A progress indicator-based assessment guide for integrated municipal solid-waste management systems

Managing municipal solid waste is a major concern for cities around the world. Particularly urban communities with developing economies are urged to improve their waste management practices, and set up appropriate waste management systems. Waste management is a city-specific topic; there is no ideal solution that can be operationalized everywhere. In developing cities, municipalities and decision makers need simple and effective indicators to assess the sustainability of their current waste management systems, and set a performance reference point. The current study investigates available literature and suggests a list of measurable sustainability indicators which are specific to solid-waste management. The list encompasses 27 indicators that cover the building blocks of an integrated solid-waste management system, i.e., collection and sorting, recycling, composting, energy recovery, and landfilling. An assessment tool is developed through a five-point Likert scale, evaluating these indicators. Case studies of Cairo and Brussels were analyzed. The outcomes of this analysis can be used as a benchmark on a local level in planning, clarifying policy objectives, and setting priorities.     

Recovery and recycling practices in municipal solid waste management in Lagos, Nigeria

The population of Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria, increased seven times from 1950 to 1980 with a current population of over 10 million inhabitants. The majority of the city's residents are poor. The residents make a heavy demand on resources and, at the same time, generate large quantities of solid waste. Approximately 4 million tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) is generated annually in the city, including approximately 0.5 million of untreated industrial waste. This is approximately 1.1 kg/cap/day. Efforts by the various waste management agencies set up by the state government to keep its streets and neighborhoods clean have achieved only minimal success. This is because more than half of these wastes are left uncollected from the streets and the various locations due to the inadequacy and inefficiency of the waste management system. Whilst the benefits of proper solid waste management (SWM), such as increased revenues for municipal bodies, higher productivity rate, improved sanitation standards and better health conditions, cannot be overemphasized, it is important that there is a reduction in the quantity of recoverable materials in residential and commercial waste streams to minimize the problem of MSW disposal. This paper examines the status of recovery and recycling in current waste management practice in Lagos, Nigeria. Existing recovery and recycling patterns, recovery and recycling technologies, approaches to materials recycling, and the types of materials recovered from MSW are reviewed. Based on these, strategies for improving recovery and recycling practices in the management of MSW in Lagos, Nigeria are suggested.     

Comparing urban solid waste recycling from the viewpoint of urban metabolism based on physical input-output model: A case of Suzhou in China

Investigating impacts of urban solid waste recycling on urban metabolism contributes to sustainable urban solid waste management and urban sustainability. Using a physical input-output model and scenario analysis, urban metabolism of Suzhou in 2015 is predicted and impacts of four categories of solid waste recycling on urban metabolism are illustrated: scrap tire recycling, food waste recycling, fly ash recycling and sludge recycling. Sludge recycling has positive effects on reducing all material flows. Thus, sludge recycling for biogas is regarded as an accepted method. Moreover, technical levels of scrap tire recycling and food waste recycling should be improved to produce positive effects on reducing more material flows. Fly ash recycling for cement production has negative effects on reducing all material flows except solid wastes. Thus, other fly ash utilization methods should be exploited. In addition, the utilization and treatment of secondary wastes from food waste recycling and sludge recycling should be concerned.     

Solid waste collection and recycling in Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia: a case study.

The implementation of a suitable solid waste management programme with appropriate methods of recycling as an inherent element is vital to the alleviation of the problems associated with solid waste generation, handling and disposal, environmental conservation, public hygiene, etc. The present work is a case study on solid waste collection and recycling practices in Nibong Tebal town, Penang, Malaysia. The amount and types of domestic waste generated, household participation in recycling, identification of existing problems related to the implementation of the recycling programme, etc. formed the basis of this study. Surveys (interviews/questionnaires) and on-site observations were conducted to gather information on the solid waste collection and recycling practice of the residents. A focus group of 60 individuals was selected and their response to a questionnaire, prepared according to a Likert scale, was obtained and analysed. The majority of the respondents expressed concerns about recycling and wanted more to be done in this regard. Illegal collection, aesthetically displeasing sites and a lack of public awareness were problems of major concern. Issues related to inadequate funding and manpower as well as end market are also addressed and suggestions made.     

