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New waste management strategies |
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Waste management concepts |
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Waste production in most countries is still increasing. Especially in those countries where the standard of living is growing, more waste will be produced. Although waste avoidance and recycling is practiced especially in Europe and Japan at a relatively high level still 80%-90% of the municipal solid waste (MSW) is landfilled worldwide often in an uncontrolled way and together with hazardous waste. Waste collection is not practiced in all countries of the world. This situation results in a significant environmental pollution, nuisance as well as hygienic problems. This situation is extremely relevant in megacities of economically developing countries where there is a lack in infrastructure. In most countries the tendency goes to more recycling and especially in Japan and Europe to more incineration with less landfilling. This is due to the fact that landfills are a long term problem and operation will be necessary at least for decades after closure. In Germany politics have set the goal to manage the municipal solid waste (MSW) without landfilling from 2020. This all means that there are worldwide great challenges in the field of solid waste management. Of great importance for many economically developing countries is the separation of the industrial/hazardous waste from MSW and the incineration of the toxic organic substances. There is no alternative to this measure, since landfilling does not result in a biological degradation of these materials and thus will be forever subject to potential migration into the environment either in the gas or liquid phase. |
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University of Padua IMAGE Department |
