Scenario-based strategies for municipal solid waste management in Ukraine: Challenges, accounting, and prospects for EU integration

Purpose – This paper examined the current status of municipal solid waste management across Nigeria. The core aspects covered are generation, characterization, collection, scavenging, open dumping, disposal and environmental implications of poor solid waste management. The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive overview of the current state of municipal solid waste management in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach – This study was executed by a combination of an extensive literature search and field study. Solid waste generation rates for 31 Nigerian cities were obtained from literature. In addition, characteristics of municipal solid waste from 26 Nigerian cities were also obtained from literature. Other aspects such as characterization of solid waste obtained from final dumpsite and heavy metals accumulation in solid waste dumpsites were undertaken first hand. Findings – Solid waste generation rate was found to vary from 0.13 kg/capita/day in Ogbomosho to 0.71 kg/capita/day in Ado-Ekiti. Factors affecting solid waste generation rates were identified. Typically, food waste was found to constitute close to 50 percent of overall municipal solid waste in Nigerian cities. This study shows that the rate of generation of plastics, water proof materials and diapers has assumed an upward trend. Due to the dysfunctional state of many municipal waste management authorities, many cities have been overrun by open dumps. For instance, more than 50 percent of residents of Maiduguri in northern Nigeria and Ughelli in southern Nigeria dispose of their waste in open dumps. Indiscriminate disposal of waste has also resulted in the preponderance of toxic heavy metals in agricultural soils and consequent bioaccumulation in plants as well as groundwater contamination. Research limitations/implications – The main limitation of this research is municipal waste management authorities do not have relevant data. Hence, there was heavy reliance on published materials. The status of waste management in Nigeria is very deplorable and therefore poses serious threats to public and environmental health. There is urgent need for both government and individuals to adopt holistic and sustainable waste management strategies in order to safeguard public/environmental health. Practical implications – Findings from this paper can form a veritable resource for the formulation and implementation of sustainable municipal solid waste management framework and strategies in Nigeria. Originality/value – While most studies on municipal solid waste management in Nigeria are focussed on selected cities of interest, this particular study cuts across most cities of Nigeria in order to present a broader and holistic view of municipal solid waste management in Nigeria. The paper has also unraveled core municipal solid waste management challenges facing Nigerian cities.

This paper aims to offer strategic management recommendations for the incorporation of circular economy principles into municipal solid waste management and to disseminate knowledge regarding the implementation of this concept within local communities. This research combined systematic literature reviews with qualitative methods, utilizing content and descriptive analysis to evaluate the findings. The study indicates that municipal waste management in communities encounters numerous challenges, including insufficient funding, inadequate infrastructure, and noncompliance from the populace, all of which hinder effective municipal garbage management. In addition, a more significant concern is the lack of efficient techniques for recycling and waste segregation. Moreover, as urban populations increase, waste generation escalates, exerting strain on current disposal facilities. Implementing a circular economy strategy in municipal waste management has numerous benefits, including the reduction of landfill trash, the conservation of natural resources, and the generation of employment opportunities through material recycling and repurposing. Circular economy enhances environmental sustainability by reducing pollution and facilitating the transition to a more resilient, resource-efficient system. Moreover, educating people about circular economy principles enhances their understanding of sustainable practices, leads to less waste and resource conservation, and enhances economic prospects by generating green employment and fostering local innovation in waste management techniques.

Purpose Poor municipal solid waste management is a major characteristic of urban development in Africa. In Ghana, local governments are mandated to ensure the collection, treatment and disposal of solid waste. However, this has been a herculean task for local governments in Ghana, owing to inadequate resources and weak technical capacities. This has prompted calls for, and actual involvement of the private sector through public-private partnerships (PPPs) in municipal solid waste management, particularly in the urban areas. This study aims to assess the roles, effectiveness and challenges of PPPs in urban waste management in the Sunyani municipality of Ghana. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a case study design, the study used a qualitative research approach to provide in-depth insights into PPPs in municipal solid waste management in the Sunyani municipality of Ghana. Therefore, key informant interviews and two focus group discussions were conducted. Findings The study revealed that some policies and actions of the local government (Assembly) do not positively facilitate the effective functioning of PPPs in municipal solid waste management. There is also lack of effective stakeholder consultation, collaboration and grassroot inclusion in the PPPs which affect the effective management of the increasing volumes of solid waste being generated within the municipality. Practical implications To achieve the objectives of the PPP arrangements, local authorities should initiate steps to effectively coordinate all the involved private companies. There must also be ways of involving the beneficiaries in the design and implementation of PPPs on waste management to allow for effective grassroots and participatory monitoring and evaluation. Originality/value The uniqueness of the case study being a mid-sized and secondary city in a developing country enhances the value of the findings and the application of recommendations in cities with similar characteristics and initiatives in improving PPPs in municipal waste management.

