Solid Waste Management Policies Research Articles

The level of individual participation of community in implementing effective solid waste management policies

It is crucial to achieve effective solid waste management involving not only formal/government agencies, but also individual/informal/voluntary actions in order to create a healthy environment. This study conducted to unveil the factors that increase individuals’ community participation in solid waste management policy. The data were matched with a literature review on existing waste policies to identify gaps in knowledge, which could provide beneficial policy recommendations for the Jakarta Provincial Government. The ordinary least squares regression and Indonesian family life survey data were used. The respondents’ waste handling and participation scores with potentially affected variables were calculated and regressed. Out of 1.791 respondents, the regression revealed that the participation of individuals from Jakarta is influenced by 1) the frequency of their involvement in social community activities, 2) their education level, and 3) per capita expenditure. The solid waste management score increased by 0.233 if the respondents were more socially active, with a participation score of 1. Empowerment had a 0.06 coefficient correlation relative to the waste handling score. According to the broader sample of 28.967 respondents from large cities in Indonesia. It was concluded that individuals’ participation could be enhanced by hosting various social activities at the grassroots level. The study’s gaps show that the Jakarta Provincial Government has a high propensity towards increasing individuals’ participation in solid waste management by maximizing control of the factors mentioned above (especially empowerment), as well as by raising the frequency of citizens’ involvement in social community activities at the grassroots level.

Exploring policy governance factors using stepwise multiple regression analysis: a case study of solid waste management policy in Malaysia

This study was designed to explore the perception of stakeholders on solid waste policy governance in Malaysia. A total of 500 respondents were selected through random stratified sampling. The data of this study were collected via questionnaire distribution and were analysed by applying descriptive statistical analysis (mean, standard deviation and percentage) and inferential statistical analysis (t-test, correlation and stepwise multiple regression). The results of the study show that the perception of respondents on governance factors was varied, depending on the socio-demographic attributes of the respondents. Bivariate analysis reveals that all the policy governance factors are strong and positively connected to good governance elements practiced in solid waste policy implementation. However, multi regression model shows only three policy governance factors, namely resources management, policy implementation system and staff's competency significantly influence good governance practice of the stakeholders.

Exploring policy governance factors using stepwise multiple regression analysis: a case study of solid waste management policy in Malaysia

Exploring policy governance factors using stepwise multiple regression analysis: a case study of solid waste management policy in Malaysia

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.

Survey on Household Solid Waste Sorting at Source in Developing Economies: A Case Study of Nur-Sultan City in Kazakhstan

The exponential population growth in urban areas makes existing solid waste management policies and strategies challenging. The situation becomes more strenuous in fast-growing cities where increasing waste production can hardly be met by the capacity of existing facilities. Practices like waste prevention, recycling, reuse, and recovery are fundamental elements needed for the reduction of solid waste disposed in landfills, especially in fast-growing cities where more sustainable management practices need to be adopted. This study investigated the behavioral attitudes of citizens of the capital of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan (former Astana), towards household solid waste disposal and separation at the source. The survey was conducted through stratified random sampling during April and July of 2018 with the participation of 3281 respondents. It is the first attempt, to our knowledge, of assessing recycling trends in Kazakhstan from the household perspective. The results showed that 24% of respondents were already sorting household solid waste despite the absence of a separation system at the source. The study further demonstrated that separation at source could be effective if the local authorities were to introduce sound public awareness campaigns and install recycling bins in close proximity to residential buildings.

Urban solid waste in the southern of Rio Grande do Sul state

The National Solid Waste Policy creates tools for the correct management of waste, such as municipal solid waste management plans. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the generation of municipal solid waste and public management policies in municipalities in the Southern Zone of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Fourteen municipalities were analyzed, where the data of urban and rural population, population served, amount of annual waste collection, annual per capita generation, amount of recycled waste and the final disposal site of the wastes were collected. The municipality with the lowest percentage of collection coverage was Pedras Altas with a value of 35.1% and the highest was Pelotas, with a value of 96.55% collection coverage. Only 50% of the municipalities analyzed have an agreement with recycling cooperatives or associations. The city of Morro Redondo has the highest recycling rate, of 16.25%. Regarding the final disposal, most of the municipalities carry out the outsourcing of this service, and only the municipality of Chuí has its own sanitary landfill.