A review of waste prevention through 3R under the concept of circular economy in China

The large waste generation has become one of the worldwide environmental problems. Circular economy has been seen as a way to tackle its urgent problems of environmental degradation and source scarcity. In recent years, under the concepts of circular economy, waste prevention through “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” (3R) rules have attracted a broad concern in China. China has made some great achievements on waste management, and at the same time is facing many challenges. It is very necessary to share the management experiences and practices with the scholars and managers in other countries. This review covered the current situation and progress of circular economy development from the perspective of the legal regime and project practices, and the recycling practices of typical waste. The typical household wastes, including municipal solid wastes (MSW), e-waste, and end of life vehicles (ELV), were studied as the typical cases. Based on an examination of the statistical results, we also identified the potential problems and challenges for waste prevention through 3R in China. Finally, we provided some effective measures to further improve the waste management and recycling in China.     

Research on solid waste management system: to improve existing situation in Corlu Town of Turkey

Over the past decades, uncontrolled population growth and rapid urbanization and industrialization have resulted in environmental problems in Corlu Town, Turkey. One of the most important problems is solid waste due to inadequate management practices. Nowadays, increasing public awareness of the environment compels local authorities to define and to adopt new solutions for waste management. This paper presents a general overview of current solid waste management practices in Corlu Town and principles of the recommended municipal solid waste (MSW) management system. In Corlu, 170 tonnes of municipal solid waste are generated each day, or 1.150 kg per capita per day. Approximately one-half of the municipal solid waste generated is organic material and 30% of the MSW consists of recyclable materials. The recommended system deals with maximizing recycling and minimizing landfilling of municipal solid waste, and consists of separation at source, collection, sorting, recycling, composting and sanitary landfilling. This study also analyzed the recommended system with respect to feasibility and economics. To evaluate whether the suggested system is cost effective or not, the operating cost of the recommended system and market prices of recyclable materials were compared, and the results show that the recommended system will reduce required landfill volume up to 27% of compared to the present situation. The profit of the recommended system is estimated to be about 80 million US dollars.     

Potential use of feebate systems to foster environmentally sound urban waste management

Waste treatment facilities are often shared among different municipalities as a means of managing wastes more efficiently. Usually, management costs are assigned to each municipality depending on the size of the population or total amount of waste produced, regardless of important environmental aspects such as per capita waste generation or achievements in composting or recycling. This paper presents a feebate (fee+rebate) system aimed to foster urban waste reduction and recovery. The proposal suggests that municipalities achieving better results in their waste management performance (from an ecological viewpoint) be recompensated with a rebate obtained from a fee charged to those municipalities that are less environmentally sound. This is a dynamic and flexible instrument that would positively encourage municipalities to reduce waste whilst increasing the recycling.     

Environmental management by the learning curve

This is a futuristic appreciation of waste management challenges and their solution by means of good management models. A literature review, administrative initiatives, research results, and experiences from practice are combined in this study to render an evolutionary picture of the change in paradigm relative to municipal solid waste possible to occur between 2000 and 2025. The principal stages of progress in the 25 years studied were: the correct characterization of municipal solid waste as a function of geographical location and recycling potential, the divided collection model and its corresponding learning curve, correct opportunity cost accounting tools, and the generally admitted and accepted changeover of municipal solid waste treatment from a technical to a management problem. It is reported that as a result of this progress, the municipal landfill is a species in extinction. Regional landfills with long life spans are the rule in 2025.     