Municipal solid waste management is an environmental issue that has received considerable attention from researchers and environmental managers for decades. Supporting the management programs entail policies and regulations related to municipal solid waste. In developed countries, the implementation of environmental policies plays an important role and has a substantial impact on the effectiveness of solid waste management. However, in many developing countries such as Vietnam, the situation and effectiveness of the policy implementation have not been studied extensively. This investigation is conducted to ascertain the situation, limitations, and challenges in implementing solid waste management policy in Vietnam. Then, solutions for the problems and improvements for implementation efficiency are presented. This work used online questionnaires to survey environmental managers in different localities and applied qualitative research method to analyze data. The results show that not all national policies on solid waste management are implemented in all localities. Waste separation is also the foremost concern in municipal waste management in most localities of Vietnam. Most of the localities claimed that the unrealistic nature and difficult implementation of the policies and the lack of needed resources are the main limitations and challenges in Vietnam. Survey results also revealed that different localities in Vietnam have different solutions to increase policy implementation efficiency. Besides, the study also found similarities in the implementation of policies in solid waste management between Vietnam and some other countries and also gathered some valuable lessons for the improvement strategy. Finally, the implementation of an effective domestic solid waste management policy is an important platform for improving environmental quality and ensuring the sustainable development of the nation and mankind.

It was determined that the current state of the field of solid household waste management in Ukraine is: focused on the landfilling of solid household waste, its placement in landfills and spontaneous landfills, most of which do not meet the requirements of environmental safety; is characterized by the lack of opportunities for separate collection and processing of solid household waste; has a low technological level and a low level of implementation of innovative technologies; is characterized by the lack of a proper recycling system (including a separate collection system); limited by approaches to making complex management decisions and financial resources. It has been established that the outdated methods of managing this area, as well as the lack of a comprehensive solid waste management system, is the main problem for Ukraine, which negatively affects the environment and the health of the population. Solving this problem largely depends on state policy, legislative innovations and specific financial and economic mechanisms approved at the national level. The main priorities for changes in solid waste management policy are outlined. It has been established that the development of national legislation in the field of waste management, including solid household waste, is taking place in Ukraine. In particular, the National Waste Management Strategy until 2030, the National Waste Management Plan until 2030, the Law of Ukraine “On Waste Management” was adopted, which indicates the implementation of the basic principles and provisions of European legislation in the field of waste management, including solid household waste.

Greenhouse gases emission from municipal waste management: The role of separate collection

Purpose. Review of the current situation in the municipal solid waste management area in Ukraine and outline the possible direction of an effective waste management system organization at the regional level. Methods. System analysis, mass balance method, generalization and interpretation. Results. Starting of the European integration process, Ukraine has initiated a number of reforms in the legislative and regulatory sphere of waste management. In particular, the National Strategy of waste management in Ukraine by 2030 was approved; the draft Law of Ukraine “On Waste Management” and others were developed. There are plants for recovering certain types of recyclable raw materials in Ukraine. The model of effective municipal solid waste management at the regional level should be based on baseline conditions: waste composition and available recovery capacity. It is shown that almost half of the municipal solid waste mass is food and garden waste. This means that an effective solid waste management system must be based on the separation and subsequent treatment of such waste, which will allow the achievement of the National Strategy targets. Conclusions. The municipal solid waste problem of is extremely urgent for Ukraine, because in the conditions of mass increasing and composition complication the main method of treatment remains disposal. Changes in legislation and the existing infrastructure for recycling the most common and resource-intensive categories of recyclables require the introduction of effective municipal solid waste management systems. We believe that to achieve a significant result, it is necessary to pay attention to easily-decomposed organic waste. Development a system for the proper collection and further use of such waste will help to achieve significant performance indicators of municipal solid waste potential using.

