Urban Solid Waste Management

Scientific Advisory Committee
Co-chairs: J.T. Baker (Australia), N.O. Adedipe (Nigeria); Members: Urmilla Bob (South Africa), Uta Krogmann (USA), Wang Rusong (China), Chris Zurbrugg (Switzerland)

Urban waste management is an issue of primary importance to a number of developing economy countries, as well as a growing environmental concern in developed and developing economy countries.

This project maintains a focus on the minimisation and management of urban solid waste. The emphasis on "want" rather than "need", prevalent in the consumer-driven economies of most developed and developing economy countries has generated a serious environmental problem. For both industrial and urban waste, the initial "end of pipe" solutions have moved ahead to "cradle to grave" and "cradle to cradle" strategies, highlighting the concept of maximum reuse of material. The aim of the study is to provide manufacturers, political instances and other stakeholders with a systematic analysis of available techniques and technologies, and propose tools for best management options.

A workshop was held in Durban, South Africa in November 2002 to discuss regional reports from Australia/Oceania, USA and Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as presentations on solid waste recycling in South Africa, management of general solid waste in Durban, and community investment in waste management. The burning issues in waste management are transboundary movements, changing consumer behaviour and legal instruments for effective waste management.

The primary drivers of waste generation for developing countries are demographic change coupled to sudden and rapid urbanization and high frequency of political change. Furthermore, frequent policy changes (including high turnover of principal actors in policy-making) and mass illiteracy resulting in indifference to the environment are also primary drivers.

In the developed nations of USA, Europe, Australia, lifestyles of high consumption and broad latitude of consumption patterns are the order, occasioned by wealth creation, equitable wealth distribution resulting from high-tech industrialization.

The threat of waste accumulation is evident in urban and peri-urban areas/ecosystems. The threats, particularly in the developing countries of Asia and Africa are explicit in the form of impacts on ecosystem services with adverse consequences for the human well-being factors of health, energy and economic security. The provisioning services most affected are food, fuels and energy; those of supporting services being soil amendment and nutrient cycling; while those of enriching services are material recovery, alternative energy and soil enrichment.

Participants of the expert meeting highlighted the need for effective governance structures, integrated institutional arrangements, relevant cost-effective civil society involvement, education and enlightenment, with overall goals of suitably modified consumption scales and patterns in the North and poverty reduction in the South.

Last up-dated 26 May 2005