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.     

Hazardous healthcare waste management in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Hazardous healthcare waste has become an environmental concern for many developing countries including the Kingdom of Bahrain. There have been several significant obstacles facing the Kingdom in dealing with this issue including; limited documentation regarding generation, handling, management, and disposal of waste. This in turn hinders efforts to plan better healthcare waste management. In this paper, hazardous waste management status in the Kingdom has been investigated through an extensive survey carried out on selected public and private healthcare premises. Hazardous waste management practices including: waste generation, segregation, storage, collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal were determined. The results of this study along with key findings are discussed and summarized. In addition; several effective recommendations and improvements of hazardous waste management are suggested.     

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.     

Sustainable waste management in the Indian mining industry.

One of the important sectors that contribute to the national economy is the mining sector. During the mining of minerals and ores, waste materials in the form of overburden are generated. As these are not useful to the mine owners, they may be inappropriately disposed of into the environment, posing serious threat to the environment in the form of land degradation, water and air pollution. The present paper discusses the existing status of waste generation, its characteristics and the disposal methods being adopted in India. Impacts associated with waste disposal practices together with preventive measures for waste disposal are also discussed. Finally, strategies for improvements in existing waste management and for incorporating the same in the overall development plan for the mines are suggested.     

Sustainable solid waste management: An integrated approach for Asian countries

Solid waste management (SWM) has been an integral part of every human society. The approaches for SWM should be compatible with the nature of a given society, and, in this regard, Asian countries are no exception. In keeping with global trends, the systems are being oriented to concentrate on sustainability issues; mainly through the incorporation of 3R (reduce, reuse and recycle) technologies. However, degree and nature of improvements toward sustainability are varying and depend on the economic status of a country. High-income countries like Japan and South Korea can afford to spend more to incorporate 3R technologies. Most of the latest efforts focus on “Zero Waste” and/or “Zero Landfilling” which is certainly expensive for weaker economies such as those of India or Indonesia. There is a need to pragmatically assess the expectations of SWM systems in Asian countries. Hence, in this paper, we analyze the situation in different Asian countries, and explore future trends. We conceptually evaluate issues surrounding the sustainability of SWM. We propose a multi-pronged integrated approach for improvement that achieves sustainable SWM in the context of national policy and legal frameworks, institutional arrangement, appropriate technology, operational and financial management, and public awareness and participation. In keeping with this approach, a generic action plan has been proposed that could be tailored to suit a situation in a particular country. Our proposed concept and action plan framework would be useful across a variety of country-specific scenarios.     

Local waste management constraints and waste administrators in China

Local level waste authorities and their officials directly interact and serve the people on behalf of higher governments. Given the influential positions they have on the quality of life of the citizens, these local waste authorities deserve more attention from researchers. This study throws light on the factors related to local waste management and administrators that have caused waste management failures in three mainland Chinese cities. Based on a survey conducted in 2002-2003, it was found that waste administrators in these cities are not professionally competent in their jobs and they are also not confident in using economic instruments to address waste management issues in their cities. These local waste authorities are generally under-funded, and funding politics has to some extent eroded the incentives to carry out the instructions of higher waste authorities. The community at large also does not respect local waste management work. The residents frequently litter, are unobservant of waste collection times and are unwilling to pay for waste collection service. All of these are handicapping environmentally sound waste management.     

A total quality management approach to healthcare waste management in Namazi Hospital,Iran

BackgroundHealthcare waste comprises all wastes generated at healthcare facilities, medical research centers and laboratories. Although 75–90% of these wastes are classified as household waste posing no potential risk, 10–25% are deemed to be hazardous, representing a potential threat to healthcare workers, patients, the environment and even the general population, if not disposed of appropriately. If hazardous and non-hazardous waste is mixed and not segregated prior to disposal, costs will increase substantially. Medical waste management is a worldwide issue. In Iran, the majority of problems are associated with an exponential growth in the healthcare sector together with low- or non-compliance with guidelines and recommendations. The aim of this study was to reduce the amounts of infectious waste by clear definition and segregation of waste at the production site in Namazi Hospital in Shiraz, Iran.Materials and methodsNamazi Hospital was selected as a study site with an aim to achieving a significant decrease in infectious waste and implementing a total quality management (TQM) method. Infectious and non-infectious waste was weighed at 29 admission wards over a 1-month period.ResultsBefore the introduction of the new guidelines and the new waste management concept, weight of total waste was 6.67 kg per occupied bed per day (kg/occupied bed/day), of which 73% was infectious and 27% non-infectious waste. After intervention, total waste was reduced to 5.92 kg/occupied bed/day, of which infectious waste represented 61% and non-infectious waste 30%. The implementation of a new waste management concept achieved a 26% reduction in infectious waste.ConclusionA structured waste management concept together with clear definitions and staff training will result in waste reduction, consequently leading to decreased expenditure in healthcare settings.     

