Changing the despairing narratives of increasing unmanaged waste, many Bhutanese youth started commercialising waste management. They have turned what many see as unwanted trash into a source of livelihood. One such individual is a 30-year-old university graduate in Tsirang who is making a living out of managing waste while also contributing to maintaining a clean and green environment.
A few kilometres drive from Damphu town towards Sarpang is Jambay Dorji’s firm. It is where Jambay churns waste into money. He collects used carton boxes and plastic bottles from the Damphu town area and the nearby villages. Sometimes, people from the far away gewogs also dispose of their wastes at the site.
In a day, sometimes, Jambay collects at least two bolero pick-up truck loads of trash.
After completing his studies in business management from India in 2017, Jambay returned home to start a waste management business. What initially started as a scrap dealing business has now turned into a waste management firm.
“If we think positively, we can generate income out of waste. While growing up, I came across scrap dealers coming to buy scraps from our family. That’s from where I have actually got the idea to take up waste management as a business,” said Jambay.
He sells the compressed wastes across the border.
It earns him a good amount of income to run his family, pay for the two helpers and also saves around Nu 6,000 monthly.
“Around 70 to 80 per cent of wastes are reusable and can be recycled. If we are serious about the business, we can make a decent living out of it.”
After seeing better economic prospects in waste management, he recently bought a waste-compressing machine to expand his business. The department of the cottage and small industry supported him in procuring the machine worth Nu 300,000.
“After compressing, the volume of waste decreases. So, I now have to hire only one truck to transport wastes which otherwise requires five trucks. That saves me a lot of money. For instance, if each truck charges Nu 5,000, I have to pay them Nu 25,000.”
If everything goes well, Jambay also plans to manage wastes at the district wastes disposal site in Mendrelgang Gewog. That would mean he can take away over 15,000 kilograms of waste from the site every week. In that case, it won’t be long before Tsirang becomes one of the districts to manage waste sustainably in the country.
Pema Tshewang, Tsirang
Edited by Phub Gyem
