Comparison of municipal solid waste management systems in Canada and Ghana: A case study of the cities of London, Ontario, and Kumasi, Ghana

Integrated waste management has been accepted as a sustainable approach to solid waste management in any region. It can be applied in both developed and developing countries. The difference is the approach taken to develop the integrated waste management system. This review looks at the integrated waste management system operating in the city of London, Ontario-Canada and how lessons can be drawn from the system’s development and operation that will help implement a sustainable waste management system in the city of Kumasi, Ghana. The waste management system in London is designed such that all waste generated in the city is handled and disposed of appropriately. The responsibility of each sector handling waste is clearly defined and monitored. All major services are provided and delivered by a combination of public and private sector forces.The sustainability of the waste management in the city of London is attributed to the continuous improvement strategy framework adopted by the city based on the principles of integrated waste management. It is perceived that adopting a strategic framework based on the principles of integrated waste management with a strong political and social will, can transform the current waste management in Kumasi and other cities in developing countries in the bid for finding lasting solutions to the problems that have plagued the waste management system in these cities.     

Regional medical waste management in China: a case study of Shenyang

Medical waste management is of great importance due to its potential environmental and public health risks, especially in developing countries where both financial and technological resources on medical waste management are still lacking. Although many studies have focused on country-scaled medical waste management, few have paid close attention to regional (city-scale) management, particularly in China. This paper fills such a gap by employing a case study approach. Due to its representative nature, Shenyang was selected as the case study. After a review of China’s medical waste management, an empirical study in Shenyang was conducted in order to analyze the current state as well as identify key challenges on regional medical waste management. Based upon the local realities and aiming to better manage medical wastes, an integrated medical waste management framework is developed. Such a platform encourages the establishment of a specific medical waste management authority, a city scaled capacity building program on improving the general public’s awareness, an information platform, application of state-of-the-art technologies, as well as creation of an effective financial system. The combination of such initiatives can significantly improve the overall eco-efficiency of medical waste management at the regional level and should be promoted to other developing cities.     

Global Environment Facility’s support for sustainable waste management

From the global perspective, the issue of waste management is becoming increasingly important. Given the increasing amount and diversifying content of waste, countries should seek out sustainable waste management options, which protect both local and global environments. The Global Environment Facility (GEF), a public financial institution, has supported sustainable waste management in developing countries in achieving global environmental benefits. The GEF’s support for sustainable waste management, from its pilot phase to the end of the fifth replenishment period, has amounted to 118 projects across the globe. Harmful chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and “waste to energy” initiatives have been the main focuses of the GEF’s support. The GEF’s investment in sustainable waste management has increased in recent years, partly due to the fact that countries are required to manage Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP) wastes in an environmentally safe manner in compliance with the Stockholm Convention on POPs. The GEF is poised to enhance its support for sustainable waste management in the future by mobilizing other financing, integrating multiple focal areas, expanding viewpoints to sustainable cities, and reinforcing its results-based management.     

Development drivers for waste management.

This paper identifies six broad groups of drivers for development in waste management. Public health led to the emergence of formalized waste collection systems in the nineteenth century, and remains a key driver in developing countries. Environmental protection came to the forefront in the 1970s, with an initial focus on eliminating uncontrolled disposal, followed by the systematic increasing of technical standards. Today, developing countries seem still to be struggling with these first steps; while climate change is also emerging as a key driver. The resource value of waste, which allows people to make a living from discarded materials, was an important driver historically, and remains so in developing countries today. A current trend in developed countries is closing the loop, moving from the concept of 'end-of-pipe' waste management towards a more holistic resource management. Two underpinning groups of drivers are institutional and responsibility issues, and public awareness. There is no, one single driver for development in waste management: the balance between these six groups of drivers has varied over time, and will vary between countries depending on local circumstances, and between stakeholders depending on their perspective. The next appropriate steps towards developing a sustainable, integrated waste management system will also vary in each local situation.     