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.     

Resolving complexities in healthcare waste management: a goal programming approach.

The wide variety of activities at healthcare facilities generates different types of waste. There is always a danger of spreading infection due to mishandling of infectious waste or sharps. Hence, a variety of policies and actions have been taken to improve healthcare waste management systems. A large body of literature is available which suggests methods for tackling different problematic situations but management is confronted with a variety of complex problems, such as the choice of technological options to control infection, legal and budget restrictions and the timely removal of waste, which can, at times, conflict with each other. Hence, a planning model is presented that is based on a trans-shipment goal programming approach wherein the waste flow is optimized for multiple objectives under different priority structures or with different relative importance (weights). The use of the model is demonstrated as a decision-making tool that would help the management to understand the effects of their policies on the system performance. The model is validated for a case application representing a real-life situation. It can be easily seen that, in the case in which the management is biased toward a higher level of safety protection towards infection control, they have to compromise on cost control and to some extent on environmental pollution control.     

Sustainable waste management through eco-entrepreneurship: an empirical study of waste upcycling eco-enterprises in Sri Lanka

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The key aim of a transition to a Green Economy is to enable economic growth and investment while increasing environmental quality and social...     

Incineration of healthcare wastes: management of atmospheric emissions through waste segregation

The amount of atmospheric pollutants emitted through the incineration of healthcare wastes can be estimated using emission factors. Emission factors have been published without including sufficient information about the types of wastes incinerated. This paper reports the first emission factors estimated for the incineration of wastes segregated into different types according to the Portuguese legislation. One controlled-air incinerator without air pollution control devices was used in the research. The main objectives of the study were: (i) to estimate the emission factors for particulate matter, dioxins, heavy metals and gaseous pollutants, according to the type of waste incinerated; (ii) to evaluate the quality of atmospheric emissions; and (iii) to define a methodology for the management of atmospheric emissions, evaluating the influence of type of waste incinerated and of the segregation method used on the emitted amounts. It was concluded that: (i) when emission factors are not associated with the type of incinerated mixture, the utility of the emission factors is highly doubtful; (ii) without appropriate equipment to control atmospheric pollution, incineration emissions exceed legal limits, neglecting the protection of human health (the legal limit for pollutant concentrations could only be met for NO(x), all other concentrations were higher than the maximum allowed: dioxins, 93-710 times; Hg, 1.3-226 times; CO, 11-24 times; SO(2), 2-5 times; and HCl, 9-200 times); (iii) rigorous segregation methodologies must be used to minimize atmospheric emissions, and incinerate only those wastes that should be incinerated according to the law. A rigorous segregation program can result in a reduction of the amount of waste that should be incinerated by 80%. A reduction in the quantity of waste incinerated results in a reduction on the amounts of pollutants emitted: particulate matter, 98%; dioxins, 99.5%; As, Cd, Cr, Mn and Ni, respectively, 90%, 92%, 84%, 77% and 92%; Hg and Pb, practically eliminated; SO(2) and NO(x), 93%; and CO and HCl, more than 99%.     

上海市生活垃圾处置情况及管理对策探讨

总结了2000-2004年上海市生活垃圾的产生量、资源化利用、最终处置及管理等情况,分析了目前在上海生活垃圾管理中存在的问题,为今后提高上海市生活垃圾管理水平提出了对策措施.     