Integrated solid waste management based on the 3R approach

Integrated solid waste management (ISWM) based on the 3R approach (reduce, reuse, and recycle) is aimed at optimizing the management of solid waste from all the waste-generating sectors (municipal, construction and demolition, industrial, urban agriculture, and healthcare facilities) and involving all the stakeholders (waste generators, service providers, regulators, government, and community/neighborhoods). This article discusses the concept of solid waste management (SWM). Initially, SWM was aimed at reducing the risks to public health, and later the environmental aspect also became an important focus of SWM. Recently, another dimension is becoming a critical factor for SWM, i.e., resource conservation and resource recovery. Hence, the 3R approach is becoming a guiding factor for SWM. On the one hand, 3R helps to minimize the amount of waste from generation to disposal, thus managing the waste more effectively and minimizing the public health and environmental risks associated with it. On the other hand, resource recovery is maximized at all stages of SWM. Lately, the new concept of ISWM has been introduced to streamline all the stages of waste management, i.e., source separation, collection and transportation, transfer stations and material recovery, treatment and resource recovery, and final disposal. It was originally targeted at municipal solid waste management (MSWM), but now the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is promoting this concept to cover all waste generating sectors to optimize the level of material and resource recovery for recycling as well as to improve the efficiency of waste management services. The ISWM concept is being transformed into ISWM systems to replace conventional SWM systems. This article further discusses the implementation process for ISWM. The process includes a baseline study on the characterization and quantification of waste for all waste generating sectors within a city, assessment of current waste management systems and practices, target setting for ISWM, identification of issues of concern and suggestions from stakeholders, development of a draft ISWM plan, preparation of an implementation strategy, and establishment of a monitoring and feedback system. UNEP is assisting member countries and their cities to develop an ISWM plan covering all the waste generating sectors within a specific geographical or administrative area such as a city or municipality. This umbrella approach is useful to generate sufficient volumes of recycling materials required to make recycling industries feasible. This is also helpful for efficient reallocation of resources for SWM such as collection vehicles, transfer stations, treatment plants, and disposal sites. UNEP is assisting cities to develop and implement ISWM based on the 3R approach. These experiences could be useful for other countries to develop and implement ISWM to achieve improved public health, better environmental protection, and resource conservation and resource recovery.     

Solid waste management practices and review of recovery and recycling operations in Turkey

This paper provides a general overview of solid waste data and management practices employed in Turkey during the last decade. Municipal solid waste statistics and management practices including waste recovery and recycling initiatives have been evaluated. Detailed data on solid waste management practices including collection, recovery and disposal, together with the results of cost analyses, have been presented. Based on these evaluations basic cost estimations on collection and sorting of recyclable solid waste in Turkey have been provided. The results indicate that the household solid waste generation in Turkey, per capita, is around 0.6 kg/year, whereas municipal solid waste generation is close to 1 kg/year. The major constituents of municipal solid waste are organic in nature and approximately 1/4 of municipal solid waste is recyclable. Separate collection programmes for recyclable household waste by more than 60 municipalities, continuing in excess of 3 years, demonstrate solid evidence for public acceptance and continuing support from the citizens. Opinion polls indicate that more than 80% of the population in the project regions is ready and willing to participate in separate collection programmes. The analysis of output data of the Material Recovery Facilities shows that, although paper, including cardboard, is the main constituent, the composition of recyclable waste varies strongly by the source or the type of collection point.     

On achieving the state's household recycling target: a case study of Northern New Jersey, USA

In recent times, the State of New Jersey (USA) has been making attempts at promoting recycling as an environmentally friendly means of attaining self-sufficiency at waste disposal, and the state has put in place a 50% recycling target for its municipal solid waste stream. While the environmental benefits of recycling are obvious, a recycling program must be cost effective to ensure its long-term sustainability. In this paper, a linear programming model is developed to examine the current state of recycling in selected counties in Northern New Jersey and assess the needs to achieve the state's recycling goal in these areas. The optimum quantities of waste to be sent to the different waste facilities, which include landfills, incinerators, transfer stations, recycling and composting plants, are determined by the model. The study shows that for these counties, the gap between the current waste practices where the recycling rate stands at 32% and the state's goal can be bridged by more efficient utilization of existing facilities and reasonable investment in expanding those for recycling activities.     