The expansion of urban areas, changing patterns of consumption and industrialization resulting in an increase in municipal waste generation are deteriorating the quality of environment, thereby posing a risk to sustainable development. The seriousness of the problem increases in a scenario where natural resources are getting scarcer and the traditional system of landfill is still being practiced extensively for solid waste disposal. Most often technology is considered as an essential component of the waste management where the functionality of different technologies depends on the quantity of waste and its composition. However, other factors such as government policy, legal framework, and financial allocation, social and cultural context play an equally vital role for an efficient waste management system, which is often ignored. Recognizing the importance of sustainable development and environmental conservation, the role of institutions and technology in delivering efficient waste management system has been evident in countries pioneering in waste management. This paper addresses the issue of municipal solid waste management by taking the case of India. It discusses the present municipal waste management system, practices and policies in India. In an evolutionary approach, it highlights the gaps in policy formulation, points out the challenges that the sector is facing and makes an attempt to suggest a way forward through a study of the municipal waste management policies and practices adopted in other countries that had championed waste management.

Στόχος της παρούσας πτυχιακής είναι να αναλυθεί η μέθοδος διαχείρισης των επικίνδυνων αστικών αποβλήτων στην Ελλάδα. Για αυτό το λόγο και αρχικά γίνεται μνεία στον υφιστάμενο τρόπο διαχείρισής τους και στη συνέχεια εκπονήθηκε έρευνα μέσω ερωτηματολογίων, σχετικά με τη μέθοδο που θα πρέπει να ισχύσει πλέον, βάσει του Εθνικού Σχεδίου Διαχείρισης Αποβλήτων 2020-2030 (ΕΣΔΑ 2020-2030), εξετάζοντας τις απόψεις των διαχειριστών αποβλήτων σε δήμους της χώρας και ειδικών της αγοράς ανακύκλωσης αποβλήτων. Σχετικά με τη δομή της πτυχιακής εργασίας, αυτή χωρίζεται σε 5 Κεφάλαια, όπου αναλύονται τα προαναφερθέντα. Στο Κεφάλαιο 1 αρχικά δίνεται ο ορισμός του αποβλήτου, καθώς και ποια είναι τα είδη των αποβλήτων, ενώ στη συνέχεια παρουσιάζει την κατάσταση σχετικά με τη διαχείριση των στερεών αποβλήτων στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση (ΕΕ) ως σύνολο, ενώ εξετάζει ξεχωριστά την περίπτωση της Ελλάδας. Ειδικά για την Ελλάδα, γίνεται ιδιαίτερη μνεία στην επίδραση του πληθυσμού στην παραγωγή των αποβλήτων, ειδικά των αστικών αποβλήτων, αφού η ποσόστωση και συγκέντρωσή του διαφοροποιείται τη χειμερινή αλλά και τη θερινή τουριστική περίοδο. Αυτό είναι αποτέλεσμα τόσο του εσωτερικού τουρισμού, όσο και των εξωτερικών ροών τουριστών. Στο Κεφάλαιο 2 αρχικά παρουσιάζεται η υφιστάμενη διαχείριση των ρευμάτων αστικών αποβλήτων στην Ελλάδα και ιδιατέρως των αστικών επικίνδυνων αποβλήτων, με ιδιαίτερη μνεία στο τι προκρίνει το ΕΣΔΑ 2020-2030 σε σχέση με αυτά. Στη συνέχεια, αιτιολογείται ο διαχωρισμός των αστικών επικινδύνων αποβλήτων σε διακριτά ρεύματα αποβλήτων, καθώς και γίνεται αναφορά στα συγκεκριμένα ρεύματα που επιλέχθηκαν στην Ελλάδα. Τέλος, γίνεται λόγος για τα Συστήματα Εναλλακτικής Διαχείρισης (ΣΕΔ) και αναλύονται οι μέθοδοι χρηματοδότησης της όλης προσπάθειας διαχείρισης των εν λόγω αποβλήτων. Στο Κεφάλαιο 3 αρχικά αναφέρεται ο σκοπός της παρούσας ερευνητικής μεταπτυχιακής εργασίας που αφορά τη διαχείριση των επικίνδυνων αποβλήτων στην Ελλάδα, ενώ στη 4 συνέχεια παρουσιάζει το περιεχόμενο των δύο ερωτηματολογίων που δημιουργήθηκαν για την πρόσληψη των απόψεων σχετικά με το ζήτημα αυτό από τους διαχειριστές αποβλήτων σε δήμους της χώρας και από ειδικούς της αγοράς ανακύκλωσης αποβλήτων. Στο Κεφάλαιο 4 γίνεται αρχικά παρουσίαση του ποσοστού επιτυχίας απάντησης των δύο ερωτηματολογίων, με το οποίο δίνεται μια ένδειξη της σημαντικότητας που δίνεται στο διαχωρισμό των επικίνδυνων αστικών αποβλήτων, ενώ στη συνέχεια γίνεται παρουσίαση των αποτελεσμάτων του κάθε ερωτηματολογίου ανά ερώτηση και σε μερικές περιστώσεις σε συνδυασμό ερωτήσεων που συνοδεύεται από ανάλυση και συζήτηση. Στο Κεφάλαιο 5 παρουσιάζονται τα συμπεράσματα που απορρέουν από την ανάλυση των απαντήσεων που έδωσαν οι διαχειριστές αποβλήτων σε δήμους της χώρας και οι ειδικοί της αγοράς ανακύκλωσης αποβλήτων. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, γίνεται σύγκριση μεταξύ των απόψεών τους έτσι ώστε να παρουσιαστούν που αυτές συγκλίνουν ή/και αποκλίνουν αναφορικά με τη διαχείριση των αστικών επικινδύνων αποβλήτων. Επίσης, παρατίθενται 7 Παραρτήματα σχετικά με το πώς διαχωρίζονται τα απόβλητα βάσει του Ευρωπαϊκού Καταλόγου Αποβλήτων (ΕΚΑ), αλλά και το είδος διαχείρισης/ανάκτησής τους και την επικινδυνότητά τους. Επιπλέον, παρατίθενται τα ερωτηματολόγια που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν για την εκπόνηση της έρευνας. Τέλος, υπάρχει και ένα Παράρτημα με τη λίστα των επαφών των δήμων όπου εστάλησαν τα ερωτηματολόγια.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone’s lifestyle and this has resulted in a change in the quantity and composition of municipal solid wastes. Moreover, the post-pandemic waste management is very important as a bad management may lead to the more spread of the disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the application of guidelines presented for the era of the COVID-19 pandemic in proper solid waste management. To this end, the data were collected by using interviews and field researches and then the obtained data were compared with the international guidelines presented by international organizations. By investigating the municipal waste management during this pandemic and its changes compared to pre-COVID-19, coordination of the plans with the guidelines was investigated. The activities of storage, collection, transportation, recycling, final landfill, as well as the observation of the health instructions by staff and informal sections were assessed in the current research. Although the results showed that the situation was satisfactory in the sections like health and safety of waste management operators due to the existence of protocols and general educations, the waste management plans have not been changed much from before the epidemic of the Coronavirus. The absence of a national policy and plan for waste management in the era of a pandemic and ignoring the guidelines developed by other countries and organizations were observable. Therefore, the codification of new policies for municipal waste management during an epidemic is necessary.

South Africa has a variety of regulations on the provision of solid waste management services in municipalities because of the apartheid legacy. Nonetheless, discrepancies in waste management services persist despite new laws, legislative reforms and strategies. Those who live in marginalized and impoverished communities are the most susceptible and severely affected by improper waste management. This demonstrates a lack of integrated and sustainable waste management systems. This study aims to recommend a sustainable solid waste management system in Engcobo Local Municipality. Data was gathered through focus group discussions, documents, and semi structured interviews. Findings revealed that there has been improvements in the sustainable management of solid waste. The municipality is experimenting with novel approaches to deal with the problem of solid waste, particularly in remote locations where people’s trash is difficult to pick up and collect. Through the focus group discussions, it was shown that some participants still need more information on waste management, there is a need for thorough educational initiatives on sanitation management, not particularly wastewater and sanitation.