Sustainable solutions for solid waste management in Southeast Asian countries

Human activities generate waste and the amounts tend to increase as the demand for quality of life increases. Today’s rate in the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEANs) is alarming, posing a challenge to governments regarding environmental pollution in the recent years. The expectation is that eventually waste treatment and waste prevention approaches will develop towards sustainable waste management solutions. This expectation is for instance reflected in the term ‘zero emission systems’. The concept of zero emissions can be applied successfully with today’s technical possibilities in the agro-based processing industry. First, the state-of-the-art of waste management in Southeast Asian countries will be outlined in this paper, followed by waste generation rates, sources, and composition, as well as future trends of waste. Further on, solutions for solid waste management will be reviewed in the discussions of sustainable waste management. The paper emphasizes the concept of waste prevention through utilization of all wastes as process inputs, leading to the possibility of creating an ecosystem in a loop of materials. Also, a case study, focusing on the citrus processing industry, is displayed to illustrate the application of the aggregated material input–output model in a widespread processing industry in ASEAN. The model can be shown as a closed cluster, which permits an identification of opportunities for reducing environmental impacts at the process level in the food processing industry. Throughout the discussion in this paper, the utilization of renewable energy and economic aspects are considered to adapt to environmental and economic issues and the aim of eco-efficiency. Additionally, the opportunities and constraints of waste management will be discussed.     

19th century London dust-yards: A case study in closed-loop resource efficiency

The material recovery methods used by dust-yards in early 19th century London, England and the conditions that led to their development, success and decline are reported. The overall system developed in response to the market value of constituents of municipal waste, and particularly the high coal ash content of household ‘dust’. The emergence of lucrative markets for ‘soil’ and ‘breeze’ products encouraged dust-contractors to recover effectively 100% of the residual wastes remaining after readily saleable items and materials had been removed by the thriving informal sector. Contracting dust collection to the private sector allowed parishes to keep the streets relatively clean, without the need to develop institutional capacity, and for a period this also generated useful income. The dust-yard system is, therefore, an early example of organised, municipal-wide solid waste management, and also of public–private sector participation. The dust-yard system had been working successfully for more than 50 years before the Public Health Acts of 1848 and 1875, and was thus important in facilitating a relatively smooth transition to an institutionalised, municipally-run solid waste management system in England. The dust-yards can be seen as early precursors of modern materials recycling facilities (MRFs) and mechanical–biological treatment (MBT) plants; however, it must be emphasised that dust-yards operated without any of the environmental and occupational health considerations that are indispensable today. In addition, there are analogies between dust-yards and informal sector recycling systems currently operating in many developing countries.     

The Best-of-2-Worlds philosophy: Developing local dismantling and global infrastructure network for sustainable e-waste treatment in emerging economies

E-waste is a complex waste category containing both hazardous and valuable substances. It demands for a cost-efficient treatment system which simultaneously liberates and refines target fractions in an environmentally sound way. In most developing countries there is a lack of systems covering all steps from disposal until final processing due to limited infrastructure and access to technologies and investment. This paper introduces the ‘Best-of-2-Worlds’ philosophy (Bo2W), which provides a network and pragmatic solution for e-waste treatment in emerging economies. It seeks technical and logistic integration of ‘best’ pre-processing in developing countries to manually dismantle e-waste and ‘best’ end-processing to treat hazardous and complex fractions in international state-of-the-art end-processing facilities. A series of dismantling trials was conducted on waste desktop computers, IT equipment, large and small household appliances, in order to compare the environmental and economic performances of the Bo2W philosophy with other conventional recycling scenarios. The assessment showed that the performance of the Bo2W scenario is more eco-efficient than mechanical separation scenarios and other local treatment solutions. For equipment containing substantial hazardous substances, it demands the assistance from domestic legislation for mandatory removal and safe handling of such fractions together with proper financing to cover the costs. Experience from Bo2W pilot projects in China and India highlighted key societal factors influencing successful implementation. These include market size, informal competitors, availability of national e-waste legislation, formal take-back systems, financing and trust between industrial players. The Bo2W philosophy can serve as a pragmatic and environmentally responsible transition before establishment of end-processing facilities in developing countries is made feasible. The executive models of Bo2W should be flexibly differentiated for various countries by adjusting to local conditions related to operational scale, level of centralized operations, dismantling depth, combination with mechanical processing and optimized logistics to international end-processors.     

