Waste Management In City Research Articles

An integrated two-stage optimization model for the development of long-term waste-management strategies

In this study, an integrated two-stage optimization model (ITOM) is developed for the planning of municipal solid waste (MSW) management in the City of Regina, Canada. The ITOM improves upon the existing optimization approaches with advantages in uncertainty reflection, dynamic analysis, policy investigation, and risk assessment. It can help analyze various policy scenarios that are associated with different levels of economic penalties when the promised policy targets are violated, and address issues concerning planning for a cost–effective diversion program that targets on the prolongation of the existing landfill. Moreover, violations for capacity and diversion constraints are allowed under a range of significance levels, which reflect the tradeoffs between system-cost and constraint–violation risk. The modeling results are useful for generating a range of decision alternatives under various environmental, socio-economic, and system-reliability conditions. They are valuable for supporting the adjustment (or justification) of the existing waste-management practices, the long-term capacity planning for the city's waste-management system, and the identification of desired policies regarding waste generation and management.

刈谷・知立市におけるごみ処理事業のインベントリ分析

刈谷・知立市におけるごみ処理事業のインベントリ分析

Healthcare waste management in the capital city of Mongolia

Inconsistencies are present in the management options for healthcare wastes in Mongolia. One of the first critical steps in the process of developing a reliable waste management plan requires the performance of a waste characterization analysis. The objectives of this study were an assessment of the current situation of healthcare waste management (HCWM) and characterization of healthcare wastes generated in Ulaanbaatar. A total about 2.65 tonnes of healthcare wastes are produced each day in Ulaanbaatar (0.78 tons of medical wastes and 1.87 tons of general wastes). The medical waste generation rate per kg/patient-day in the inpatient services of public healthcare facilities was 1.4-3.0 times higher than in the outpatient services (P<0.01). The waste generation rate in the healthcare facilities of Ulaanbaatar was lower than in some other countries; however, the percentage of medical wastes in the total waste stream was comparatively high, ranging from 12.5% to 69.3%, which indicated poor waste handling practices. Despite the efforts for the management of wastes, the current system of healthcare waste management in Ulaanbaatar city of Mongolia is under development and is in dire need of immediate attention and improvement. It is essential to develop a national policy and implement a comprehensive action plan for HCWM providing environmentally sound technological measures to improve HCWM in Mongolia.

Municipal solid waste management in Indian cities – A review

Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is one of the major environmental problems of Indian cities. Improper management of municipal solid waste (MSW) causes hazards to inhabitants. Various studies reveal that about 90% of MSW is disposed of unscientifically in open dumps and landfills, creating problems to public health and the environment. In the present study, an attempt has been made to provide a comprehensive review of the characteristics, generation, collection and transportation, disposal and treatment technologies of MSW practiced in India. The study pertaining to MSWM for Indian cities has been carried out to evaluate the current status and identify the major problems. Various adopted treatment technologies for MSW are critically reviewed, along with their advantages and limitations. The study is concluded with a few fruitful suggestions, which may be beneficial to encourage the competent authorities/researchers to work towards further improvement of the present system.

An inexact two-stage mixed integer linear programming method for solid waste management in the City of Regina

In this study, an interval-parameter two-stage mixed integer linear programming (ITMILP) model is developed for supporting long-term planning of waste management activities in the City of Regina. In the ITMILP, both two-stage stochastic programming and interval linear programming are introduced into a general mixed integer linear programming framework. Uncertainties expressed as not only probability density functions but also discrete intervals can be reflected. The model can help tackle the dynamic, interactive and uncertain characteristics of the solid waste management system in the City, and can address issues concerning plans for cost-effective waste diversion and landfill prolongation. Three scenarios are considered based on different waste management policies. The results indicate that reasonable solutions have been generated. They are valuable for supporting the adjustment or justification of the existing waste flow allocation patterns, the long-term capacity planning of the City's waste management system, and the formulation of local policies and regulations regarding waste generation and management.