Optimal design for sustainable development of a material recovery facility in a fast-growing urban setting

Installing material recovery facilities (MRFs) in a solid waste management system could be a feasible alternative to achieve sustainable development goals in urban areas if current household and curbside recycling cannot prove successful in the long run. This paper addresses the optimal site selection and capacity planning for a MRF in conjunction with an optimal shipping strategy of solid waste streams in a multi-district urban region. Screening of material recovery and disposal capacity alternatives can be achieved in terms of economic feasibility, technology limitation, recycling potential, and site availability. The optimization objectives include economic impacts characterized by recycling income and cost components for waste management, while the constraint set consists of mass balance, capacity limitation, recycling limitation, scale economy, conditionality, and relevant screening constraints. A case study for the City of San Antonio, Texas (USA) presents a vivid example where scenario planning demonstrates the robustness and flexibility of this modeling analysis. It proves especially useful when determining MRF ownership structure. Each scenario experiences two case settings: (1) two MRF sites are proposed for selection and (2) a single MRF site is sought. Cost analysis confirms processing fees are not the driving force in the City's operation, but rather shipping cost. Sensitivity analysis solidifies the notion that significant public participation plays the most important role in minimizing solid waste management expenses.     

Planning for integrated solid waste management at the industrial park level: a case of Tianjin, China

Industrial parks play a significant role in the production and use of goods and services. The proper management of solid waste is a major challenge for industrial parks due to the large quantity of wastes and the variability of waste characteristics from these types of developments. Therefore, integrated solid waste management has become very crucial to the industrial park managers. Such an approach requires industrial park managers to assess the overall use of resources, and to seek waste reduction, reuse and recycling opportunities both at the individual company level and among different tenant companies. The adoption of this method can bring both economic and environmental benefits. This paper introduces the planning efforts of a real case in China. It first presents the basic information on Tianjin Economic Development Area (TEDA), and then introduces its current practices on solid waste management. The main focus of this paper is to describe how to plan an integrated solid waste management system at TEDA. Benefits and challenges are all identified and analyzed. The experiences and methods from this case study should be applied in other industrial parks so as to improve the overall eco-efficiency of the whole industrial park.     

Strategies for improving recycling behaviour within the Cornwall National Health Service (NHS) in the UK.

This paper examines strategies for improving recycling behaviour within the Cornwall National Health Service (NHS). Using quantitative (questionnaires and waste bin analyses) and qualitative (ethnography and interviews) methodologies, the study examined the waste management practices of staff from the Cornwall NHS. It was found that employee participation in waste recycling at work was low due to a range of factors including NHS focus and policies, group norms, and individual attitudes and beliefs about sustainable waste management. Recommendations for improving the sustainability of NHS, employee waste management practices, with a specific focus on recycling are included in the paper. These recommendations include measures focused towards both the NHS organization and individual staff members.     

Carbon emissions reduction strategies in Africa from improved waste management: A review

The paper summarises a literature review into waste management practices across Africa as part of a study to assess methods to reduce carbon emissions. Research shows that the average organic content for urban Municipal Solid Waste in Africa is around 56% and its degradation is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The paper concludes that the most practical and economic way to manage waste in the majority of urban communities in Africa and therefore reduce carbon emissions is to separate waste at collection points to remove dry recyclables by door to door collection, compost the remaining biogenic carbon waste in windrows, using the maturated compost as a substitute fertilizer and dispose the remaining fossil carbon waste in controlled landfills.     

An environmental analysis for comparing waste management options and strategies

The debate on different waste management practices has become an issue of utmost importance as human activities have overloaded the assimilative capacity of the biosphere. Recent Italian law on solid waste management recommends an increase in material recycling and energy recovery, and only foresees landfill disposal for inert materials and residues from recovery and recycling. A correct waste management policy should be based on the principles of sustainable development, according to which our refuse is not simply regarded as something to eliminate but rather as a potential resource. This requires the creation of an integrated waste management plan that makes full use of all available technologies. In this context, eMergy analysis is applied to evaluate three different forms of waste treatment and construct an approach capable of assessing the whole strategy of waste management. The evaluation included how much investment is needed for each type of waste management and how much "utility" is extracted from wastes, through the use of two indicators: Environmental yield ratio (EYR) and Net eMergy. Our results show that landfill is the worst system in terms of eMergy costs and eMergy benefits. Composting is the most efficient system in recovering eMergy (highest EYR) from municipal solid waste (MSW) while incineration is capable of saving the greatest quantity of eMergy per gram of MSW (highest net eMergy). This analysis has made it possible to assess the sustainability and the efficiency of individual options but could also be used to assess a greater environmental strategy for waste management, considering a system that might include landfills, incineration, composting, etc.     

