STATUS OF EXISTING SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES IN DELHI SCHOOLS

A significant increase in the trend of generating municipal solid waste has been recorded around the world. This can be attributed to increasing population, changing lifestyles, globalization, economic growth and pollution. The objective of writing this paper was to study and understand the composition of solid waste generated in the selected educational institutions and the prevailing practices related to its effective management and disposal. Twenty-six schools from nine zones of Delhi participated in the study over a period of one year. Data obtained through survey revealed seven main categories of solid waste produced in schools; namely ? paper, plastic, metal, glass, organic, textiles and e-waste. It was found that 50.77% of the total waste generated in schools was sent to MCD Dhalao?s and 49.23% was been taken care through different mediums like selling it to kabadiwalas (rag picker), collaborating with NGO, recycling/composting and using waste material for ?best out of waste? activities.