Perceptions and Practices among Barangay Micro-Businesses: Inputs to Local Solid Waste Management Policy

Perceptions and Practices among Barangay Micro-Businesses: Inputs to Local Solid Waste Management Policy

A REVIEW OF MALAYSIA SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT POLICIES TO IMPROVE RECYCLING PRACTICE AND WASTE SEPARATION AMONG HOUSEHOLDS

Households are the primary source that contributes to the municipal solid waste and thus, it is well justified that they should be targeted in waste recycling policies for the improvement of recycling rates in this nation. Aware of the significant role among the household, Malaysia has taken a series of initiative to improve the national policies for solid waste management to foster waste separation practices among household. These waste management policies focused on waste separation and waste recycling behaviour among households in Malaysia. This is because a well-managed and planned waste policy is one of the vital factors that will enhance waste separation and recycling behaviour among households. This paper attempts to summarise the waste management policies in Malaysia, chronologically and summarise the solid waste management and transformation plans in a timeline table for the ease of reference among future researcher and policymaker. This is to provide them with a better understanding of the progression of waste management policies and regulations in Malaysia.

Assessment of Public–Private Partnership in Municipal Solid Waste Management in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The overall responsibility for waste management in Phnom Penh Capital (PPC) has rested with the municipal authorities and contracted waste collection companies. Providing waste collection services is a major challenge for Phnom Penh due to the increasing waste volume and the deficiency of the system under public–private partnership. In response to continuing population growth and urbanization, sustainable management is necessary. This study reviewed the details of the processes and examined the performance of the private sector and local government authorities (LGAs). The study used sustainability assessment, according to a success and efficiency factor method. This assessment method was developed to support solid waste management in developing countries. Multiple sustainability domains were evaluated: institutional, legislative, technical, environmental and health aspects as well as social, economic, financial and critical aspects. The results indicate that the long-term contract design attempts for partnership may actually result in a worsening of the situation by facilitating new ways of concentration, inefficiency and political interest. The limited institutional capacity of the public sectors is a consequence of the inefficient decentralization of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) policies. Public–private partnerships can be neither effective nor sustainable if LGAs and CINTRI co. Ltd. waste collection company do not build proper incentives into their management of the two sectors. Revisiting the legal framework, establishing a facilitating agency that will assist in the design and the nurturing of partnerships, competitive tendering, and transparency and financial accountability are essential elements for PPP on the provision of waste services in PPC.

Solid Waste Management Policy Implications on Waste Process Choices and Systemwide Cost and Greenhouse Gas Performance.

Solid waste management (SWM) is a key function of local government and is critical to protecting human health and the environment. Development of effective SWM strategies should consider comprehensive SWM process choices and policy implications on system-level cost and environmental performance. This analysis evaluated cost and select environmental implications of SWM policies for Wake County, North Carolina using a life-cycle approach. A county-specific data set and scenarios were developed to evaluate alternatives for residential municipal SWM, which included combinations of a mixed waste material recovery facility (MRF), anaerobic digestion, and waste-to-energy combustion in addition to existing SWM infrastructure (composting, landfilling, single stream recycling). Multiple landfill diversion and budget levels were considered for each scenario. At maximum diversion, the greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation costs ranged from 30 to 900 $/MTCO2e; the lower values were when a mixed waste MRF was used, and the higher values when anaerobic digestion was used. Utilization of the mixed waste MRF was sensitive to the efficiency of material separation and operating cost. Maintaining the current separate collection scheme limited the potential for cost and GHG reductions. Municipalities seeking to cost-effectively increase landfill diversion while reducing GHGs should consider waste-to-energy, mixed waste separation, and changes to collection.

Custom Block Chain Based Cyber Physical System for Solid Waste Management

The aim of this paper is to develop an intelligent cyber-physical system for the waste management in a locality which will not only keep records of the use of the trash bins in the but also ensure they have an additional blockchain based verification system which will ensure the proper working even in the presence of an adversary. The proposed system is an ensemble of the database server, blockchain server, embedded system based clients and an android app. This is inspired by the recent global trend in smartphone popularity which has piqued interest in the above mentioned division. The advent of smartphone popularity helps us to create an ideal system for a plethora of reasons such as processing capability and native storage etc. Furthermore, blockchain technology, introduced by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009 ensures decentralization and security of transactions due to its use of cryptographic hash functions and public key cryptographic system. To further excite the situation, India recently revised its solid waste management policy in 2016 after 16 long years. All of the above factors together pointed to creation of a smart waste management system to prevent further exacerbation of India’s existing waste management crisis.

