Introduction to Solid Waste Management

Prof. Dr. Liselotte Schebek

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 1

 Unit 1 - Content

1 Why Solid Waste Management?

2 Solid Waste – the global issue
3 Terms and definitions
4 Integrated Sustainable Waste Management

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 2

 Why Solid Waste Management?

Source: [Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 3

Why Solid Waste Management?

Why do we need solid waste

management? What are the most
important reasons?
What happens, if management of solid
waste is lacking?

Please pause the video, think of an answer

and write it down.
Source: [Link]
[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 4

 Urban health and sanitation

Lack of waste management

causes human health risks and
pollutes drinking water

[Link]
ci102l-w1024/[Link]

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 5

 Urban health and sanitation

• Many low-income cities still

have collection coverage in
the range of 30 to 60%.
• It can be estimated that at
least 2 billion people
worldwide still lack access
to solid waste collection.

Source: UNEP(2015) – Global Waste

Management Outlook
[Link]
20.500.11822/9672/-
Global_Waste_Management_Outlook-
2015Global_Waste_Management_Outlook.p
[Link]?sequence=3&amp%3BisAllowed=

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 6

 Chemicals and toxic waste dumping

High contaminated areas in Italy and the US

which have to be treated for minimizing the
danger coming from these areas (red dots in
map).

In 2016 in the EU more than 100 Million tonnes

of hazardous waste have been produced.
([Link]

[Link]
umping_of_Toxic_Waste_and_Its_Effect_on_Human_Health_in_C
ampania_Italy/figures?lo=1

[Link]
Superfund_sites_0.jpg?itok=6dj5hu6q

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 7

 Regional and global environmental pollution

Plastic waste aggregation in rivers [mio t]

(2018)

Source: Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung UFZ, 2018

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 8

 Loss of valuable resources - example Waste
Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

[Link]
%20Chapter%[Link]

[Link]
ressourcen_produktverantwortung_elektronikaltgeraete_foto_fernseher-[Link]?itok=1M5Kb7B7

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 9

 …and what you cannot see: Climate Change

Landfill Gas: CH4,

CO2
© A. Campitelli
© A. Campitelli

Source:
[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 10

 wrap-up:
Relevance of solid waste management

Solid Waste Management (SWM) is a global issue:

• Lack of SWM leads to

• direct health impacts on residents
• environmental pollution on a local, regional
and global scale

• Lack of SWM also contributes to

• loss of valuable resources
• climate change

[Link]
phic/2018/09/20/what-a-waste-20-a-global-
snapshot-of-solid-waste-management-to-
2050

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 11

 Unit 1 - Content

1 Why Solid Waste Management?

2 Solid Waste – the global issue
3 Terms and definitions
4 Integrated Sustainable Waste Management

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 12

 Global Waste

“The world generates 2.01 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste

annually, with at least 33 percent of that—extremely conservatively—
not managed in an environmentally safe manner.”
[Link]

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 13

 Waste generation and income

2018:
“Worldwide, waste generated per person
per day averages 0.74 kilogram but ranges
widely, from 0.11 to 4.54 kilograms. Though
they only account for 16 percent of the
world’s population, high-income countries
generate about 34 percent, or 683 million
tonnes, of the world’s waste.”
2012: „Current global MSW generation levels
Source: What a waste 2.0 [Link] are approximately 1.3 billion tonnes per year,
waste/trends_in_solid_waste_management.html
and are expected to increase to approximately
2.2 billion tonnes per year by 2025.”
Source: Hoornweg, Bhada-Tata (2012): What a waste. A Global Review of
Solid Waste Management. The World Bank.

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 14

 Classification of income levels

Quelle: Kaza, Yao, et al (2018) - What a waste 2.0

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 15

 Income Level and Waste amount

Source: UNEP(2015) – Global Waste Management Outlook

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 16

 Income Level and Waste amount

The richer a country the more waste it produces:

• High Income Countries: 766 kg per capita per year
• Upper Middle Income Countries: 438 kg per capita per year
• Lower Middle Income Countries: 288 kg per capita per year
• Lower Income Countries: 219 kg per capita per year

Waste generation per capita by income level in the year 2012

Source: Hoornweg, D. & P. Bhada-Tata (2012). What a Waste: A Global Review of Solid Waste Management. Urban Development Series Knowledge
Papers. World Bank. [Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 17

 Annual municipal solid waste generated
per capita (kilograms/capita/day)

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 18

 Income Level and Waste composition

Source: EMC’s Master Country Database (n.p., 2014) using

primarily data from the UN and World Bank and Hoornweg &
Bhada-Tata (2012)

Notes: Based on data from 97 countries (22 in Africa; 14 Asia-Pacific; 35 Europe; 19 Latin America/Caribbean; 2 North America; 5 West Asia). Dates of the data vary between 1990-
2009. “Other” means other inorganic waste.

