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Perspectives on sustainable waste management
1Chemical Engineering Department, The City College of New York, City University of New York, New York, New York 10031;
Annual Review of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
|June 10, 2014
Summary
Sustainable waste management is crucial. This review explores extracting value from municipal solid waste streams using an expanded waste hierarchy, moving beyond landfilling.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Waste Management
- Circular Economy
Background:
- Globally, approximately 80% of waste ends up in landfills, often inadequately contained.
- Growing environmental concerns and demand for resources are shifting perspectives on waste streams.
- Waste-to-energy and material recovery are gaining traction, particularly in developed nations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of sustainable waste management strategies.
- To highlight the potential for value extraction from municipal solid waste (MSW).
- To advocate for an expanded waste hierarchy approach.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of current waste management practices.
- Analysis of waste streams for energy and material recovery potential.
- Examination of the expanded waste hierarchy framework.
Main Results:
- Current waste management heavily relies on landfilling, posing environmental risks.
- Emerging strategies focus on resource recovery from waste, driven by environmental and economic factors.
- An expanded waste hierarchy offers a structured approach to maximize value extraction from MSW.
Conclusions:
- Transitioning from landfilling to resource recovery is essential for sustainable waste management.
- Implementing an expanded waste hierarchy can significantly enhance value extraction from MSW.
- Increased societal awareness will likely drive greater adoption of waste-to-value initiatives.
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