A simple model for complex waste recycling scenarios in developing economies

Future uncertainties involved in the current waste management activities in the developing nations have been addressed through determining plastic waste recovery, recycling and landfilling scenarios in two case study countries — Bangladesh and India. In order to discern and comprehend the material in-flow and out-flow of such complex successive plastics recoveries and recyclings, within the closed-loop recycling systems present in these two countries, a simple mathematical model is developed. The model is based on limited published information, on extensive fieldwork in Dhaka, Calcutta and Delhi, and on experimental data. An environmental legislative factor has been included in the model which will allow balancing of the quality of recycled products and the amount of landfilling non-recyclable plastics. The model has the potential to create and predict a sound waste database for these countries. Bangladesh has been chosen as a model developing country for this study. The mathematical model can be used in future decision making processes within the plastics recycling arena of the countries concerned to achieve an environmentally sound and cost effective waste management option.     

A system dynamics approach for hospital waste management

Healthcare services provided by hospitals may generate some infectious wastes. Although a large percentage of hospital waste is classified as general waste, which has similar nature as that of municipal solid waste and, therefore, could be disposed in municipal landfills, a small portion of infectious waste has to be managed in the proper manner in order to minimize risk to public health. Many factors involved in the hospital waste management system often link to one another, which require a comprehensive analysis to determine the role of each factor in the system. In this paper, we present a hospital waste management model based on system dynamics to determine the interaction among factors in the system using a software package, Stella. A case study of the City of Jakarta, Indonesia is selected. The hospital waste generation is affected by various factors including the number of beds in the hospitals and the NIMBY (not in my back yard) syndrome. To minimize the risk to public health, we found that waste segregation, as well as infectious waste treatment prior to disposal, has to be conducted properly by the hospital management, especially when scavenging takes place in landfill sites in developing countries.     

Sustainable waste management in Africa through CDM projects

Only few Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects (traditionally focussed on landfill gas combustion) have been registered in Africa if compared to similar developing countries. The waste hierarchy adopted by many African countries clearly shows that waste recycling and composting projects are generally the most sustainable. This paper undertakes a sustainability assessment for practical waste treatment and disposal scenarios for Africa and makes recommendations for consideration. The appraisal in this paper demonstrates that mechanical biological treatment of waste becomes more financially attractive if established through the CDM process. Waste will continue to be dumped in Africa with increasing greenhouse gas emissions produced, unless industrialised countries (Annex 1) fund carbon emission reduction schemes through a replacement to the Kyoto Protocol. Such a replacement should calculate all of the direct and indirect carbon emission savings and seek to promote public–private partnerships through a concerted support of the informal sector.     

Overview of waste disposal and landfills/dumps in Asian countries

Many cities in developing Asian countries face serious problems in managing solid wastes. The annual waste generation increases in proportion to the rises in population and urbanization. Asian countries with greater rural populations produce more organic waste, such as kitchen wastes, and fewer recyclable items, such as paper, metals, and plastics. Reliable data on solid waste compositions are difficult to obtain, and even if available, they are often not updated. We report the most recent waste composition data in some developing Asian countries. We suggest that a better classification system for landfills is needed to address inconsistencies in data for sanitary landfill sites versus waste dumps. We also discuss the information on waste disposal trends and problems associated with general solid waste management in developing Asian countries.     