Intergovernmental relations for environmental governance: Cases of solid waste management and climate change in two Malaysian States

Institutions for environmental governance evolve differently across sectors. They also vary in the same sector when governments at two levels (national and subnational) have different political alignments. As the policy environment becomes more complex, with global problems like climate change, and politics more dividing, better coordination among various levels of government is a tough governance challenge. Scholars and practitioners need to realize how best to build institutions to bridge the various levels of government in different political environments and environmental sectors. This research analyzes the influence of intergovernmental relations in two environmental sectors in two localities with contrasting political alignments between two levels of government. It draws lessons from solid waste management and climate policy in two Malaysian states (Johor and Penang). In an evolving State and new policy arenas, when formal institutions for intergovernmental relations may not be effectively in place, politics play an even larger role through the discretionary power of federal and subnational authorities. An open political process can help with the engagement of different political groups and civil society to bring legitimacy, resources and efficiency to environmental management, if it is done with robust intergovernmental institutions; otherwise, intergovernmental relations can also become a tool for zero-sum games, cronyism and patrimonialism, which can undermine policies, and result in inefficiencies and ineffectiveness in environmental management.

Environmental policy change in two transitional societies: a comparative study on anti-incinerator construction in Guangzhou and Taipei

ABSTRACTGrowing the volume of solid waste disposal has been generating numerous social conflicts in recent years, and challenging the transitional societies like Guangzhou and Taipei. This essay compares the dynamics between two cities in the greater China region in reaching a consensus on changing solid waste management policy following anti-incinerator protests in Taipei, Taiwan, and Guangzhou, mainland China by exploring several related questions: How does environmental activism alter changes in the environmental policies of two cases with different political systems? What are the conditions for emerging environmental activism and policy changes? How has the changing coalition opportunity structure changed environmental activism and affected the change in policy? Finally, to what extent do environmental activism and policy change reinforce the process of political transition among these political systems? Through the lens of an advocacy coalition framework (ACF), drawing on the formation of political coalitions and interactions among policy actors are the variables that affect policy change related to incinerator construction in Guangzhou and Taipei, to explore the larger issue about the political transformation of environmental management in these transitional societies, and revisit the application of ACF in transitional societies.

Current status of waste management in Botswana: A mini-review.

Effective waste management practices are not all about legislative solutions, but a combination of the environmental, social, technical, technically skilled human resources, financial and technological resources, resource recycling, environmental pollution awareness programmes and public participation. As a result of insufficient resources, municipal solid waste (MSW) in transition and developing countries like Botswana remains a challenge, and it is often not yet given highest priority. In Botswana, the environment, public health and other socio-economic aspects are threatened by waste management practices due to inadequate implementation and enforcement mechanisms of waste management policy. This mini-review paper describes the panorama of waste management practices in Botswana and provides information to competent authorities responsible for waste management and to researchers to develop and implement an effective waste management system. Waste management practices in Botswana are affected by: lack of effective implementation of national waste policy, fragmented tasks and overlapping mandates among relevant institutions; lack of clear guidelines on the responsibilities of the generators and public authorities and on the associated economic incentives; and lack of consistent and comprehensive solid waste management policies; lack of intent by decision-makers to prepare national waste management plans and systems, and design and implement an integrated sustainable municipal solid waste management system. Due to these challenges, there are concerns over the growing trend of the illegal dumping of waste, creating mini dumping sites all over the country, and such actions jeopardize the efforts of lobbying investors and tourism business. Recommendations for concerted efforts are made to support decision makers to re-organize a sustainable waste management system, and this paper provides a reference to other emerging economies in the region and the world.

The Practices of Good Governance in National Solid Waste Management Policy (NSWMP) Implementation: A Case Study of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Practices of Good Governance in National Solid Waste Management Policy (NSWMP) Implementation: A Case Study of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Constraints of Good Governance Practice in National Solid Waste Management Policy (NSWMP) Implementation in Malaysia

The Constraints of Good Governance Practice in National Solid Waste Management Policy (NSWMP) Implementation in Malaysia

Using machine learning and small area estimation to predict building-level municipal solid waste generation in cities

Municipal solid waste management represents an increasingly significant environmental, fiscal, and social challenge for cities. Understanding patterns of municipal waste generation behavior at the household and building scales is a critical component of efficient collection routing and the design of incentives to encourage recycling and composting. However, high spatial resolution estimates of building refuse and recycling have been constrained by the lack of granular data for individual properties. This paper presents a new analytical approach, which combines machine learning and small area estimation techniques, to predict weekly and daily waste generation at the building scale. Using daily collection data from 609 New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) sub-sections over ten years, together with detailed data on individual building attributes, neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics, weather, and selected route-level collection data, we apply gradient boosting regression trees and neural network models to estimate daily and weekly refuse and recycling tonnages for each of the more than 750,000 residential properties in the City. Following cross-validation and a two-stage spatial validation, our results indicate that our method is capable of predicting building-level waste generation with a high degree of accuracy. Our methodology has the potential to support collection truck route optimization based on expected building-level waste generation rates, and to facilitate new equitable solid waste management policies to shift behavior and divert waste from landfills based on benchmarking and peer performance comparisons.