The current situation of solid waste management in China

With economic development, the quantity of solid waste is increasing rapidly in China; the total quantities of municipal solid waste (MSW), industrial solid waste (ISW), and hazardous waste (HW) in 2002 were 136.5 million tons, 945 million tons, and 10 million tons, respectively. In 2002, the quantity of MSW disposed of was 74.04 million tons, 89.30% of which was landfilled, 3.72% was incinerated, and 6.98% was composted. There are currently 651 disposal facilities for MSW in China. Mining gangue is the largest component of ISW, making up 27.5% of the total. In the Chinese industrial sector, the coal mining and processing industry contributed most to the total quantity of ISW, with 16.0% of the total quantity of ISW generated by this sector. In total, 44% of HW was recycled, 27% was stored, 13.5% was disposed of, and 15.4% was discharged. Of the total HW generated, 40% was produced by the chemical materials and chemical products industry. Five categories of HW, i.e., waste alkali, waste acid, inorganic fluoride waste, copper waste, and inorganic cyanide waste, made up 57.8% of the total HW generated. Solid waste pollution has become a huge challenge faced by those involved in Chinese environmental management, but this can be seen as an opportunity to improve environmental quality. This article introduces the strategies taken to improve solid waste management in China.     

An overview of municipal solid waste management in China

Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in China warrants particular attention as China has become the largest MSW generator in the world and the total amount of MSW it produces continues to increase. In recent years, central and local governments have made great efforts to improve MSWM in China. New regulations and policies have been issued, urban infrastructure has been improved, and commercialization and international cooperation have been encouraged. Considering these developments, an overview is necessary to analyze the current state as well as new opportunities and challenges regarding MSWM in China. This paper shows that since the late 1990s, the amount of MSW collected has been largely decoupled from economic growth and incineration has become an increasingly widespread treatment method for MSW. We identify and discuss four major challenges and barriers related to China’s MSWM, and propose an integrated management framework to improve the overall eco-efficiency of MSWM.     

Municipal solid waste management in China: a comparative analysis

This paper illustrates an overview of the past and present MSWM strategies in China. A comparison is made with MSWM in China, and other developed and developing countries to identify and analyze the problems of existing MSWM, and evaluate some effective suggestion to overcome the limitations. Rapid urbanization and economic growth are the main factors of increasing MSW generation in China. The generating MSW has 55.86 % food waste with high moisture contain due to unavailable source separation. Chinese MSWM is dominated by 60.16 % landfilling, whereas incineration, untreated discharge, and other treatments are 29.84, 8.21, and 1.79 %, respectively. In 2014, a total of 604 sanitary landfills, 188 incineration plants, and 26 other units were used for MSWM. With the magnitude of timing, the increasing rate of incineration unit and disposal capacity is higher than the landfill. In 2004–2014, the disposal capacity of landfill and incineration is increased from 68.89 to 107.44 and 4.49 to 53.3 million tons, respectively. However, the heating value in the majority of Chinese incineration plants is 3000–6700 kJ/kg and the inappropriate leachate treatment can be found in 47 % landfill sites. A proper taxation system for MSW disposal is not fully implemented in China, which has a negative impact on overall MSW recycling. From the comparative study of MSWM, it is revealed that the source separation MSW collection, high energy recovery from incineration plants, appropriate leachate treatment, effective landfill location and management, increase waste recycling and proper taxation system for MSW disposal are essential to improve MSWM in China.     

Report: integrated industrial waste management systems in China.

Various models of urban sustainable development have been introduced in recent years and some of these such as integrated waste management have been proved to be of particular value. Integrated industrial waste management systems include all the administrative, financial, legal, planning and engineering functions involved in solutions to the problems of industrial waste. Even though the pace of the improvement made to China's industrial waste management capacity is impressive, China has been unable to keep up with the increasing demand for waste management. This paper will evaluate the application of integrated industrial waste management systems in promoting urban sustainable development in the context of three case study cities in China (positive case, average case and negative case) by identifying and accessing the factors that affect the success or failure of integrated industrial waste management systems.     

Municipal solid waste management in Pudong New Area, China

The increase in population, the rapid economic growth and the rise in community living standards accelerate municipal solid waste (MSW) generation in developing cities. This problem is especially serious in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China. The daily amount of MSW generated in Pudong was about 1.11 kg per person in 2006. According to the current population growth trend, the solid waste quantity generated will continue to increase with the city's development. In this paper, we describe a waste generation and composition analysis and provide a comprehensive review of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in Pudong. Some of the important aspects of waste management, such as the current status of waste collection, transport and disposal in Pudong, will be illustrated. Also, the current situation will be evaluated, and its problems will be identified.     

Identifying key factors influencing sustainable element in healthcare waste management using the interval-valued fuzzy DEMATEL method

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - With the rapid growth of healthcare waste and improvement of people’s environment awareness, the sustainability of healthcare waste...