Waste Management Options Research Articles

Environmental impact assessment of waste to energy projects in developing countries: General guidelines in the context of Bangladesh

Generating energy from waste is an evolving phenomenon nowadays in most parts of the world. The establishment of Waste to Energy (WtE) generation plants using appropriate technologies is increasing both in developed and developing countries as one of the sustainable options for waste management. However, there is a lack of guidelines of assessing environmental impacts of such projects, particularly in developing countries. This paper is an attempt to deliver general guidelines for conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of WtE generation projects in the context of Bangladesh. Based on secondary information, this paper draws attention to environmental impact issues that can be relevant to the construction and operation of WtE projects. These issues include air quality, water quality, disturbance of terrestrial habitat, human health, emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and other pollutants, impacts on local community, land use, and visual disturbance. This paper also suggests mitigation measures to address the potential significant impacts in addition to key elements in the development of an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) that includes a monitoring program. Finally, recommendations are made on how to successfully undertake the EIA.

Comparative Study on the Rate of Flammability of Biogas and Firewood

The increasing negative effects of hydro carbon fossil fuels on the environment has called for quest for alternative source of energy. Among the renewable energy sources, biogas has been evaluated as one of the most effective, efficient and environmentally benign sources of energy. This study evaluates the flammability of biogas produced from cow dung compared with firewood. The experiment was conducted batch wise in mixing ratio 1:1 at mesophilic temperature under 25 days retention time. Weighing balance was used to measure the cow dung and firewood. Biogas production and firewood flammability were measured using combustibility test in seconds using stopwatch. The total gas yield was burnt and recorded 5,088 seconds (1hour 24.8mins), on average 1kg of cow dung produces biogas that burns for 636 seconds (10.6mins), the gas burnt with clear blue flame revealing the effectiveness of water scrubbing method, while the 8kg of firewood was burnt 8,208 seconds (2hours 28mins). On average 1kg of wood fuel burns for 1,026 seconds (17.1 mins). Comparing the result in term of flammability and efficiency, Biogas could be used as waste management option, generate light and run vehicles and at the same time replace the use of firewood which produces toxic gases that are harmful to health, thus biogas is more efficient.

Текущее состояние работ по совершенствованию обращения с промышленными отходами, содержащими радионуклиды в количествах, не соответствующих критериям отнесения к радиоактивным отходам

The article overviews current practice associated with the management of industrial waste with elevated radionuclide levels (IWERL) not falling under radioactive waste category. It emphasizes that State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom has been actively addressing the challenge of safe IWERL management. A working group has been set featuring experts from FMBA of Russia, Rostekhnadzor, the Russian Academy of Sciences, the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom and its units, as well as independent environmental organizations. The paper evaluates different trends in IWERL management presenting some proposals on the improvement of the legal framework focused on the management of industrial waste containing radioactive substances in quantities not exceeding the criteria established for waste categorization as radioactive waste. It provides IWERL management cost estimates considering various waste management options. IWERL management challenge has been discussed at Scientific and Technical Councils run by 3 government departments, also indicating the interdepartmental nature of this challenge.

Partitioning and transmutation contribution of MYRRHA to an EU strategy for HLW management and main achievements of MYRRHA related FP7 and H2020 projects: MYRTE, MARISA, MAXSIMA, SEARCH, MAX, FREYA, ARCAS

Today, nuclear power produces 11% of the world's electricity. Nuclear power plants produce virtually no greenhouse gases or air pollutants during their operation. Emissions over their entire life cycle are very low. Nuclear energy's potential is essential to achieving a deeply decarbonized energy future in many regions of the world as of today and for decades to come, the main value of nuclear energy lies in its potential contribution to decarbonizing the power sector. Nuclear energy's future role, however, is highly uncertain for several reasons: chiefly, escalating costs and, the persistence of historical challenges such as spent fuel and radioactive waste management. Advanced nuclear fuel recycling technologies can enable full use of natural energy resources while minimizing proliferation concerns as well as the volume and longevity of nuclear waste. Partitioning and Transmutation (P&T) has been pointed out in numerous studies as the strategy that can relax constraints on geological disposal, e.g. by reducing the waste radiotoxicity and the footprint of the underground facility. Therefore, a special effort has been made to investigate the potential role of P&T and the related options for waste management all along the fuel cycle. Transmutation based on critical or sub-critical fast spectrum transmuters should be evaluated in order to assess its technical and economic feasibility and capacity, which could ease deep geological disposal implementation.