Long-Term Planning of an Integrated Solid Waste Management System under Uncertainty—II. A North American Case Study

In this study, a solid waste decision support system is developed for the long-term integrated planning of waste management activities in the City of Regina. The system is based on an inexact mixed-integer linear programming model, as described in a companion paper. Interactions among various system components, objectives, and constraints are analyzed. Issues concerning planning for a cost-effective diversion program and prolongation of the existing landfill are addressed. Details related to applicability of the developed system, and interpretation of the modeling outputs is also explicated. In general, six planning scenarios are examined, covering a range of potential system conditions and waste management philosophies. Scenarios 1A to 1C are based on the current practices with the solutions serving as grounds for comparisons with other scenarios. Scenarios 2A and 2B correspond to situations when the existing landfill's life span is to be extended by 5 and 10 years, respectively, indicating that the extension options are feasible as long as a large-scale centralized composting facility is initiated by the start of period 2. If the city is targeting on the diversion goals proposed by the Regina Round Table on Solid Waste Management, scenarios 3A and 3B should be considered, where a new landfill should be located at the northern site once the existing one has been totally consumed. Scenario 3A corresponds to an aggressive diversion strategy while scenario 3B is more conservative. Based on the responses from a number of practicing waste management professionals in the City of Regina, solutions for the six scenarios provide useful decision support for planning the city's waste management system. They may help bring about more cost-effective plans for the regional waste management activities.

Improving the solid waste management in Phnom Penh city: a strategic approach

Though the solid waste management (SWM) system in Phnom Penh city in general has been upgraded since the waste collection service was franchised out to the private sector, the performance of the existing SWM system is still low. Unreliable and irregular collection service still exists. This means that there are shortcomings in the existing SWM system that need correction. This paper is an attempt to identify those shortcomings in order to find ways to improve the existing system. First, the present SWM system is reviewed. Then the system is evaluated to find constraints and shortfalls and finally some appropriate strategies are proposed that may help make SWM in the city more effective and efficient to meet environmentally sound objectives.

The environmental impact of municipal waste management: the case of Guadalajara metro area

This paper discusses municipal waste generation and the municipal management system in a Mexican city and identifies the main pollution vectors. There is a scarcity of relevant information on waste generation at the municipal level, as well as the types and characteristics of the waste generators. Only recently has the management of municipal waste, in Mexico, improved via better data collection and the introduction of new teams of professionals in charge of sanitation departments. However, the growth of waste arisings in Mexican urban settings during the past decade has overwhelmed the staff in charge of municipal waste management in large cities (i.e. those urban areas with more than 500 000 people). Part of the growth in waste generation corresponds to the population growth within the city partly via rural to urban migration. Increased consumption as well as the presence of more packaging material in processed goods has also been a contributing factor. Waste collection has tried to keep pace with the growth of municipal waste generation but has rarely succeeded. The most problematic issue of all in waste management in large cities, like the metro area of Guadalajara, is the disposal of the wastes. This paper reviews the scale of the waste problem, the corresponding municipal collection and transport as well as the final disposal of wastes in local ‘dumps’ and the resulting environmental pollution vectors that pose a number of risks to local populations.

The city of San José's integrated waste management program: a case study for reaching high levels of diversion

The city of San Jose, California, USA, has a widely recognized integrated waste management program and is currently diverting close to 50% of its waste stream from landfill disposal. This paper describes the residential and commercial components of the city's waste management program. Information is presented on performance (e.g., types and quantities of materials that are collected, processed, and disposed of), customer service, and costs associated with the program.

Quality assessment of public and private modes of solid waste collection in Accra, Ghana

In the course of 5 yr, the system of solid waste collection (SWC) in Accra has undergone a fundamental turn from public to private provision. The transition was motivated by the apparent inability of the city's Waste Management Department to deal with the mounting problems of waste collection and the prevailing belief that the market would help to overcome these. The indigenous private sector was called upon to improve service performance. Until mid-1999 public and private modes of SWC co-existed, enabling a systematic comparison between them using a 10-point assessment scheme. The analysis shows that privatisation has benefited consumers in terms of wider coverage, higher frequency, and more reliable services, but that there are also a number of drawbacks, notably worsened labour conditions and increased environmental dangers. The greatest flaw, however, is its lack of financial sustainability. This is related to the non-commercial nature of the service, particularly the social and political sensitivity of cost recovery in a poor country. The central government's 1999 decision to impose a private monopoly in SWC—in order to speed up the process and solve the waste collection problem in the metropolis once and for all—is criticised. This decision will compound financial problems, hamper the development of an indigenous business sector and fail to build on the potentials of a system that seemed very promising.