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 19

 Income level and Technology

Foto
Low vs. high
level of technology incineration plant

[Link]
m/1562092/16832/i/950/dep
[Link]
ositphotos_168321022-stock-
content/uploads/2018/09/Reppie_Addis_Abe
[Link]
[Link]

Source: UNEP(2015) – Global Waste Management Outlook

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 20

 Income level and technology

Source: Kaza, Yao, et al (2018) - What a waste 2.0

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 21

 Income level and Resilience

low high

Source: UNEP(2015) – Global Waste Management Outlook

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 22

 Income Level and Resilience

Source: Notre dame global adaptation country index

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 23

 The future of waste

[Link]
world-can-solve-its-2-billion-ton-trash-problem

Source: Kaza, Yao, et al (2018) - What a waste 2.0

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 24

 Waste Generation Projection Methodology

Source: Kaza, Yao, et al (2018) - What a waste 2.0

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 25

 Actual vs. Predicted data

Source: Kaza, Yao, et al (2018) - What a waste 2.0

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 26

 Projected Waste by Income Group

Source: Kaza, Yao, et al (2018)

- What a waste 2.0
[Link]
[Link]/handle/10986/30317

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 27

 Decrease of low-income contries

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 28

 Decrease of low-income contries

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 29

 Waste generation and urbanisation rate

Source: Kaza, Yao, et al (2018) - What a

waste 2.0
[Link]
dle/10986/30317

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 30

 Waste generation and urbanisation rate

[Link]
m/2014/07/global-urban-
[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 31

 Definition of Regions

Source: Kaza, Yao, et al (2018) - What a waste 2.0

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 32

 Projected waste generation, by region

(millions of tonnes/year)

Source: Kaza, Yao, et al (2018) - What a waste 2.0

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 33

 Wrap-up: The future of waste

Global waste is expected to grow to 3.40 billion tonnes by 2050, more than
double population growth over the same period.

Waste generation and income level correlate positively. Daily per capita waste
generation is projected to increase by 19 % in high-income countries and 40
% in low-and middle-income countries by 2050. Also, waste generation and
urbanization are closely connected. Along with waste amounts, composition of
waste changes with rising.

In the fastest growing regions (sub-saharan africa, south asia, middle east and
north Africa), more than half of waste is currently openly dumped and the
growth of waste will have vast implications for the environment, health, and
prosperity, thus requiring urgent action.
[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 34

 Unit 1 - Content

1 Why Solid Waste Management?

2 Solid Waste – the global issue
3 Terms and definitions
4 Integrated Sustainable Waste Management

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 35

Terms and definitions - What is „waste“?

How would you explain the term

“waste”?

Which definitions of waste do you

know, and where do they come
from?
Source: [Link]
Please pause the video, think of an
answer and write it down.

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 36

 Terms and definitions - What is „waste“?

Summary: Waste means…

• any discarded, rejected, abandoned, unwanted or surplus matter,
whether intended or not for recycling, recovery or treatment.

Source: [Link]

“Wastes are substances or objects

which are disposed or are intended
to be disposed or are required to be
disposed of by the provisions of
national laws.” (Basel Convention)
Source: [Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 37

 Waste Classification

Waste can be classified

 along its source/generator,
OR,
 along its material, components,
composition or compounds

Source: Hoornweg, D. & P. Bhada-Tata (2012). What a Waste: A

Global Review of Solid Waste Management. Urban
Development Series Knowledge Papers. World Bank.
[Link]
ENT/Resources/336387-
1334852610766/What_a_Waste2012_Final.pdf

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 38

 Data on waste

“Data are increasingly serving as the basis for decision making in waste
management. From information on the layout and characteristics of local
neighborhoods and the activity of collection trucks to data on recovery of
waste fees, accurate information allows governments and operators to
design and run more efficient operations and save money.”
Source: Kaza, Yao, et al (2018) - What a waste 2.0
[Link]

Reliable data have to be based on a

clear definition of waste, waste types,
and ways of treatment/disposal.

Definition of waste typs are the basis

of national and international statistics
Source: [Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 39

 Who collects data on waste?

National authorities:
• Municipalities
• Countries level administration

“Formal information systems are increasing in cities but are not universal.
From the data collected for this report, 29 percent of countries reported the
existence of an information system. At an urban level, 49 cities reported an
established information system, 89 did not have one, and 231 countries
lacked data on information systems.” Source: Kaza, Yao, et al (2018) - What a waste 2.0
[Link]

International organizations
UN
OECD
…

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 40

 What is „Solid Waste“?

To put it simply: Solid things or materials which are discarded

But: „Solid waste is generally considered an ‘urban’ issue.“

=> Most often, the term Solid Waste is used synonymously

with the term Municipal Solid Waste (MSW).

