Assessing the social performance of municipal solid waste management systems in developing countries: Proposal of indicators and a case study

Abstract

This article analyses the social performance of municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems in developing countries. For this purpose, a set of social impact categories, indicators and metrics capable of assessing the socio-economic and labour conditions of the different stakeholders involved in the life cycle of a MSW management system is proposed. Specifically, 12 social impact categories and 22 indicators with their corresponding metrics have been suggested. The application of the proposed indicators is illustrated by a case study in the districts of João Pessoa (Brazil), where selective MSW collection has been implemented with the collaboration of previous informal waste pickers, who have been reorganised into associations or cooperatives of collectors of recyclable materials (formal sector). The results suggest that despite the improvements made in the last decade in the current MSW management system of João Pessoa, there is still plenty of room for improvement. The social impact category with better performance is related to a “value chain actors relationship”, while “equal opportunities/discrimination” and “working benefits” show a high improvement potential.