Agents of change: the case of Karachi City's waste management

Agents of change: the case of Karachi City's waste management

Women in waste collection and recycling in Hochiminh City

The generation and management of urban solid waste is an urgent and growing problem in Hochiminh City, as elsewhere in the world. An important contribution to solving the city's waste management problem is made by the recycling industry. The well-organized private system of collection, trade and recycling includes door-to-door itinerant buyers, entirely women, who buy solid waste products from households; a range of small, medium, and big shopkeepers who purchase waste from the buyers; middle-men who link the shopkeepers with the recyclers; and the recycling or production units that transform products for sale to consumers. Earnings of itinerant buyers are low and may be declining. However, their self-employment is critical because they are often the main economic support of their families. Shopkeepers enjoy better standards of living but economic competition and recent environmental regulations threaten the survival of the industry. Policy options are offered for attempting to ensure the survival of recyclers and itinerant buyers, those

Household demand for improved solid waste management: A case study of Gujranwala, Pakistan

Solid waste management in most cities of the developing world is unsatisfactory despite consuming a relatively high proportion of municipal budgets. Most attempts at improving performance have focused on supply-side issues such as collection and disposal capacity but have not yielded significant results. This paper suggests a different approach based on integrating demand-side information into the planning process. The analysis calls into question conventional presumptions that households accord low priority to solid waste management compared to other urban services and are unwilling to pay for it. It also indicates that simple and inexpensive household surveys can provide valuable inputs into the planning process.

Technical Assistance for Citizen Participation: A Case Study of New York City's Environmental Planning Process

Ensuring public participation in environmental decision making is advantageous to government officials and the general public. Technical assistance can make participation more effective by enabling citizens to understand complex technologies. This paper examines whether providing technical assistance has made a difference in New York City, where officials have funded consultants so that citizens can more effectively monitor the city's waste management and sludge disposal programs. While city-financed consultants have enabled citizen advisory groups to monitor environmental review and project design and to secure environmental improvements to proposed facilities, they have not helped to promote citizen acceptance of the technologies or their locations. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of alternative methods of providing technical assistance and suggests areas for further research.

Accountability lost?: An environmental struggle over the economic feasibility of incineration

One of the first environmental struggles in Finland was the campaign of a local citizens' movement to close down the Kyläsaari incinerator in Helsinki. This campaign, taking place in the early 1980s, was a success. The course of this struggle, in relation to the governmental rationality of the waste management administration, is examined in this paper. The paper argues that the paternalist and cameralist mentality of the waste management authorities, who promoted the incineration alternative, was counterproductive. Shortcomings of the governmental rationality were especially recognizable in the accounting practices. The paper claims that a lack of accessibility, translatability and acceptability of accounts characterized the plans and calculations of the city's waste management administration. For this reason, the activists of the movement could challenge the waste management authorities also in the technical-economic domain.

On the solid waste management in small Egyptian cities: approach and recycling perspectives

This paper is concerned with solid waste management studies in smaller Egyptian cities with the ultimate aim of establishing environmentally sound practices and recycling. The cities studied represent typical smaller communities with populations between 133 000 and 335 000. Based on comprehensive field surveys, wastes generated and current practices comprising administration, collection, transport, treatment, recycling and disposal are analysed. In view of prevailing and prospective conditions and constraints, optional schemes are proposed. The options have been compared on both technical and economic bases using a spreadsheet (Lotus 1-2-3). We concluded that entrance or curbside collection and transportation, using locally manufactured mechanised vehicles, are recommended. Based on technical and economic assessments, appropriate recycling at landfill sites is a viable option. Medium level composting technology, based on local capabilities and resources, is an alternative.

Present waste management in cities in Indonesia

An urban system is an incomplete system that has to be subsidised not only with the necessary resources, but also for the absorption, recovery and mitigation of the pollutants produced. Cities must export their solid, liquid and gaseous waste products and waste heat to outside areas. Indonesian cities are evenly distributed, which not only guarantee the efficiency of administrative matters, but also burden the environment with pollutants from cities more evenly. The primacy index in Indonesia also shows that there is no significant dominance of the four major cities in Indonesia, which also means that production of city waste is not the monopoly of big cities such as Jakarta. Product of waste from cities in Indonesia is estimated to reach 4,800 to 7,360 tonnes per day. In most cities only approximately 56% of these can be transported, dumped, and managed. The rest are mostly recovered or recycled by scavengers. These scavengers perform a vital function in the recovery and recycling of waste, although they are not formally recognised, because they have some social-economic and hygienic problems associated with their activities. Some suggestions to improve future integrated efforts are discussed. These include, for the Asian region, strengthening the environmental network, joint research, and competition of waste management among Asian countries based on the ranking methodologies of Lohani[1]. At the national levels, scavengers' existence must be recognised and given their respective role in contributing to a healthy and clean environment.