Redefining Trash into Treasure: A Case Study of Guwahati Waste Recycling Economy

Abstract

Globally, as cities grow at an accelerated rate, urban waste management has turned into a crucial challenge. Rapidly urbanising cities such as Guwahati in northeast India face unprecedented volumes of municipal solid waste (MSW) due to accelerating rate of waste generation and population growth. Driven by the impact of MSW on greenhouse gas emissions, the clustering of waste poses a significant risk to human health and disrupts local ecosystem while intensifying climate change. Being an innovative approach, the circular economy offers a promising solution to address these challenges as a closed-loop system in which resources are continuously cycled through the economy. An attempt has been made to understand the role of a local recycling plant in Guwahati in converting waste into resources in view of the circular economy. To conduct this study purposive sampling technique has been used and to collect first-hand data a semi-structured questionnaire has been prepared to carry out informal interviews along with Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and direct observation. For the analysis, this study adopts a qualitative descriptive approach. Moreover, this study sheds light on adopting effective sustainable waste management at the grassroots level, redefining waste from a societal burden into a treasure, leading to a greener, resource-efficient future for other cities.

Keywords: Circular Economy, Guwahati, Case Study, Sustainability, Urban Waste Management

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