Understanding Solid Waste Management
Sandec: Department of Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries
Sandec Training Tool 1.0 – Module 6
Solid Waste Management
Summary
Summary
With progressing urbanisation, solid waste management is becoming a ma jor public health and environmental con cern in urban areas of many developing countries. The overall goal of urban sol id waste management is to collect, treat and dispose of solid waste generated by all urban population groups in an environ mentally and socially satisfactory man ner using the most economical means available. However, a typical solid waste man agement system in a developing country displays an array of problems, including low collection coverage, irregular collec tion services, indiscriminate open dump ing and burning without air and water pollution control, breeding of flies and
vermin, as well as handling and lack of control of informal waste picking or scav enging. These public health, as well as environmental and management prob lems are caused by various factors con straining the development of effective solid waste management systems. (The
World Bank, 2008)
This document provides an overview of the present state-of-the-art of solid waste production and management. It contains the characteristics of municipal solid waste and describes current waste treatment systems and technologies, as well as non-technical aspects like private sector involvement and financial arrange ments.
Figure 1: Solid waste management in the context of environmental sanitation.
Not included in Module 6
Industrial hazardous waste
Technical details for recycling and disposal Ñ Transboundary waste movements
Ñ
Ñ
Impressum
Publisher: Eawag/Sandec (Department of
Water and Sanitation in Developing
Countries), P.O. 611, 8600 Dübendorf,
Switzerland. Phone +41 (0)44 823 52 86,
Fax +41 (0)44 823 53 99
Editors: Yvonne Vögeli and Sylvie Peter
Concept and Content:
Benjamin Hemkendreis and Karin Güdel
Layout:
Sandec Training Tool 1.0 – Module 6
Solid Waste Management
Summary
Summary
With progressing urbanisation, solid waste management is becoming a ma jor public health and environmental con cern in urban areas of many developing countries. The overall goal of urban sol id waste management is to collect, treat and dispose of solid waste generated by all urban population groups in an environ mentally and socially satisfactory man ner using the most economical means available. However, a typical solid waste man agement system in a developing country displays an array of problems, including low collection coverage, irregular collec tion services, indiscriminate open dump ing and burning without air and water pollution control, breeding of flies and
vermin, as well as handling and lack of control of informal waste picking or scav enging. These public health, as well as environmental and management prob lems are caused by various factors con straining the development of effective solid waste management systems. (The
World Bank, 2008)
This document provides an overview of the present state-of-the-art of solid waste production and management. It contains the characteristics of municipal solid waste and describes current waste treatment systems and technologies, as well as non-technical aspects like private sector involvement and financial arrange ments.
Figure 1: Solid waste management in the context of environmental sanitation.
Not included in Module 6
Industrial hazardous waste
Technical details for recycling and disposal Ñ Transboundary waste movements
Ñ
Ñ
Impressum
Publisher: Eawag/Sandec (Department of
Water and Sanitation in Developing
Countries), P.O. 611, 8600 Dübendorf,
Switzerland. Phone +41 (0)44 823 52 86,
Fax +41 (0)44 823 53 99
Editors: Yvonne Vögeli and Sylvie Peter
Concept and Content:
Benjamin Hemkendreis and Karin Güdel
Layout:
References: The World Bank (2008): Urban Solid Waste M anagement UNESCO (2001): National Association of Co lombian “Recicladores”. www.unesco.