An Evaluation of the Effect of Takakura and Effective Microorganisms (EM) as Bio Activators on the Final Compost Quality

Composting is an organic waste management option, where suitable microorganisms are used to accelerate the rate and the decomposition process and improve the final compost quality. In this study, a commercial bio-activator EM4 (EM) and a traditional bio-activator prepared according to the Takakura method (Tak) were investigated. The bio-activators were mixed with a fermenting bed (fb) material consisting of rice husk and rice bran mixed in a ratio of 1:1. The inoculated fb was then used in concentrations of 0%, 20%, and 40% in a composting process of food waste. The composting process was monitored daily for 48 days, and the quality of the final compost based on its physical and chemical characteristics was measured and compared. The result revealed that all samples containing 40% fb material with both Tak and EM bio- activator contained lower moisture content in the final compost compared to samples with 20% fb material. The C/N ratio of the samples with 20% fb material for all samples decreased to 20:1, while 40% fb material increased above 20:1, compared to its initial level. Furthermore, the nitrogen level for all samples with 20% fb material increased while samples with 40% fb material decreased from the initial level. The phosphorus and potassium content also increased for all samples with both 20% and 40% fb material from the initial level. Additionally, no significant difference could be found for the final compost quality between the two bio-activators.

Suitability of Macrophytes for Wastewater Treatment and Biogas Generation

In this paper three sustainable approaches are made in waste management option. Firstly primary treated domestic sewage is treated by aquatic macrophytes using duckweed, water hyacinth and water lettuce. Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Phosphate, Nitrates are tested before and after. Result indicates in terms of water quality, almost all three plants shows same removal efficiencies. BOD and TSS removal efficiency is attained more than 95%. COD and TDS removal is reached upto 50% for almost all plants. Secondly the used aquatic macrophytes for wastewater treatment is again used for generation of biogas (water lettuce unit, duckweed unit, water lettuce unit). In addition to three aquatic macrophytes, sludge is collected from aquatic macrophyte unit for generation of biogas. Comparison is made with conventional cow dung biogas unit. Result indicates water lettuce and duckweed produce biogas at earlier stage itself and water hyacinth takes some time for starting of biogas production. This may be due to the structure and texture causes some time for decomposition. Sludge gives maximum biogas generation among all experimental setup. Also in this study cow dung did not give biogas more may be due to poor blend ratio of cow dung with water is one of the reason.

The environmental impacts of preparation for reuse: A case study of WEEE reuse in Germany

Abstract According to the European waste management hierarchy, preparation for reuse (PfR) is preferable to recycling. From an environmental point of view, reuse is beneficial, if the impacts that arise during a certain usage duration of a reused product are smaller than those of a new product. If this is not the case, reuse is not beneficial to recycling. This study explores potential benefits of PfR compared to other waste management options for four white goods (washing machine, refrigerator, range, freezer) and four small electric devices (PC, printer, monitor, laptop) by the use of Life Cycle Assessment. These eight devices account for 68% by weight of all the collected waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) in Germany. The results show, that the assumption that reuse is preferable to recycling does not apply to every case. Especially the impact categories of global warming, water consumption and cumulative energy demand are strongly dominated by the use phase of white goods, therefore a reuse of inefficient devices should be avoided. The results show that a reuse of products with an European energy efficiency rating of D and C is not recommended for any of the analyzed products. For small electric devices, the use phase is less dominant in comparison to the production, therefore reuse leads to significant saving potentials in almost all impact categories. A comparison of energy efficiency classes allows for product-specific decisions, whereas the assessment approach based on average devices yields for generalizable recommendations. Therefore, the results support environmentally conscious consumer decisions about the acquisition of a new versus a second-hand product and enable End-of-Life decision making in terms of the separation of reusable devices at collection points.

