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Waste management evolution in the last five decades in developing countries - A review.
Amani Maalouf1,2, Pariatamby Agamuthu3
1Oxford Sustainable Finance Group, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Summary
Municipal solid waste (MSW) in developing nations surged from 0.64 billion Mt in 1970 to 2 billion Mt in 2019. This review highlights evolving waste management challenges and sustainable solutions for developing countries.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Sustainable Development
- Waste Management Studies
Background:
- Historical overview of waste management (WM) practices in developing nations over the past five decades.
- Exploration of the evolving challenges, complexities, and trends in waste management during this period.
- Identification of the increasing volume of municipal solid waste (MSW) in developing countries.
Approach:
- First-time estimation of MSW generation in developing nations over the last 50 years using a material flow analysis approach.
- Comprehensive review of historical and current waste management paradigms.
- Analysis of technological, economic, and environmental feasibility for integrated sustainable WM systems.
Key Points:
- MSW generation in developing countries increased from approximately 0.64 billion Mt in 1970 to 2 billion Mt in 2019.
- Focus on critical issues: open burning, open dumping, informal recycling, food waste, plastic pollution, and waste collection.
- Emphasis on aligning waste management with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Conclusions:
- Urgent need for innovative waste management approaches in developing nations.
- Importance of policy formulation and strategic planning for effective waste management.
- Investigation of drivers for future progress, including the circular economy model, for sustainable waste management systems.
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