Research Paper : Garbage to Gold

Conversion of household waste to the Energy solutions :

An Emerging Idea And Need

Preserving a good natural environment is essential for a good health and quality of life
and for that there is a need to move toward a more sustainable use of resources. Concern
for the environment and future generations is leading us to shift the focus from waste
management to resource management.

Waste to Energy(WtE): This ideas offers two important benefits of environmentally safe
management and disposal, as well as solutions for energy conversions. An
environmentally sound and economically viable methodology to treat biodegradable
waste1 is highly crucial for the sustainability of modern societies. A transition from
conventional energy systems to one based on renewable resources is necessary to meet
the ever- increasing demand of energy and to address environmental concerns.

Advantages of Waste to Energy Conversion:

 Solutions for waste collection and disposal issues

 Reduce solid and biodegradable waste in landfill
 Reduce energy demand in university campus
 Potential for cooking fuel and electricity
 Awareness to the society about waste management and energy conversion from it.

Conversion of energy crops and organic wastes to biogas has become one of the most
attractive technologies for energy production, resource renewal, and waste treatment. It
creates a wide range of positive environmental impacts because it reduces emissions of
greenhouse gases, improves the management of organic wastes, and replaces fertilizer.
Biogas is used today mainly for cooking fuel, electricity and heat production, but it can
also be applied as a vehicle fuel or for the production of hydrogen which is necessary for
fuel cells.

There is a huge quantity of waste – solid waste and biodegradable waste- is generated in
the City. The disposal of the waste is poorly done and eventually it will affect to the
general environment and public health. Because of doing waste disposal near water
bodies the flooding and water logging happens during rains. The leaching occurs and
water quality and soil quality is affected. Now days technologies for conversion of energy
from waste are available.

1. Here Biodegradable waste includes wood and wood wastes, agricultural crops and their waste byproducts, animal wastes, waste
from food processing and aquatic plants and algae
 Research Paper : Garbage to Gold

Figure 1 Vadodara smartcity Ideas (VMSS)

Vadodara has been selected in the list of 100 Smart cities under the Smart City Mission
of Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD). One of the key parameter for smart city
proposal is waste management to resource management. Planet green and other housing
schemes are taking initiatives for zero waste management in Vadodara.

The prime agenda is to introduce that to the city to mitigate the problems. Technologies
can lead to a substantial reduction in overall waste quantities and it can be better
management for safe disposal in a controlled manner. It is easy to treat biodegradable
waste and conversion of energy from it. This initiative in the city also creates awareness
to young generation about waste management and energy conversion technologies.

The world is moving towards the zero waste solutions. The idea of Reduce-reuse and
recycling of the solid waste is accepted by many cities at Global level. Even
biodegradable waste is used for energy conversion at global level.

Several affordable alternatives and exclusive methods which are cost effective,
technically appropriate and socially acceptable solutions can applied at universal level.
So we need to initiate this idea in our city area and give solutions for it that it could be a
small contribution at global level.