METHODOLOGICAL ANNEXE 287
and through purposive sampling in the SWM sector to identify users of organic
waste.In Hyderabad, bulk generators of organic waste were identified and interviewed (see
sample above under theme 1). Centralized composting activities were limited to one
private company, and decentralized initiatives were also included in the interviews
done (2). A small study was done among farmers in two villages 30-40 kms away from
the city dump still in use to collect information on their use of urban mixed organic
waste (in total 175 farmers with different size holdings).
Assessment of methodology
There are several areas in SWM, which remain difficult to trace with a reasonable
degree of accuracy. The composition of waste remains a vexed point in case. Although
figures are often presented in the literature as if very accurate, when checked they
usually stem from estimates made on very shaky grounds.
When studying inorganic waste recycling, one has to keep in mind that any particular
city is not a closed system, and therefore waste recovered and used, is not necessarily
limited in its source to the city itself. Therefore, very little can actually be said about
total amounts of waste recovered and the impact on city level waste flows.
However, in studying the system of waste recovery and recycling, the recycling units
are very dominant in the value chain for inorganic waste. Therefore, in future studies
it is to be recommended to have a relatively large sample of such units to be able to
trace the differentiation among them, and to use the method of tracing back from them
up the chain.
Organic waste reuse and recovery also remains a difficult area to study. In addition to
studying mixed urban organic waste flows, single source producers and the ways such
sources of organic waste are used, are likely to be equally interesting. It is recom-
mended that such sources are included in future studies as a matter of course.