Waste management practices and quality of life of waste-pickers in Sylhet City Corporation Bangladesh

Integrated Solid Waste Management Rules (ISWMR), 2021, were adopted and implemented in many cities and municipalities of Bangladesh. The principal purpose of this initiative was to overcome the complex challenges of managing different categories of waste, such as compost, hazardous, and plastic waste. However, this ISWM approach has been bitterly criticised for its limited achievement. Moreover, a good quality of life for waste-pickers is needed to lead healthy life. Hence, this research examines existing waste management practices and their effects on the quality of life of waste-pickers employed by the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC). Therefore, the study employed a mixed-methods design with an explanatory sequential approach. A semi-structured survey of waste-pickers, sampled using cluster random sampling, was used to collect quantitative data, while key informant interviews and in-depth interviews were used to collect qualitative field data. Thematic-interpretative analysis were applied to analyse the raw data. Major findings of this study included that the local community organisations play the most important role in waste management practices at the primary stage. These organisations recruited waste-pickers and managed to pay workers’ wages and salaries in close cooperation with the households. In addition, there were only seven secondary transfer stations, inadequate transportation, and the absence of recycling facilities, which were the major challenges for the SCC. However, a pilot plant for material recovery, in cooperation with Holcim Cement Company, was operating to treat waste. On the other hand, the quality of life of waste-pickers was found to be poor, with a score of 37 on a 100-point scale. Moreover, waste-pickers’ safety measures, pollution-control mechanisms, the three-bin initiative, and low remuneration had affected their quality of life.