,330 0.41 482
have established a complete chain of utilizing
waste to renewable energy source and organic
fertilizer. Biogas is produced from municipal solid
2013 40 20,000 0.50 1,070 waste, which are properly collected, transported
and segregated by private entrepreneurs. The
2025 78.44 47,000 0.60 ---- project has two major focuses, diversification of
biogas end use and establishing a public-private
54 Source: World Bank partnership business model.

fuel for its easy transportation, better efficiency and
much cleaner handling. Modern commercial energy
allowed people to invent new energy intensive
technology. At the same time the standard of living
improved drastically over just few decades, food
production doubled many times that resulted in a
population boom. In just one century it reached six
billion. For the comfort of modern living, all the
countries started using energy in a relentless manner
that was not supported by nature. From the history
of fossil fuel use and the prediction of future
demand, it is clear that the present day living style
and attitude cannot be sustained. The burning of all
these fossil fuel has also created a new problem for
human civilization – the green house gas effect.
DIVERSIFIED USE OF BIOGAS END USE
In peri- or semi urban settlements biogas is used
only in cooking in houses located in and around the
biogas plant. Moreover, the user’s contribution is
not adequate to sustainably maintain the biogas
facility. The research project explored diversified
uses of biogas such as running machines for
lighting, water vending, agro–processing, and
irrigation for optimum economic usage.
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PERTNERSHIP
(PPP)LEAD BUSINESS MODEL
Many project based interventions are warded off
due to lack of funding. We have initiated a market
based solution for utilizing waste as a resource. We
have trained and generated green jobs for local
waste workers through involving them in the
compost plant. We have strengthened relation with
municipality and built a nexus among municipality,
private sector and community people. Through this
nexus, we have developed a PPP lead business
model in the area.
PROCESSING OF WASTE TO BIOGAS
We have engaged community people, waste work-
ers and municipality in the entire process of waste
collection, transportation, segregation and plant
operation. Below are the process that has been
followed to make the endeavor a model for PPP lead
business model in solid waste management. Prior to
making the service chain and value chain active, we
have identified targeted population and selected a
suitable location for plant site.
BENEFICIARIES IDENTIFICATION
A beneficiary selection guideline is developed with
direct supervision and participation of UNICEF.
Preliminary enumerators prepared beneficiary list
according to their demonstrated interest on
construction of biogas plant during training and
conducting awareness raising workshop. Finally,
beneficiaries are selected according to their needs,
ability and willingness to pay of waste collection
service and domestic gas connection.
2 n d A N N I V E R S A RY 2 0 1 6
SITE SELECTION FOR BIOGAS PLANT
CONSTRUCTION
Basic criteria of site selection are informed to the
beneficiaries during awareness campaigns. Initially,
beneficiaries/community and representative of the
municipality helped the enumerators to select site.
Finally, biogas plant experts visited the selected place
and approved the site with consultation of beneficiary.
Some criteria have been considered for site selection:
• Avoid flood prone places/ prefer high land
• Suitable land that can sustain different supporting
structures
• Location with demand for energy such as
domestic fuel
• Accessibility of the site
• Availability of electricity, water supply etc.
BIOGAS PLANT CONSTRUCTION
The project team constructed the biogas plant by
hiring a local trained mason and they purchased all
the construction materials according to the guide-
lines of the BOQ. Such planning is important to
reduce the construction time as well as cost. Some
factors are considered :
• Construction work with only trained local
masons
• Availability of project trained staff (Site
Engineer) during construction period to ensure
proper execution of layout
• Only specified materials are purchased
• Critical factors such as layout of digestion
chambers, setting up the inlet pipe and its slope
maintenance, gas pipe connection etc. of biogas
plant are constructed in the presence of Site
Engineer.
• Oversight and supervision of the construction
site by municipality representatives and biogas
plant specialist.
PRIMARY WASTE COLLECTION SERVICE
Door to door waste collection is not a common practice
in Bangladesh, especially in the secondary towns. We
have followed the below mentioned procedures to
establishour primary waste collection service
Selection of targeted community
The community has been selected considering
underserved geographic location, waste generation
and disposal, operations cost recovery factors,
service users willingness, etc. The selection process
was completed in consultation with respective ward
councilors, Mayor and conservancy officer of
municipality.
Community mobilizations and awareness raising
Targeted communities are mobilized by arranging
participatory consultations, cluster meetings and
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dialogues. IEC and BCC, participatory tools, were
 L O O K I N G TO T H E F U T U R E