Analysis and advanced characterization of municipal solid waste vermicompost maturity for a green environment

Rapid demographic expansion along with increasing urbanization has aggravated the problem of solid waste management. Therefore, scientists are seeking waste management methods that are eco-friendly, cost effective and produce immediate results. In the developing world, municipal solid waste (MSW) contains mostly organic substances, therefore vermicomposting could be a better and cost-effective option for waste management. In this study, vermicomposting of organic portion of MSW with cow dung (additive) was performed using Eisenia fetida. The results showed significant (p < 0.001) decline in pH (13.17%), TOC (21.70%), C: N (62.53%) and C: P (57.66%) ratios, whilst total N (108.9%), P (84.89%) and K (21.85%) content increased (p < 0.001) in matured vermicompost. Different enzymatic activities declined during termination phase of vermicomposting experiment with maximum decrease of 41.72 (p = 0.002) and 39.56% (p = 0.001) in protease and β-glucosidase, respectively. FT-IR, TGA, DSC and SEM studies suggested that final vermicompost was more stabilized as compared to initial waste mixture, characterized by reduced levels of aliphatic materials, carbohydrates and increase in aromatic groups possibly due to biosynthesis of humic substances. Both, the conventional (physicochemical and enzyme activity) and advanced techniques depict maturity and stability of the ready vermicompost. However, FT-IR, TGA, DSC and SEM were proved to be more promising, fast and reliable techniques over conventional analyses.

Linking the Malaysia’s Solid Waste Management Policy Instruments with Household Recycling Behavior

The environmental problems faced by the world population today is the result of human daily activities. One of the contributing sources to the environmental problems is the growth of solid waste. Solid waste generation increases as a result of economic progress, urbanization, population growth and consumer-based lifestyles. The urban areas of Asia is expected to spend at least US$50 billion per year in 2025 on solid waste management. Malaysia, experiencing rapid economic prosperity, is also faced with challenges in solid waste management. This paper will highlight the present state of waste generation trends, its management, the waste management policies and strategies with specific focus on recycling for the household sector. Recycling has been highlighted for decades as a plausible option for sustainable waste management but still faced with various challenges. This paper will provide a brief classification of the policy instruments adopted in achieving the policy objectives. This provide the basis for future research to analyse the households’ perspective on the effectiveness of implemented policy instruments. It is crucial for policymakers to understand the behavioral aspect of the policy instruments in planning future comprehensive strategies.

Health Care Waste Management in Government Hospitals in Western Province: A Preliminary Analysis

Health-care waste is defined as all waste generated by health-care establishments, research facilities, and laboratories. Health care waste management is a major issue in developing countries especially in South Asian countries. Western Province of Sri Lanka is no exception with its high population density and lesser land availability. Proper estimation of actual quantities of waste is an initial step towards identification of better hospital waste management options. Therefore, this study intends to quantify different waste types generated by government hospitals in the western province and aims to investigate current waste management practices and the issues related to them. Seven hospitals were randomly selected from the data available from National classification of hospitals. Different waste types of each hospital were then identified and the amount under each category was quantified using data obtained from hospital authorities and verified by actual measurements taken at different wards. Current waste management practices were also recorded for each waste type. In addition, number of wards, bed occupancy rate, number of admissions were taken from each hospital in order to calculate the rate of waste generation. According to the collected data, there were 12 different waste types in hospitals and the total annual waste quantity of surveyed hospitals is 3,868 tons. Colombo National Hospital, North-Colombo Teaching Hospital, Lady Ridgeway, Bandaragama Divisional Hospital had the highest quantity of Biodegradable waste which is 60% of the total waste produced per day. Infectious waste showed the prominent waste type in Castle Street Hospital for Women, Panadura Base Hospital and Kandana Divisional Hospital. According to the study, Lady Ridgeway Hospital has the highest rate of waste generation of 2.83 Kg/bed/day followed by North-Colombo Teaching Hospital with 2.28 Kg/bed/day. The least amount of waste generation is from Bandaragama Divisional Hospital. The common waste management method for infectious waste, sharps and pharmaceuticals is incineration although the efficiency of the process is questionable. Public nuisances and protests for incineration facilities have lead accumulation of waste in certain hospitals. Major part of plastic polythene and glass are sent for recycling. Biodegradable wastes are being sent to piggeries. The study highlights potential and the need for better waste management options. Keywords: Health care waste, Western Province, Waste generation rate

Determination of the Least Impactful Municipal Solid Waste Management Option in Harare, Zimbabwe

