Chapter 8
Waste Management
Abstract The rise in the global population continues to contribute to the generation
of waste, especially in urban areas. This makes the issue of waste management to
become one of the priorities for government and private entities. To this end, this
chapter seeks to focus on solid waste management and particularly the concepts,
steps involved in managing, treating, and disposing of waste. The benefits related
to waste management and challenges experienced by African nations in the quest
for waste management are also explored. To further explore these concepts, the
case study of how African can build inclusive and sustainable cities, a practical
application, and Tom Szaky’s contributions to the topic have been embedded. Future
trends in the diverse continents are also provided to show a glimpse of what the
future of waste management will look like.
Keywords Waste · Tom Szaky · Solid waste management · Waste hierarchy ·
Recycling
8.1 Overview
The global population continues to rise, along with the populations in major urban
centers across the globe. The increase in people correlates to an increase in the
quantity of waste generated. Consequently, waste management has increasingly
become an issue of focus as people consider new strategies to treat, dispose,
and minimize the waste generated. The previous chapter examined wastewater
treatment; this chapter will mainly focus on solid waste management. The waste
management process will form the bulk of the discussion in this chapter as well
as some of the challenges that African countries grapple with in trying to manage
waste.
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
A. A. Akinsemolu, The Principles of Green and Sustainability Science,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2493-6_8
173
Waste Management
Abstract The rise in the global population continues to contribute to the generation
of waste, especially in urban areas. This makes the issue of waste management to
become one of the priorities for government and private entities. To this end, this
chapter seeks to focus on solid waste management and particularly the concepts,
steps involved in managing, treating, and disposing of waste. The benefits related
to waste management and challenges experienced by African nations in the quest
for waste management are also explored. To further explore these concepts, the
case study of how African can build inclusive and sustainable cities, a practical
application, and Tom Szaky’s contributions to the topic have been embedded. Future
trends in the diverse continents are also provided to show a glimpse of what the
future of waste management will look like.
Keywords Waste · Tom Szaky · Solid waste management · Waste hierarchy ·
Recycling
8.1 Overview
The global population continues to rise, along with the populations in major urban
centers across the globe. The increase in people correlates to an increase in the
quantity of waste generated. Consequently, waste management has increasingly
become an issue of focus as people consider new strategies to treat, dispose,
and minimize the waste generated. The previous chapter examined wastewater
treatment; this chapter will mainly focus on solid waste management. The waste
management process will form the bulk of the discussion in this chapter as well
as some of the challenges that African countries grapple with in trying to manage
waste.
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
A. A. Akinsemolu, The Principles of Green and Sustainability Science,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2493-6_8
173