Municipal hazardous waste management with reverse logistics exploration

The aim of the article is to study the implementation of European standards in the field of transportation of solid household waste (SHW). The relevance of the study is associated with the lack of coverage in the professional literature of the issues of solid household waste management in Ukraine, the transition to European standards in this area. During the study, methods of comparison, analysis and synthesis were used to determine the features of solid household waste management in Ukraine and the EU countries. The recommendation approach was used in the process of drafting proposals for the transition to European standards for solid household waste management. The analysis of the current state of SHW management in Ukraine has identified the following trends: growth in the volume of SHW; the composition of SHW is becoming more diverse; positive attitude of the population towards greening the collection of SHW. The main problems in the system of municipal enterprises engaged in the transportation of solid household waste and in the system of public administration in the field of waste management were identified. When comparing European and national legislation in the field of SHW transportation, the legal framework and basic principles of waste management were described. Comparing the experience of waste management in Ukraine and abroad allowed to identify the gap in the scale and pace of creating a SHW management infrastructure. The article proposes measures to improve the national SHW management system: determining the stages of development of SHW management systems; intensification of the transition to the organization of the separate waste collection and the process of implementation in Ukraine of European legislation in this area.

This article addresses the scientific gap relating to the limited representation of municipal waste policies in quantitative assessments, as well as their goal to “catch up” economies in the context of SDG 12. The novelty of the paper is defined by the guidelines developed for the consistent logical research of the effectiveness of municipal waste collection and management policies. Herein, a Lithuanian case is considered, with the period of analysis ranging from 2012 to 2023. A review of the scientific literature, an analysis of waste policy, and statistical data analysis methods were applied. The statistical data analysis showed that, while waste generation was historically increasing in parallel with the growth in national income and was therefore inconsistent with the long-term goal to reduce waste, municipal waste, which remains present in a significant amount and makes up one-fifth of the waste structure, is decreasing by 2.0% a year, which is conducive to achieving the goal. An analysis of the municipal waste treatment structure revealed that the priority order of waste management is maintained, as ready-to-reuse and recycling are dominant (accounting for half of all municipal waste management activities), followed by incineration, which accounts for a third of all municipal waste management activities. The requirement to reduce municipal waste disposal in landfills is being successfully implemented. From 2012 to 2023, the proportion of municipal waste disposal in landfills significantly decreased, and it presently accounts for 8.0%, while the target value is 5% by 2030. Difficulties arise in implementing requirements to sort municipal waste and increase the share of ready-to-reuse and recycled waste. In 2023, 66% of municipal waste was mixed, and the share of sorted municipal waste is slowly increasing. A decrease in recycled and ready-to-reuse municipal waste has been observed since 2017. Food waste is a particular issue. A total of 100.9 kilotons of food was wasted in 2023; however, this value is 12.3% less than that of 2020. Other indicators are also analyzed in this article. The results show changes in unsustainable consumption habits and a shift towards responsible consumption in relation to the implemented municipal waste collection and management policy. In the future, it will be necessary to conduct research into the problems that are identified in this article in order to propose scientifically sound and responsible consumption solutions in the areas responding to SDG 12; this will increase the effectiveness of municipal waste collection and management policies.

PurposeThe paper aims to compare the efficiency of alternative municipal solid waste (MSW) management business models: a single provider against multiple providers.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper the drivers of MSW management costs are analysed to test the impact of the scale and scope of MSW management services on the average cost. While the business-as-usual scenario foresees a single provider, the alternative scenario foresees multiple providers.FindingsBased on the empirical data on municipal waste management costs, on average, the size and the average cost of the service are inversely related. This trend is supported using sub-sets defined by the quantity of waste managed. Multiple factors aid in explaining this result, and among others, due to scale and scope, factors such as transition costs increase with the number of players running different services.Practical implicationsThe provision of public services of economic interest should favour the participation of more companies wherever possible to the extent that social surplus is produced. However, pursuing this principle to the detriment of efficient service delivery is not ideal. This paper demonstrated that a single-provider waste management business model is efficient under specific conditions, as in this article.Originality/valueThis paper presents an original research methodology for comparatively analysing waste management service efficiency in urban areas and provides adequate evidence using alternative measures of costs according to the phase of the waste management chain, the scale and ultimately the scope of MSW management services.