Six municipal solid waste management (MSWM) options (A1–A6) in Harare were developed and analyzed for their global warming, acidification, eutrophication and human health impact potentials using life cycle assessment methodology to determine the least impactful option in Harare. Study findings will aid the development of future MSWM systems in Harare. A1 and A2 considered the landfilling and incineration, respectively, of indiscriminately collected MSW with energy recovery and byproduct treatment. Source-separated biodegradables were anaerobically treated with the remaining non-biodegradable fraction being incinerated in A3 and landfilled in A4. A5 and A6 had the same processes as in A3 and A4, respectively, except the inclusion of the recovery of 20% of the recoverable materials. The life cycle stages considered were collection and transportation, materials recovery, anaerobic digestion, landfilling and incineration. A5 emerged as the best option. Materials recovery contributed to impact potential reductions across the four impact categories. Sensitivity analysis revealed that doubling materials recovery and increasing it to 28% under A5 resulted in zero eutrophication and acidification, respectively. Increasing material recovery to 24% and 26% under A6 leads to zero acidification and eutrophication, respectively. Zero global warming and human health impacts under A6 are realised at 6% and 9% materials recovery levels, respectively.

Solidification and stabilisation of metal plating sludge with fly ash geopolymers

The disposal of metal plating sludge (PS) to landfills is an increasingly common practice in developed and developing countries. This paper presents a novel PS stabilisation technique using fly ash (FA)-based geopolymers as a waste management option. Strength and microstructural evaluations were carried out on PS-FA geopolymers at various values of factors, including liquid alkaline activator (L = sodium silicate (Na2SiO3)/sodium hydroxide (NaOH) ratio), L/FA ratios, FA/PS ratios and curing time. Increasing the amount of PS in PS-FA geopolymers reduced the total porosity, subsequently resulting in higher unconfined compressive strength (UCS) values. The main geopolymerisation product of the FA-based geopolymer was sodium aluminosilicate hydrate (N-A-S-H) gel. Since PS had a high calcium content, it would react with the high amount of silica and alumina present in FA to generate calcium aluminosilicate hydrate (C-A-S-H) gel in PS-FA geopolymers. This C-A-S-H gel coexisted with the N-A-S-H gel from FA-based geopolymers and hence significantly accelerated UCS development of PS-FA geopolymers over time. The UCS values of PS-FA geopolymers were found to meet the US Environmental Protection Agency requirement for disposal to landfills. The outcomes from this research can be translated into a regulatory framework for managing PS and diverting this industrial waste from landfills.

STUDY ON WASTE GENERATION AND COMPOSITION IN RAPID RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF SUB URBAN AREA IN KUALA SELANGOR DISTRICT, SELANGOR

Municipal solid waste is a growing concern in cities of developing countries and households are the main contributor. Lack of reliable data sources remain one of the major drawbacks for deciding on effective waste management option. However, continued growth in municipal waste if left unattended will only intensify the problem and thus demands proactive action. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyse waste composition and to evaluate the possible planning for effective management. The study area puncak alam selected because it is one of the rapid development area in Kuala Selangor. Using a stratified sampling method, 200 households selected from residential area. The rate of household waste generation in puncak alam is found to be 1.0 kg/capita/day and estimated each household generate 2.5kg/day. Household waste composition was 60 % organic waste, 24% recyclable waste that comprised of 8% paper and paper products,3% glass, 4% metal, 9% plastic, and 11% other waste. Organic waste has the highest score and if not managed properly, creates serious health and environmental hazards. It could be managed efficiently by composting at household and local government level.

Facilitating Circular Economy in Urban Planning

A shift towards a more Circular Economy is crucial to achieve a more sustainable and inclusive built environment that meets future demands. Circular Economy is a promising concept for industry and society. If implemented well, Circular Economy can deliver environmental benefits and economic advantages for which innovation is essential. To achieve a resource-efficient built environment the Circular Economy should be developed and implemented systemically and on a large scale, going beyond cities. To realise this, local authorities, citizens, and other stakeholders need a collaborative and science-informed decision environment that allows for developing different waste and resource management options, and assessing their impacts on the environment, resilience, spatial quality and quality of life. The articles in this special issue all discuss different aspects of research to deliver solutions and strategies for a circular economy in urban planning throughout Europe, focusing on peri-urban locations. The first rticle introduces Living Labs as a methodology to co-create circular solutions and strategies with local stakeholders. The second article focuses on governance for the shift towards a Circular Economy, unravelling hindrances and revealing objectives, whereas the third article develops a means to transfer circular strategies and solutions from one location to another. The fourth article presents an open-source tool based on the geodesign approach which links the co-creation of design proposals to impact simulations informed by geographic contexts, systems thinking, and digital technology—the Geodesign Decision Support Environment. Finally, the fifth article presents the first results of incorporating the concept of Circular Economy in an integrative manner in urban design and planning courses.