A disclosure of social and environmental results/economy resulting from the implementation of reverse logistics and final disposal of the post‐consumption product: The case of computer peripherals industry

AbstractThis research was conducted with the objective of determining and evidencing the social and environmental/economic results from the implementation of a reverse logistics program providing for the recycling, reuse, and, when necessary, final, environmentally correct disposal of post‐consumption products and product wastes by a multinational manufacturer of computer peripherals with an operation based in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The reverse logistics process (logisticareversa, or, in this paper, LR) was intended to meet the objectives and principles of the regulatory framework defined in the National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS) in Brazil. A single case study was carried out. The results showed that after the adoption of the solid waste management policy, the study company no longer disposed of 1,413,552 kilograms (kg) of materials classified as mixed iron, polystyrene, cardboard, toner powder, and plastic in landfills. The LR process made a profit in two companies: the company surveyed made, in Brazilian reais (R), R$ 9,188,185.51, and the company contracted to carry out the process made, R$ 411,325.97. This latter profit is called by us the “social profit.” The measurement of the environmental/economic, social, and financial results by internalizing the expenses of the LR program into the costs of production shows that reuse and recycling better meets the needs of society and the company than landfilling these post‐consumption materials. Furthermore, the use of cost accounting allows the verification of other goals not indicated in the current model, such as the generation of employment, income, mitigation of environmental problems, and the profit earned by the company contracted to implement the LR process. We also conclude that cost accounting makes it possible to obtain necessary information for decision makers, who are seeking to neutralize environmental impacts and promote sustainable development, thus harmonizing the economic, social, and environmental aspects, to understand the impacts of the LR process.

Investigation of the Physico-Chemical Parameters and Plankton Biotopes of the Nta Wogba Creek, Diobu, Port Harcourt

Physicochemical parameters could help to reduce or otherwise contribute to the growth and survival of plankton biotopes in the water bodies. This study investigated the physicochemical parameters and plankton biotopes of Ntawogba creek in Port Harcourt, River state. Water samples were collected from five stations representing upstream and downstream. Electrical conductivity (EC), pH, Dissolved oxygen (Do), Chemical oxygen demand (COD), Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), Nitrate, and Phosphate were determined under standard laboratory methods. Zooplankton and Phytoplankton abundance were also determined. Concentrations of Electrical Conductivity (Range=860.00µS/cm) and Chemical Oxygen Demand, (Range=31.80mg/L) varied widely, the other parameters had narrow variations. pH, EC and Phosphate ion concentrations varied from 7.06 – 8.27 (7.54±0.23), 395.00 – 1255.00 (722.40±160.47)µS/cm and 0.01 – 0.04 (0.03 ± 0.01)mg/L respectively. Nitrate ion concentrations varied from 0.63 – 5.34 (3.41 ± 0.77) mg/L while Dissolved Oxygen varied from 0.00 – 4.90 (2.92 ± 0.84) mg/L. BOD and COD ranged as follows: 2.80 - 22.70 (14.20 ± 4.21) mg/L and 4.50 – 36.30 (22.72 ± 6.74) mg/L respectively. Phytoplanktons recorded are as follows: Bacilariophytes (291 species), Euglenophytes (68 species) and cyanophyceae (139 species) while zooplanktons identified are protozoans (37 species), copepods (19 species), cladocera (462 species) and rotifers (100 species). This study therefore suggests high pollution impact occasioned by heavy municipal waste discharges and recommends that the government should evolve better solid and liquid waste management policies and practices. The government agencies should enforce all relevant environmental laws, standards and regulations as well as industry operators to treat industrial effluent before disposal into public drain.

Waste picker livelihoods and inclusive neoliberal municipal solid waste management policies: The case of the La Chureca garbage dump site in Managua, Nicaragua

The modernization (i.e. mechanization, formalization, and capital intensification) and enclosure of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) systems threaten waste picker livelihoods. From 2009 to 2013, a major development project, embodying traditional neoliberal policies with inclusive social policies, transformed the Managua, Nicaragua, municipal solid waste site from an open-air dump where as many as 2,000 informal waste pickers toiled to a sanitary landfill. To investigate waste pickers’ social and economic condition, including labor characteristics, household income, and poverty incidence, after the project’s completion, 146 semi-structured survey questionnaires were administered to four communities adjacent to the landfill and 45 semi-structured interviews were completed with key stakeholders. Findings indicate that hundreds of waste pickers were displaced by the project, employment benefits from the project were unevenly distributed by neighborhood, and informal waste picking endures due to persistent impoverishment, thereby contributing to continued social and economic marginalization and environmental degradation. The findings highlight the limitations of inclusive neoliberal development efforts to transform MSWM in a low-income country.