Techno-economic assessment of municipal solid waste management in Jordan

Mismanagement of solid waste leads to public health risks, adverse environmental impacts and other socio-economic problems. This is obvious in many developing countries around the world. Currently, several countries have realized that the way they manage their solid wastes does not satisfy the objectives of sustainable development. Therefore, these countries, including Jordan, which forms the case study presented here, have decided to move away from traditional solid waste management (SWM) options to more integrated solid waste management approaches. Unfortunately, in many developing countries like Jordan, the lack of adequate resources to implement the necessary changes is posing a serious obstacle. The present paper discusses the various practices and challenges of solid waste management in Jordan from both a technical and economic perspective. An overview of the current practices and their environmental implications in three major cities of the country, which generate more than 70% of the country's solid waste, is presented. Recent literature on solid waste management in Jordan has been reviewed; and data on the total amount of municipal solid waste generated, compositional variations over the last two decades, and future projections are presented. The necessity, importance and needs of solid waste recovery and reuse are identified. The review of the legal frameworks indicated that there is a need for detailed and clear regulations dealing specifically with solid waste. The service cost analysis revealed that none of the municipalities in Jordan sufficiently recover the cost of the services, with more than 50% being subsidized from the municipalities' budgets. The allocation of the available resources was analyzed and service performance indicators assessed. Factors that should be taken into consideration when making the decision to move from a traditional SWM approach to a more integrated approach are highlighted and suggestions for a more smooth transition are recommended.     

Integration of the informal sector into municipal solid waste management in the Philippines – What does it need?

The integration of the informal sector into municipal solid waste management is a challenge many developing countries face. In Iloilo City, Philippines around 220 tons of municipal solid waste are collected every day and disposed at a 10 ha large dumpsite. In order to improve the local waste management system the Local Government decided to develop a new Waste Management Center with integrated landfill. However, the proposed area is adjacent to the presently used dumpsite where more than 300 waste pickers dwell and depend on waste picking as their source of livelihood. The Local Government recognized the hidden threat imposed by the waste picker’s presence for this development project and proposed various measures to integrate the informal sector into the municipal solid waste management (MSWM) program. As a key intervention a Waste Workers Association, called USWAG Calahunan Livelihood Association Inc. (UCLA) was initiated and registered as a formal business enterprise in May 2009. Up to date, UCLA counts 240 members who commit to follow certain rules and to work within a team that jointly recovers wasted materials. As a cooperative they are empowered to explore new livelihood options such as the recovery of Alternative Fuels for commercial (cement industry) and household use, production of compost and making of handicrafts out of used packages. These activities do not only provide alternative livelihood for them but also lessen the generation of leachate and Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions from waste disposal, whereby the life time of the proposed new sanitary landfill can be extended likewise.     

Analyzing composition and generation rates of biomedical waste in selected hospitals of Uttarakhand,India

In India, a few studies have been conducted for analyzing the generation rates and composition of medical waste (MW). Inadequate information about the amount and composition of MW results in ineffective management practices. The present study seeks to evaluate healthcare waste (HCW) generation rates by healthcare facilities (HCFs) available in Uttarakhand, a northern state of India. Study also focuses on modeling the quantity of different types of MW generated at various HCFs and determining significant factors contributing towards MW generation. Seasonal variation in amount of MW generated from various HCFs has also been considered. To achieve these objectives, cross-sectional as well as longitudinal data have been collected from various HCFs in Uttarakhand, India. The survey revealed that around 36% of the total HCFs did not segregate their MW as per policy guidelines. Cross-sectional data for May 2015 were collected from 75 HCFs to analyze and model the composition and quantity of HCW generated. Multiple Linear Regression and Artificial Neural Network techniques were applied to model cross-sectional data. In the composition of the overall MW, ‘yellow waste’ carries the maximum share, followed by ‘red waste’ and then the ‘blue waste’. In addition, the ‘type of HCF’ and ‘bed occupancy’ have been modeled as the important factors, contributing towards the MW generations rates. Longitudinal data for 2 years (2013 and 2014) were collected to examine seasonal variation in HCW generation rates using polynomial regression analysis. Result shows that MW quantity also varies with the change in the season. Findings of the study will help hospitals and waste treatment facilities to predict amount of waste that may be generated, and plan resources towards efficient handling and disposal of MW.     