Public attitudes towards bioplastics – knowledge, perception and end-of-life management

The aim of this research was to understand current knowledge and perceptions regarding bioplastics. Results were gathered through an online survey of 2518 nationally representative Australians. The results indicate that the Australian public’s knowledge of bioplastics is low, but perception, particularly of biodegradable plastics, is positive. Biodegradable plastics were perceived as better for the environment than ‘normal plastics’ and even ‘easily recyclable’ plastics. The majority of respondents (58%) said they were unsure whether biodegradable plastics can have negative environmental impacts. Sixty-eight percent of people say they would like to see more of the plastic items they use be biodegradable. If this becomes the case, there will be an increased stream of bioplastics entering the recycling system with 62% of people saying they would dispose of bioplastic items in the recycling bin. In light of the results presented in this work, potential issues relating to the introduction of bioplastics are raised and the role that governments and local councils can play in driving the development of the standards, labelling and waste management options that will need to be introduced alongside the introduction of wider bioplastic materials use are discussed.

Evaluation of fast and slow pyrolysis methods for bio-oil and activated carbon production from eucalyptus wastes using a life cycle assessment approach

Abstract The eucalyptus tree has excellent potential for wood production. The rate of eucalyptus forest plantation has sharply improved in the last decade, as it is a productive resource for bio-energy and activated carbon (AC) production. Some works have reported on the environmental impacts of eucalyptus wood valorization via slow or fast pyrolysis to produce bio-oil/AC, but the comparison between their environmental burdens using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is yet to be made and examined. Hence, the purpose of this study was to identify the most eco-friendly product from eucalyptus wood through LCA methodology. Three scenarios were evaluated: bio-oil production via fast pyrolysis (denoted by bio-oil), AC production via slow pyrolysis (denoted by AC), and AC production using two activating agents: ZnCl2 and H3PO4 (defined by activating agent). The functional unit was 1 kg of pyrolysis product of eucalyptus wood. Three LCA methods were applied: CML 2 baseline 2000, Cumulative Energy Demand (CED) and Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) to quantify, assess, and compare the potential environmental impacts of bio-oil and AC. The findings indicated that the bio-oil scenario had lower indicator values across all impact categories than the AC scenario. AC production using zinc chloride as the activating agent had higher environmental burdens for most of the impact categories compared to that with H3PO4. Meanwhile, the total energy demand for the production of 1 kg of AC using ZnCl2 (AC-ZnCl2), AC using H3PO4 (AC-H3PO4), and bio-oil was 118.6, 153.8, and 16 MJ, respectively. Nevertheless, renewable energy represents 11.8%, 16.2%, and 84.1% of the total energy consumption during the AC-ZnCl2, AC-H3PO4, and bio-oil production, respectively. This study demonstrated that the eco-friendly option for eucalyptus wood waste management is bio-oil, as well as biochar production using a fast pyrolysis process, is. In addition, the chemicals activating agent played a crucial role in creating the environmental impacts of AC production in slow pyrolysis.