Source: Hoornweg, D. & P. Bhada-Tata (2012). What a Waste: A Global Review of Solid Waste Management. Urban Development Series Knowledge Papers. World Bank.
[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 41

 What is (Municipal) Solid Waste?

The term (municipal) solid waste is used differently in the international area:
• EU: neither the term solid waste nor municipal solid waste is used
Source: EU DIRECTIVE 2008/98/EC [Link]

• US: the term solid waste comprised all types of waste, including liquid or
gaseous waste in waste legislation area.
[Link]

• National or municipal legislation/statistics: partly complying to international

statistics, partly individual
“In general, solid waste data should be considered with a degree of caution because
of inconsistencies in definitions, data collection methodologies, and availability.
The reliability of solid waste data is influenced by several factors, including undefined
words or phrases; incomplete or inconsistent definitions; lack of dates,
methodologies, or original sources; inconsistent or omitted units; and estimates based
on assumptions.”
Source: Kaza, Yao, et al (2018) - What a waste 2.0 [Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 42

 International Definitions of
(Municipal) Solid Waste (I)

OECD:
• Municipal waste is collected and treated by, or for municipalities. It covers
waste from households, including bulky waste, similar waste from commerce
and trade, office buildings, institutions and small businesses, yard and
garden, street sweepings, contents of litter containers, and market cleansing.
Waste from municipal sewage networks and treatment, as well as municipal
construction and demolition is excluded.
IPCC:
• The IPCC includes the following in MSW: food waste; garden (yard) and park
waste; paper and cardboard; wood; textiles; nappies (disposable diapers);
rubber and leather; plastics; metal; glass (and pottery and china); and other
(e.g., ash, dirt,dust, soil, electronic waste).

Source: Hoornweg, D. & P. Bhada-Tata (2012). What a Waste: A Global Review of Solid Waste Management. Urban Development Series Knowledge Papers. World Bank.
[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 43

 International Definitions of
(Municipal) Solid Waste (II)

United Nations Statistic Division

• Solid waste: useless and sometimes hazardous material with low liquid
content. Solid wastes include municipal garbage, industrial and commercial
waste, sewage sludge, wastes resulting from agricultural and animal
husbandry operations and other connected activities, demolition wastes and
mining residues
• Biological waste: waste containing mostly natural organic materials
(remains of plants, animal excrement, biological sludge from waste-water
treatment plants and so forth).
• Industrial waste: liquid, solid and gaseous wastes originating from the
manufacture of specific products.
• Household waste: waste material usually generated in the residential
environment. Waste with similar characteristics may be generated in other
economic activities and can thus be treated and disposed of together with
household waste
Source: [Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 44

 MSW vs. special waste

Definitions according to:

Kaza, Yao, et al (2018) -
Municipal solid waste: What a waste 2.0
• Residential [Link]
andle/10986/30317

• commercial,
• institutional waste.
Other waste types:
• Industrial waste
• Medical waste
• Hazardous waste
• Electronic waste
• Construction and demolition waste

=> Special characteristics as to large amounts

and/or specific/hazardous components

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 45

 Data on generation of special waste

Source: Kaza, Yao, et al (2018) - What a waste 2.0

[Link]
0986/30317

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 46

 Wrap-up: Terms and definitions

• Waste in general means any discarded, rejected, abandoned, unwanted or

surplus matter.

• Different terminologies for waste exist in international and national statistics

and legislation. Waste types can be characterized by origin or by
material/composition.

• The term solid waste is mostly is used for municipal waste, i.e. waste from
households and similar waste from commerce, administration and (small)
business.

• Apart from municipal solid waste, other waste types are characterized by
either large amounts and/or specific/hazardous components.

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 47

 Unit 1 - Content

1 Why Solid Waste Management?

2 Solid Waste – the global issue
3 Terms and definitions
4 Integrated Sustainable Waste Management

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 48

 Sustainable Development

Brundtland Commission: (1987)

• Comprehensive assessment of the critical
issues of environment and development…;
• strengthen international cooperation and find
new innovative solutions….

“Sustainable development meets the needs

of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their
own needs.“

[Link]
onfuture00worl

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 49 49

 The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

“The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)…are a universal call to

action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people
enjoy peace and prosperity.

These 17 Goals build on the successes of the Millennium Development

Goals, while including new areas….The goals are interconnected –
often the key to success on one will involve tackling issues more
commonly associated with another.”