applied to build consensus among targeted users to

participate in door to door waste collection services.

Introduction of door to door waste collection

services
We procured closed and compartmentalized with
auto dumping mechanism waste collection
rickshaw vans, protective equipment and dress for
waste collectors and segregators. Waste collectors
were recruited and necessary orientation was
provided. Health safety and standard wages were
provided to waste collectors. A cleanliness drive
was done with active participation of community
people, volunteers, municipal conservancy labors,
etc. prior to the starting of door to door waste
collection.
Figure: Waste management plant and essential facilities
Coordination with conservancy section of munici-
pality QUALITATIVE MONITORING
Professional relationship was developed and main- Technical Aspects
tained with conservancy and engineering sections of Operational status of waste collection service and
Pourashava for different types of logistic support biogas plant. Parameters include the cleanliness
including secondary transfer of wastes. condition in and around the community, mainte-
nance of biogas plant, utility of user’s manual by
Introduction of source segregated waste collection mason group, community people, etc. technical
Source segregation is an important component for problems are identified by the team comprising
sustainable kitchen waste management. Housewives users, mason and expert team.
and maid servants involved to accumulate their
household wastes were trained on types of wastes, Social Aspects
categorizations of wastes into bio degradable and Parameters are user satisfaction, quality work by
non-bio degradable, techniques of segregation, the masons, and understanding of social problem of
storage, benefits of segregations etc. Households using biogas. Assessment of the benefits identified
with less affordability and better willingness was by the users, masons, other community group,
supported to provide bucket for segregation of municipality, etc.
wastes at source.
Promotingof Biogas Plant
Follow up and monitoring of primary collection Promoting of biogas plant is an important part of
services the research and monitoring parameters include
Once waste collection service has been started, issue, such as problem (demand, supply) identified
strong supervision and monitoring was done to by mason, quality of works by mason, training and
maintain quality of service. This includes regularity refreshers training needs, opinion about easy under-
of service, no. of complain receive every week, standing about training manuals, etc.
service collection efficiency, users satisfactions etc.
Marketing Aspects
Introduction and collection of monthly service Marketing aspects are important and added in the
subscription monitoring tools, such as, demand of the biogas &
For long term sustainability of service, user fee is
bio slurry, reusable products, interest of the users to
introduced in consultation with cluster groups, ward
use, utility of their use, etc.
councilors and mayor. To recommend the service
charge, a number of factors including quantity of
QUANTITATIVE MONITORING
wastes, affordability and willingness, type of
Quantitative monitoring include no. of connected
service, type of building etc.were considered.
households, good operational condition, poor
Target users are categorized and we have
operational condition, number of mason trained,
introduced different rate of service. Service deliv-
users training, workshop, different IEC materials
ery agency produce monthly collection efficiency
and knowledge events, quantity of gas produced,
report (income, expenditure, household coverage,
amount of service charge collected, maintenance
average service charge, service charge range of
cost, cost sharing amount for service users, etc.
waste collection services) and present it in coordi-
Consortium members ensured total quality control
nation meeting.
and supervision of the construction works through
its field level representations.
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BUSINESS MODEL reusable products (plastic, glass, metal, etc.) was