Healthcare waste management: current practices in selected healthcare facilities, Botswana

Healthcare waste management continues to present an array of challenges for developing countries, and Botswana is no exception. The possible impact of healthcare waste on public health and the environment has received a lot of attention such that Waste Management dedicated a special issue to the management of healthcare waste (Healthcare Wastes Management, 2005. Waste Management 25(6) 567-665). As the demand for more healthcare facilities increases, there is also an increase on waste generation from these facilities. This situation requires an organised system of healthcare waste management to curb public health risks as well as occupational hazards among healthcare workers as a result of poor waste management. This paper reviews current waste management practices at the healthcare facility level and proposes possible options for improvement in Botswana.     

Quantification of greenhouse gas emissions from waste management processes for municipalities--a comparative review focusing on Africa

The amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted due to waste management in the cities of developing countries is predicted to rise considerably in the near future; however, these countries have a series of problems in accounting and reporting these gases. Some of these problems are related to the status quo of waste management in the developing world and some to the lack of a coherent framework for accounting and reporting of greenhouse gases from waste at municipal level. This review summarizes and compares GHG emissions from individual waste management processes which make up a municipal waste management system, with an emphasis on developing countries and, in particular, Africa. It should be seen as a first step towards developing a more holistic GHG accounting model for municipalities. The comparison between these emissions from developed and developing countries at process level, reveals that there is agreement on the magnitude of the emissions expected from each process (generation of waste, collection and transport, disposal and recycling). The highest GHG savings are achieved through recycling, and these savings would be even higher in developing countries which rely on coal for energy production (e.g. South Africa, India and China) and where non-motorized collection and transport is used. The highest emissions are due to the methane released by dumpsites and landfills, and these emissions are predicted to increase significantly, unless more of the methane is captured and either flared or used for energy generation. The clean development mechanism (CDM) projects implemented in the developing world have made some progress in this field; however, African countries lag behind.     

Barriers for implementation of “waste to energy” in developing and transition countries: a case study of Serbia

The aim of this study is to assess boundaries and potential for implementation of waste-to-energy projects in developing and transition countries in order to give realistic future directions for waste-to-energy initiatives. For this purpose, Serbia is taken as an example. In order to highlight the most important issues, which hinder the feasibility of waste-to-energy projects, analysis of the status quo of Serbian municipal solid waste management is performed. In addition, based on the current political and social status of the country, the most important factors that need to be solved as a precondition to waste-to-energy projects are defined. This analysis revealed that aside from technical factors, sociopolitical and cultural obstacles must be eliminated as a prerequisite for successful implementation of waste-to-energy projects. We define the most sustainable pathway for waste-to-energy initiatives in Serbia as well as other similar developing and transition countries, which can complement development of the entire waste management system.     

Alternative approaches for better municipal solid waste management in Mumbai, India

Waste is an unavoidable by product of human activities. Economic development, urbanization and improving living standards in cities, have led to an increase in the quantity and complexity of generated waste. Rapid growth of population and industrialization degrades the urban environment and places serious stress on natural resources, which undermines equitable and sustainable development. Inefficient management and disposal of solid waste is an obvious cause of degradation of the environment in most cities of the developing world. Municipal corporations of the developing countries are not able to handle increasing quantities of waste, which results in uncollected waste on roads and in other public places. There is a need to work towards a sustainable waste management system, which requires environmental, institutional, financial, economic and social sustainability. This study explores alternative approaches to municipal solid waste (MSW) management and estimates the cost of waste management in Mumbai, India. Two alternatives considered in the paper are community participation and public private partnership in waste management. Data for the present study are from various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and from the private sector involved in waste management in Mumbai. Mathematical models are used to estimate the cost per ton of waste management for both of the alternatives, which are compared with the cost of waste management by Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). It is found that the cost per ton of waste management is Rs. 1518 (35 US dollars) with community participation; Rs. 1797 (41 US dollars) with public private partnership (PPP); and Rs. 1908 (44 US dollars) when only MCGM handles the waste. Hence, community participation in waste management is the least cost option and there is a strong case for comprehensively involving community participation in waste management.