WasteConcern.

Thurner, C., Seelos, C. and Mair, J. 2006. IESE Study: 33.

IESE Business School, University of Navarra, Barcelona. 

Abstract

 This study introduces an innovative and inclusive approach to environmental and social problems. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, suffers from intense solid waste generation, posing a threat to citizens' health and the environment. Waste Concern, a research-based NGO, realized that the solid waste had a 76% organic content and so started to produce and sell organic compost made from the portion of waste formerly perceived to be of no value. Using a house-to-house collection service, Waste Concern collects the organic residuals directly from households and converts them into compost in decentralized composting plants. The compost is then distributed via the network of a local chemical fertilizer producer. As a result, Waste Concern has created jobs for unskilled workers and reduced the total amount of solid waste to be handled by the municipality, while its compost has helped to improve soil quality -a win-win situation for all stakeholders. More recently, Waste Concern has also started a project under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol and receives further revenue from this source.