Evaluation of future food waste management alternatives in Istanbul from the life cycle assessment perspective

Abstract In developing countries like Turkey, food waste has the highest share compared to other municipal solid waste components. A detailed life cycle assessment has been performed to evaluate different food waste management options (i.e., landfilling, anaerobic digestion, thermal treatment, co-treatment with municipal wastewater) for Istanbul which is the largest city of Turkey and Europe. The current waste management has the worst environmental performance compared to proposed waste management scenarios as follows: Anaerobic digestion, thermal treatment and co-treatment with municipal wastewater. The thermal treatment scenario has been found to have the best environmental performance in most of the impact categories including climate change. The anaerobic digestion scenario ranks in the first place only in freshwater eutrophication, which is attributed to avoided fertilizer use in this scenario. A drastic improvement with 866% has been found in this category if the anaerobic digestion scenario was followed. Co-treatment with municipal wastewater refers to use of food waste disposers at households and provides improvements especially in marine eutrophication and ecotoxicity. Lower effluent emissions by means of biological wastewater treatment in the co-treatment scenario compared to other proposed scenarios lead to better performance in these categories. Various sub-scenarios have also been investigated such as using biogas as vehicle fuel, replacing a combined heat and power with a condensing plant and increasing food waste addition to sewer lines. Important improvements are not achievable in the first two sub-scenarios; however, increasing food waste addition to sewer lines reduces various environmental impact categories by −41% and −60%.

Predicting multi-family dwelling recycling behaviors using structural equation modelling: A case study of Hong Kong

The problem of solid waste is acute in Hong Kong. Among various options for waste management, recycling attracts the most attention. Recycling minimizes the amount of waste that requires disposal and at the same time, it promotes the management of sustainable resources. Different from most Western cities, the recycling program of Hong Kong primarily targets multi-family dwellings (MFDs). Although the performance of the program is far from satisfactory, little is known about what factors and how they affect recycling behavior. With that in mind, this paper adopted a modified knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP) model by proposing three components (i.e., convenience, housing type and PM initiative) as the theoretical framework, to investigate how the MFD recycling behavior is shaped by environmental and psychological factors. A random telephone survey (N = 1016) was conducted in Hong Kong, then Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to identify and outline the structures of the framework. The results indicated that housing type, property manager (PM) initiative, attitude, and convenience affected the recycling behavior of Hong Kong residents. In addition, PM initiative had a significant effect on attitude that further affected convenience. These findings not only can provide a reference for the improvement and implementation of the recycling program in Hong Kong but also supplement the existing literature.

Logistics service triad for household waste: consumers as co-producers of sustainability

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the sustainability of waste supply chains regarding the energy efficiency of first-mile waste collection systems and quality of waste. Roles of actors in the waste service triad are considered, particularly focusing on households. Design/methodology/approach Primary data are collected from respondents including municipality officers, waste service providers (WSPs) and households through brainstorming sessions, semi-structured interviews, site visits and a focus group. Secondary data are collected from official reports for validation. Findings Findings reveal tension between the energy efficiency of waste collection logistics and the quality of waste collected. Households are co-producers of logistic services providing important inputs in the form of sorting and moving waste and raw materials into new cycles of goods circulating in logistics systems. Other actors in the logistics service triad are the municipality as regulator and the WSP acting as a reverse-logistics service provider. Practical implications This study provides principles for policymakers and practitioners to evaluate the energy efficiency of waste management options, considering the quality of waste. Also, “logistics services” and “quality of waste” as concepts might provoke new thoughts on how to involve the consumer in resource recovery. Originality/value Few studies have focused on the end-consumer’s role in waste supply chains. By considering waste as a resource and the consumer as the supplier of this input, this study provides a new way to think about logistics services for waste collection.

Exploring social determinants of municipal solid waste management: survey processing with fuzzy logic and self-organized maps.

In the present study, the establishment of decision-making criteria and a novel and robust interdisciplinary approach for systematically characterizing effects of uncertainties in social determinants of municipal solid waste management using an important fuzzy logic methodology is demonstrated. The primary goal is to highlight the social benefits of this waste management option such as job creation, hygiene and health protection, and working safety as well as to indicate certain side effects occurring during waste processing (odor and leachate production, social trust). The current research is based on a social survey in an agro-industrial region, Thessaly, Greece, and indicates a set of diversified key factors that are related to public acceptance of municipal waste management schemes. These features are input to Kohonen Self-Organized Maps (a special type of Artificial Neural Networks) for clustering residents according to their social perception and attitudes in terms of solid waste collecting and recycling. Both analyses highlight the environmental concern, social perception, hygiene and health, economic status, and lifestyle as the primary social determinants in affecting the public attitudes towards recycling. In both cases, these soft computing techniques seem to outperform the classical statistical and logical regression methodologies and become very promising in accurately predicting waste management practice and possibly other environmental behaviors.