Management of solid waste in developing countries

Abstract

This desk review study aimed to examine management of solid waste in developing countries. To do this research every source of information relating to the topic was explored, internet journal articles, reports on waste management among others are some of the documents that were reviewed to achieve the major objective of this research. Documents which did not include the two major words that “solid waste and developing countries” were excluded from the analysis. Information was extracted from secondary materials obtained in order of the research objectives. Solid waste generation will increase for developing regions by the year 2050 with sub-Saharan Africa taking the 3rd position after East Asia and south Asia. The environmental effects of solid waste management included; water, air, soil pollution. Polythene bags, metals, soft plastics, hard plastic, textile and leather, rubber are the major solid waste generated but petroleum waste due to petroleum exploration have come up. The major techniques used in solid waste management for developed and developing countries are; incineration, open burning, landfill, compositing, sanitary landfill and recycling. The challenges in solid waste management include; limited finances for transportation and lack of strict legal framework. Different legislations for solid waste management exist but despite their existence Uganda still experiences poor waste management practices. The future of waste management is complex as the population is expected to increase that will increase the amounts of wastes generated. The study recommended that strong legislation on solid waste management handling is needed and awareness campaigns aimed at solid waste minimization.