Nestled in the foothills of central Nepal, Banepa is a vibrant and rapidly growing town known for its bustling markets, rich cultural heritage, and strategic location along major trade routes connecting Kathmandu with eastern districts. As urbanization accelerates and commercial activity expands,
For years, Banepa Municipality struggled with a familiar pressures faced by many secondary small towns across South Asia-particularly in managing the waste generated by a growing population and economy. The major and most but overwhelming challenge was waste was piling up faster than anyone could manage. Households, municipal services, private collectors, and informal waste pickers all played their part, yet a portion of waste still slipped through the cracks, ending up on riverbanks, roadsides, and open spaces. Everyone sensed the problem, but no one truly knew its scale. Without clear data, planning stayed reactive and scattered.
That changed when Environment and Public Health Organization (https://enpho.org/) in support from BMZ/BORDA, under the IUWM Project, introduced something Nepal had never seen before, the Waste Flow Diagram Survey. Inspired by a model that has already been used in India, Banepa became the first municipality in the country to pilot this innovative method.
The goal was simple yet powerful: visualize the entire journey of waste. The survey revealed how much waste households managed themselves, how much the municipality and private companies collected, the vital role of informal waste pickers, how much was recovered, and how much was illegally dumped. For the first time, the invisible became visible.
The study highlights the scale of this challenge. Banepa produces 34.72 tons of municipal solid waste every day, with 18.29 tons coming from commercial establishments and 16.43 tons from households, averaging 0.211 kg per person per day. Waste composition shows significant potential for resource recovery, as organic waste makes up over half of the total waste stream (52.1% from households and 47.9% from commercial sources), while plastics contribute 31% and 23.7%, respectively.
The findings were eye-opening. Banepa could clearly see the “leakages” in the system, waste escaping management channels and harming the environment. It also uncovered how much recyclable value the city was losing due to poor segregation and how heavily the system relied on informal workers.
Yet behind these numbers lie real systemic gaps. In the town’s “Un-Collection Wards,” 3.38 tons of waste are generated daily without access to formal collection, often ending up in open dumps or being burned. Irregular collection services, low public satisfaction, and the lack of local recycling or treatment facilities further strain the system. Banepa currently depends entirely on the Banchare Danda landfill located 50 km away, without a dedicated SWM unit, updated waste data, or a formal strategic plan.
“Households were segregating waste, but our trucks were mixing it again. The WFD made this impossible to ignore-and pushed us to rethink our entire collection system.” - Sanitation Supervisior
Despite these challenges, the town’s strong foundation offers hope. With 92% of households already practicing waste segregation and residents expressing a high willingness to pay for improved services, Banepa has the social readiness needed for meaningful system reform. By strengthening institutional capacity, establishing a local Material Recovery Facility, and integrating informal recyclers, Banepa can move toward a circular, resilient, and citizen-centered waste management model.
Waste Flow Diagram (WFD)
Waste Flow Diagram (WFD) emerged as a central tool in understanding Banepa’s waste ecosystem, turning complex data into a simple, visual story of how waste moves through the town. The Sankey Diagram made it immediately clear where waste flowed smoothly, where it stalled, and where it was lost- revealing critical gaps in collection, recovery, and disposal. This clarity allows municipal leaders to pinpoint problem areas, prioritise investments, strengthen recycling systems, and curb illegal dumping with far greater precision.
By adopting Nepal’s first Waste Flow Diagram Survey, Banepa set a national benchmark for transparent, evidence-based waste management. What was once hidden is now clear, lighting the way for a cleaner, more accountable future.