[Link]
[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 50 50

 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 51 51

 Solid Waste and Sustainable Development

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 52

 SDG Indicators

Global indicator framework for the Sustainable Development Goals and

targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
[Link]

=> Indicators related specific to waste in SDG 6, 11, 12

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 53

 SDG Indicators related to waste

Goal and Target Indicator

11.6 By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita 11.6.1 Proportion of municipal solid waste collected and managed
environmental impact of cities, including by in controlled facilities out of total municipal waste generated, by
paying special attention to air quality and cities
municipal and other waste management
12.3 By 2030, halve per capita global food 12.3.1 (a) Food loss index and (b) food waste index
waste at the retail and consumer levels and
reduce food losses along production and
supply chains, including post-harvest losses
12.4 By 2020, achieve the environmentally 12.4.1 Number of parties to international multilateral
sound management of chemicals and all environmental agreements on hazardous waste, and other
wastes throughout their life cycle, … chemicals that meet their commitments and obligations in
transmitting information as required by each relevant agreement
12.4.2 (a) Hazardous waste generated per capita; and (b)
proportion of hazardous waste treated, by type of treatment

12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste 12.5.1 National recycling rate, tons of material recycled
generation through prevention, reduction,
recycling and reuse
[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 54

 Solid waste management

“Solid-waste management, the collecting, treating, and disposing of solid material that is
discarded because it has served its purpose or is no longer useful. The tasks of solid-
waste management …also pose a wide variety of administrative, economic, and social
problems that must be managed and solved.”[Link]

Waste management:
• includes the planning, execution and control
of all processes concerning waste collection
and treatment
• can be organized public, private or in mixed
forms
• is an applied science, which is integrated
into civil and environmental engineering (in
close connection with urban planning and
Source:
wastewater treatment) [Link]
Source: Bilitewski, Bernd, Härdtle, Georg (2013). Abfallwirtschaft - AAAAM0AAAAJGQwMWMwOTQzLTAwOWMtND
Handbuch für Praxis und Lehre. 4. Auflage, Berlin: Springer Verlag. [Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 55

 The idea of „sustainable“ waste management

“In the early 1990s, many international agencies and nongovernmental

organisations (NGOs) active in developing countries became disenchanted with
the failure of the conventional, exclusively technical, approach (often called the
‘technical fix’ (Wilson, 2007)).
A collaborative programme on municipal solid waste management in low-
income countries was set up by UNDP, UN-Habitat and the World Bank, with
funding from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
This resulted in a conceptual framework for integrated municipal SWM in low-
income countries (Schübeler et al., 1996). This novel approach essentially built
upon the holistic, all-inclusive, comprehensive notion of sustainability on
multiple levels.”

Source: Wilson et al., Integrated sustainable waste management in developing countries, Waste and Resource Management 166:52 –
68, 2013, DOI: 10.1680/warm.12.00005

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 56

 Integrated Solid Waste Management – the
ISWM Cube

Source: Wilson et al., Integrated sustainable waste management in developing countries, Waste and Resource Management 166:52 –68, 2013, DOI: 10.1680/warm.12.00005

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 57

 From Integrated Solid Waste Management to
Integrated Sustainable Waste Management

Source: The World Bank „What a Waste“

[Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 58

 Wrap-up: sustainable Waste mangement

• The management of solid waste is an integral part of Sustainable Development

and is connected with other issues of social, economic and technological
development of societes.

• The SDGs are interconnected goals, where often the key to success on one
will involve tackling issues more commonly associated with another.

• The SDG Indicators comprise indicators specifically addressing waste which

measure the success of developing waste management systems.

• Integrated Sustainable Waste Management is a comprehensive framework,

connecting stakeholders, technologies and policies and impacts. It is a reaction
to the finding, that often projects focusing on technology implementation only
have failed in order to improve waste management systems.

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 59

 Recommended Literature

• Hoornweg, Bhada-Tata (2012): What a waste. A Global Review of Solid Waste Management. The
World Bank. Available online at
[Link]
[Link]
• Kaza, Silpa; Yao, Lisa; Bhada-Tata, Perinaz; van Woerden, Frank (2018): What a Waste 2.0: A
Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050. Urban Development: The World Bank.
Available online at [Link]
• Wilson, David; Rodic-Wiersma, Ljiljana; Modak, Prasad; Soos, Reka; Carpintero Rogero, Ainhoa;
Velis, Costas et al. (Hg.) (2015): Global waste management outlook. UNEP; ISWA. Nairobi, Kenya:
UNEP United Nations Environment Programme. Available online at
[Link]
Global_Waste_Management_Outlook-
2015Global_Waste_Management_Outlook.[Link]?sequence=3&amp%3BisAllowed=
• Wilson,David C; Velis, Costas; Rodic-Wiersma, Ljiljana (2013): Integrated sustainable waste
management in developing countries. Available online at
[Link]
n_developing_countries

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 60

 Thank you for your attention!

Source: [Link]

Solid Waste Management | TU Darmstadt | Prof. L. Schebek 61