waste management is a complex field which goes beyond prevention, collection,
treatment and disposal of waste; it is about preserving, protecting and improving the
quality of the environment and human health, promoting a circular economy and
ensuring the efficiency of resources by turning waste to wealth [7].
Figure 2 presents the waste management hierarchy with waste prevention as the
most preferable option, to disposal or landfilling as the least favoured option.
However, with rapid urbanisation, many countries are facing considerable challenges in the management and treatment of waste. The recent waste generation
data in India, the second populous country in the globe, indicates that about
62 million tonnes of municipal solid wastes are generated per annum across the
towns and cities of India. Reports also show that only 43 million tonnes of the
generated wastes are collected, out of which only 38% is treated. This means,
31 million tonnes of the collected waste is dumped in the landfills, in addition to
the 19 million tonnes of the uncollected wastes. Although virtually all Indian
municipal authorities provide basic solid waste management (SWM) services, in
keeping the major cities clean, however, most of the collected waste by the municipalities unsystematically goes to landfill sites located within or outside the cities
[11, 12]. The story is not different in China, the most populous country in the globe.
Fig. 1 Municipal solid wastes composition by the income of countries [9]
Fig. 2 Wastes management triangle (Adapted with permission from: [10])
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A. A. Gado et al.
treatment and disposal of waste; it is about preserving, protecting and improving the
quality of the environment and human health, promoting a circular economy and
ensuring the efficiency of resources by turning waste to wealth [7].
Figure 2 presents the waste management hierarchy with waste prevention as the
most preferable option, to disposal or landfilling as the least favoured option.
However, with rapid urbanisation, many countries are facing considerable challenges in the management and treatment of waste. The recent waste generation
data in India, the second populous country in the globe, indicates that about
62 million tonnes of municipal solid wastes are generated per annum across the
towns and cities of India. Reports also show that only 43 million tonnes of the
generated wastes are collected, out of which only 38% is treated. This means,
31 million tonnes of the collected waste is dumped in the landfills, in addition to
the 19 million tonnes of the uncollected wastes. Although virtually all Indian
municipal authorities provide basic solid waste management (SWM) services, in
keeping the major cities clean, however, most of the collected waste by the municipalities unsystematically goes to landfill sites located within or outside the cities
[11, 12]. The story is not different in China, the most populous country in the globe.
Fig. 1 Municipal solid wastes composition by the income of countries [9]
Fig. 2 Wastes management triangle (Adapted with permission from: [10])
180
A. A. Gado et al.