This study aims to evaluate innovative approaches to maximize the economic value of domestic waste in Cox’s Bazar, a district facing intensified waste management challenges due to rapid urbanization, economic growth, and the influx of Rohingya refugees. Specifically, the study will assess the cost of providing incentives for sorting domestic waste in relation to the rate of waste processing and the economic returns from processing larger shares of sorted waste.
Researchers: Munshi Sulaiman; Proloy Barua; M M Fazlur Rashid; Khadija Akter Sonia; Prataoy Kabya Bhowmik
Partner: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
Timeline: 2025-2026
Status: Ongoing
Contact: Proloy Barua; proloy.barua@bracu.ac.bd
Context
Conventional urban waste management practices in most developing countries are unsustainable, contributing to environmental degradation and public health risks while overlooking the economic potential of waste as a resource. Previous research indicates that awareness-based interventions alone have limited, short-term effects in promoting source-sorting. Therefore, it is essential to implement both household-level incentives for source-sorting and innovations in waste processing to create greater economic value. The study will include collaborations with local businesses that process both wet and dry waste to enhance profitability by increasing the proportion of domestic waste they handle. Source-based waste sorting, where waste is separated at its origin into categories such as organic, recyclable, and non-recyclable, is a critical factor in determining the profitability and scalability of waste processing businesses. The project will work closely with municipal representatives and a local social enterprise that uses organic waste to produce insect-based poultry and fish feed. The partnering social enterprise will organise garbage collectors, other recycling businesses, and households to strengthen the waste management value chain. Through a cluster randomised controlled trial, we will vary the economic incentives provided to households and assess their impact on source-sorting levels and recovery rates in relation to the cost.
Objective
An innovative aspect of this study is the integration of source-based waste sorting with reprocessing units for both organic wet waste and traditional recyclables. The study aims to offer valuable insights for policymakers in Cox’s Bazar and other municipalities through its findings, guiding the development of strategies to improve waste management, reduce environmental impact, and encourage private sector involvement. While the overarching objective for this study is to compare the cost and return of promoting source-sorting and increasing waste processing, the specific research questions are as follows:
Methodology
This study will employ a clustered randomised controlled trial (RCT) design. We will map the target areas to create 80 clusters, with groups of five to six neighbouring houses in each cluster, in selected wards of Cox’s Bazar Municipality. Natural boundaries and landmarks will be used to create these clusters so that the garbage collection, transportation and measurement can be done with proper identification for each cluster. These clusters will be randomly assigned to either a treatment group (40 clusters) or a control group (40 clusters). In the treatment groups, the household head as well as the key person who manages household waste (such as house maid) will be given information about the initiative, awareness about the environment benefits of sorting, and a bin for separating dry vs. wet waste with encouragements. The treatment group will be provided large outdoor garbage bins along with small indoor bins, awareness training, and financial incentive (equivalent to monthly garbage collection bill) while the control group will be provided with large outdoor garbage bins.
Findings and Recommendations
Forthcoming.