considered the personal income of waste collectors
Sustainability
and segregators and was not included in the plant
We ensured the effective participation of cluster
income sheet. Total income is summarized in the
based CBOs from starting of pilot including
below table:
problem identification, planning, action plan, moni-
toring and supervision which increased their owner-
ship and sense of commitment. To build and Unit Cost No. of
strengthen trust and relationship among municipali- Income Total
(BDT) Unit
ty, NGOs and CBOs, Practical Acton regular meet-
ings, dialogues among stakeholder. These were
extremely useful to sustain model and to replicate/s- Service charge (avg.) 30.6 /family 1003 30,682
cale up in other areas. The project paid attention to
maintain quality and standards such as regularity,
maintaining schedule, professional behaviors of Gas users fee 600 /family 28 16,800
waste collectors, and quality equipment for collec-
tion from households etc.of door to door waste Slurry/Compost 4 /kg 2570 10,280
collection services by service delivery agencies.
This encouraged service users to pay monthly
Total Income 57,762
subscription regularly which helped us to meet
operational, repair, maintenance, supervision,
Similarly expenditure of the waste management
administrative back up of services.
cum biogas production plant is shown below:
Recycling of Wastes
Introduction of waste to compost (nutritive and
pathogen free, legal license) linked with horticul- Expenditure Item Unit Cost No. of Unit Total
ture/agriculture demonstration helped to generate
income and employment services. Service users
were strongly encouraged to practice source segre- Labour cost for waste
collection and segregators 4000 9 36,000
gation of wastes which not only increase the income
of households from saleable items also increase the
quality of wastes. Repair and maintenance Lump Sum Lump Sum 7,000

Improved institutional (municipal) capacity Supervision cost

Improved understanding and changed mindset from
capacity building activities of municipal policy
makers helped us to achieve institutional reform. This
helped to allow private sector participation, collection
of wastes from few transfer stations rather than
hundreds dustbins, reduction in volume of disposable
wastes increased the life of dumping points.
Livelihood from improved services
The project established a platform to create income
and employment for urban poor from collecting
good quality saleable inorganic items, employments
from door to door waste collection services, waste to
compost, marketing of compost and horticulture
items, mobile vending of compost. These are helping
to achieve alleviation of poverty of urban poor.
Lump Sum Lump Sum 12,000
(management, security)
Total Expenses 55,000
The above calculation shows monthly profit from
community based waste management. This calcula-
tion excludes the capital cost and IRR. Benefit
against the capital cost is shown in the below point.
Indirect benefits
Municipality conservancy budget is 10,00,000 taka
per year which is reduced by 10%. That means
1,00,000 taka savings per year. Benefit from
environment improved is difficult to measure in
terms of cash. But less indoor air pollution in house-
holds were reported by households.

Direct Income from the project

The calculation shown below is for a particular
month (August 2014). Waste collectors served more
than 1,000 HHs and per household revenue were 30
to 50. Only few households failed to pay required
amount which led the average income per household
30.6 taka. Gas produced from the 80 m3 biogas plant
was connected to 28 households (3 times a day, 2
hours per session). Each household paid 600 taka.
Compost selling to big farmers and nursery owners
was the third major income source. Selling of Fig: Revenue and service model of community
based waste management
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CHALLENGES AND RISKS
Our engagement in ISWM projects in other districts
such as Faridpur and Gazipur municipalities has
given us a good level of awareness of the potential
risks, possible contingency plans and to achieve
sustainability. Followings are the major risk and
contingency plan:
Change of municipal ISWM is such an issue that a change in
leadership the leadership should not affect the
project; because, it is a public issue,
non-political and (financially) not much
rewarding. On the other hand, with no or
very little investment they can make
significant improvement in ISWM to earn
credit.
• Creates green jobs from waste value chain
which impacts on poverty alleviation of urban
extreme poor.
• Improve municipal governance from inclusive
waste services and functional partnership with
private sectors.
• Contribute to the implementation of 3R
(Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) Strategy and
Employment Creation of extreme poor to
achieve the target set in Vision 2021 by
Government of Bangladesh.
Some pictorial impacts of the community based
kitchen waste management are shown below :

Traditional mindset The traditional mindset of the municipal

staff in particular might constrain
implementation of some activities, e.g.,
working in partnership with the local
private sector and CBOs. The project,
therefore, puts special emphasis on
awareness including rapport building
with the relevant staff.