Municipal solid waste management challenges in developing countries--Kenyan case study

This paper provides an overview of the state of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) by local authorities in Kenya as a case study of a low-income developing country. Approaches of possible solutions that can be undertaken to improve municipal solid waste (MSW) services are discussed. Poor economic growth (1.1% in 1993) has resulted in an increase in the poverty level which presently stands at 56%. Migration from the rural areas to the urban areas has resulted in unplanned settlements in suburban areas accommodating about 60% of the urban population on only 5% urban land area. Political interference also hampers smooth running of local authorities. Vulnerability of pollution of surface and groundwater is high because local authorities rarely considered environmental impact in siting MSW disposal sites. Illegal dumping of MSW on the river banks or on the roadside poses environmental and economic threats on nearby properties. Poor servicing of MSW collection vehicles, poor state of infrastructure and the lack of adequate funding militate against optimization of MSW disposal service. The rural economy needs to be improved if rural-urban migration is to be managed. Involvement of stakeholders is important to achieve any meaningful and sustainable MSWM. The role of the informal sector through community-based organizations (CBOs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the private sector in offering solutions towards improvement of MSWM also is explored.     

A purview of waste management evolution: special emphasis on USA

The generation of waste in urban regions over time is seen to impact the balance of anthropogenic and natural resources. Various national and international initiatives to manage urban solid waste are in place and has thus have evolved at present to form an assortment of different subcomponents involving environmental, administrative, regulatory, scientific, market, technology, and socio-economic factors, which has increasing bearing on the US due to its volume and nature of discards. This paper draws together the various aspects of municipal solid waste (MSW) management as it evolved, particularly in the American society through reviewing works and findings. In many parts of the country, waste management at present, primarily involves landfilling, incineration with and without energy recovery, recycling and composting. Legislation, nature of wastes and market trends continue to redefine management operations and its responsibilities and impacts. Complexities are added to it by the nature of urban development as well. New studies and concepts like 3Rs, cradle-to-cradle, industrial ecology, and integrated waste management are adding new dimensions for solving waste problems towards achieving sustainable resource use. Local initiatives, both public and private are in the forefront of adopting alternate waste management procedures. The assistance from various government and private bodies, supporting shifts in waste management approaches, have immense value, as according to the new paradigms, nothing goes to waste.     

Minimax regret optimization analysis for a regional solid waste management system

Solid waste management (SWM) facilities are crucial for environmental management and public health in urban regions. Due to the waste management hierarchy, one of the greatest challenges that organizations face today is to figure out how to diversify the treatment options, increase the reliability of infrastructure systems, and leverage the redistribution of waste streams among incineration, compost, recycling, and other facilities to their competitive advantage region wide. Systems analysis plays an important role for regionalization assessment of integrated SWM systems, leading to provide decision makers with break-through insights and risk-informed strategies. This paper aims to apply a minimax regret optimization analysis for improving SWM strategies in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV), an economically fast growing region in the US. Based on different environmental, economic, legal, and social conditions, event-based simulation in the first stage links estimated waste streams in major cities in LRGV with possible solid waste management alternatives. The optimization analysis in the second stage emphasizes the trade-offs and associated regret evaluation with respect to predetermined scenarios. Such optimization analyses with multiple criteria have featured notable successes, either by public or private efforts, in diverting recyclables, green waste, yard waste, and biosolids from the municipal solid waste streams to upcoming waste-to-energy, composting, and recycling facilities. Model outputs may link prescribed regret scenarios in decision making with various scales of regionalization policies. The insights drawn from the system-oriented, forward-looking, and preventative study can eventually help decision-makers and stakeholders gain a scientific understanding of the consequences of short-term and long-term decisions relating to sustainable SWM in the fast-growing US-Mexico borderland.