Access to decision Access to decision-making is constrained.

making It is addressed under PPP. Participation is
institutionalized.

Land availability Expansion of eco-park and horticulture

demonstration activities requires designa-
tion of land. Reluctance from both
municipality and community has been
considered. This issue is addressed by
PPP (which should introduce a new
source of income for the municipality),
involving the administration (like khas
land) and the community (income & Fig: ISWM and food security, poverty reduction
employment). improved environment

POTENTIAL OF WASTE TO BIOGAS
We have observed several outcomes from the initia-
tive. Up scaling such an initiative will certainly
contribute for sustainable cleaner and healthier
urban environment and urban poverty reduction.
• It reduces the unsafe disposal of wastes which
improve the cleanliness and environment of the
town.
• Make drainage system effective reducing the
adverse impact of water logging or flooding.
• Improve public health from better management
of wastes.
• Promotes usage of biogas replacing use of
firewood/coal which creates smoke and indoor
air pollution in kitchens which have long term
impact on health of women and children.
• Reduce the greenhouse gas emission from
anaerobic recycling of wastes and contributes to
sustainable urban environment.
• Promote the concept of agro ecology from the
uses of bio slurry/compost which contributes to
58 food security.
POLICY SUGGESTIONS
• Department of Environment (DOE) gives
license for any type of fertilizer. But it takes at
least 3 years for filed level testing and no two
laboratory test gives same result as municipal
solid waste composition varies from day to day,
season to season and area to area. So, licensing
procedure for compost made from waste should
be redefined.
• Government’s role is to provide waste manage-
ment and waste to energy guideline, rules &
regulations. Also to monitor the compliance of
the total value chain. Municipality allocates
subsidy to manage their MSW. But instead of
that, they will provide performance based smart
subsidy to the plant operator/entrepreneur. This
revised subsidy will be lower than the previous
100% subsidy.
• Municipalities should also amend their munici-
pality act so that inhabitants are forced to segre-
gate their solid waste at source and dispose
them safely as per provided guideline.
• Municipality should monitor the health and
safety of the workers in the plant.
 2 n d A N N I V E R S A RY 2 0 1 6

• The government needs to promote a nationwide

business model to avail the total prospect of the
urban solid wastes.

Waste Collection inaugurated by municipality

councilors and officials

Figure: Cooking with biogas
Reference:
1. A Brief Primer on What Managers Need to Know
about New Conversion Technologies By Rogoff,
Marc; Clark, Bruce
2. Economics and the Environment: A Signalling
and Incentives ApproachBy Ian Wills
3. Urban Recycling and the Search for Sustainable
Community Development By Adam S. Weinberg;
David N. Pellow; Allan Schnaiberg

About the Author

Mr. Uttam Kumar Saha
Head, Energy & Urban Services Program, Practical Action Bangladesh

Mr. Uttam Kumar Saha is the head of energy & urban services program at
practical Action Bangladesh. He has obtained B.Sc & M.Sc. degree at civil
engineering from BUET. He has total 16 years of work experience on waste
management which includes “Design and implementation of the Piloting of
Solid Waste Management in Mymensingh Pourashava Concentrating on
Sustainable Management of Kitchen Wastes”, “Delivering Decentralization:
Slum Dwellers Access to Decision Making for Pro Poor Infrastructure
Services”, “Capacity building, Coaching and Monitoring of Front Line Staff
and Core Trainer Groups on Hygiene Behavioral Change”, “Integrated
approaches to improving the urban environment in Asia”,“Action Research
towards safe faecal sludge management in Faridpur town” etc. He is excellent
team management and team building, in depth understanding on cross cutting
issues i.e. gender, inclusion, market system and climate change/mitigation and
excellent understanding on policy changes in terms of system and structure.

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