A widespread phenomenon on dumpsites in the developing world, subsistence waste picking is also a common practice at the city-owned Coastal Park Landfill (CPL) in Muizenberg. Poor unemployed people from the townships of Capricorn, Vrygrond and Hillview, situated at the foot of the tip “skarrel for scrap” every day. The word skarreling is an Afrikaans term meaning to rummage or scrabble, scuttle or scurry. Thus, if one talks of “skarreling for scrap”, it generally refers to poor peo-ple trying to eke out a living by looking for recyclables in the waste that can be put to personal use or turned into money.In the two decades since the transition to democracy, South Africa and the City of Cape Town (CCT) have formulated a number of framework and subordinate policies which express their commitment to sustainable development (SD). SD aims to achieve a balance between its three components, econom-ic, environmental and social sustainability. Thus, SD is not only about increased economic efficiency and stability, while at the same time reducing pollution and handling natural resources more thought-fully; it is also about promoting social equity by reducing poverty and empowering the poor. This study is guided by the assumption that waste pickers in developing countries play an important part in recycling efforts, and that recycling in turn is an integral component of SD, which is the guid-ing principle of South African policy-making. In an ideal scenario – as implicitly promised by the policies on SD – the management of solid waste should pursue the economic and environmental goals of SD by promoting recycling and should be aligned with the goal of creating sustainable livelihoods.However, the reality in the CCT is a different one. Landfill skarreling in the CCT, and particularly at CPL, is accompanied by conflict and a criminalisation of the skarrelaars. The CCT decided to phase out landfill salvaging in 2008, and subsequently has put a lot of effort into keeping skarrelaars away from its landfills. The implications of this decision – job losses for poor people and a potential in-crease in crime – have not been thought through. There is thus a dysfunctional triangular relationship around waste recycling in the CCT, leading to tensions between (1) the City’s commitment to SD; (2) its approach towards recycling (as part of solid waste management) in policy and practice; and (3) the livelihoods of the poor in adjacent townships. In the CCT the goals of SD are undermined by the City’s recycling strategies, with adverse effects for the livelihoods of the people who live off skarrel-ing.There are several causes for this disjuncture between policy and reality. The first has to do with igno-rance on the side of the policymakers. They seem to be badly informed about the extent and nature of skarreling, perhaps assuming that this activity is performed only by a few people who need quick cash for drugs. The second cause can be attributed to the neoliberal macro-policies pursued in South Africa, as well as to the global competition between cities for investment. This neoliberal urbanism leads cities like Cape Town to re-imagine themselves as “world (-class) cities”, in which poor waste pickers are perceived as a disturbing factor. In the CCT, this goes hand in hand with an approach reminiscent of the apartheid mindset, which saw the need to control poor, black (and potentially unru-ly) people.The dissertation therefore focuses on the core themes of sustainable development, (urban) neoliberal-ism, and informality in combination with a case study of the informal waste pickers at the chosen landfill site. Writing from a political studies angle, this study is framed as a policy critique: it argues that the policies around SWM ignore South African realities, and that the SD policies and their im-plementation lack coherence. Moreover, the conflict between the skarrelaars and the CCT at the CPL is rooted in inadequate national and local legislation which does not acknowledge the role of informal waste pickers in SWM and aims at excluding rather than including them. If waste pickers were sup-ported in their recycling efforts in both policy and practice, this would be a win-win situation for the state/city (economic benefits and less crime), the skarrelaars (regular employment and incomes) and the environment (less waste buried on landfills).The case study is primarily designed as a qualitative study, but also includes quantitative elements as it attempts a first quantification of the extent and nature of skarreling at the CPL site, one of only three operating dumpsites in Cape Town. The aim on the one hand is to estimate the contribution of the skarrelaars to waste reduction (and therefore to sustainability) in the City, especially since the waste they collect is not buried on the landfill, thereby prolonging the operational life span of the landfill. The other aim is to assess the role of the skarrelaars as an economic factor in the township, in particular the question of how important the incomes generated from skarreling are for their individu-al livelihoods and for the community as a whole. / Magister Artium - MA

Waste reprocessing is a growing trend in different communities around South Africa which has become influential to the socio-economic liberalism of the people that are recycling at source in their respective areas. The focus of the research study is on the contributions of community-based organisations involved in recycling towards the social and environmental sustainability. The study explores (i) work done by community-based organisations in recycling, (ii) how the organisations turn unwanted products in to something usable and manage to sustain themselves and provide for their families, and (iii) how unpleasant municipality policies on the management of waste are to the organisations involved in recycling. As a result a comprehensive and consistent information set comprising significant contributions from the responsible stakeholders that contribute to the national waste stream will be expressed; regarding the development of relevant statutory frameworks to address and clarify issues facing reprocessing at large. South Africa is signatory to a number of international accords, hence a comprehensive international perspective on waste re-utilisation is incorporated. The notion of partnership is emphasized as it ought to be accompanied by other measures that can unleash a practical validity and influence; hence the public-private partnership strategy towards recycling is recommended as a requisite to try and tackle the challenges facing community-based organisations and the system of managing waste especially in the Emfuleni Local Municipality. The partnerships should be determined as the principle framework between the people, the private sector and the entire administration. The more serious the community-based organisations towards the system of managing waste around an area, the better it will turn out to be for the communities concerned. Unemployment is also the biggest issue thus far and strategies have long been implemented to tackle the crisis, and yet the public is still faced and halted by means that are expensive in nature. Advanced educational facilities for instance, which are still major challenges to the people around Emfuleni. The logic of responsibility now is therefore to develop, implement and enforce recently formulated legislation to encourage the masses to be involved in the process of recycling. Indeed, the lack of co-ordination by private sector, the people and local authorities has resulted in the involvement of community-based organisations being regarded as non-existing and not being intensified in South Africa. The contributions made by waste pickers in making sure that the green environment concept is maintained in societies they live in, is in fact the actual concern in undertaking these research study. The negative stigma associated with the communities involved in recycling is endured as individuals are able to support their families and themselves through recycling ingenuities. The Emfuleni Local Municipality has some of the best strategies and plans to address the involvement of community-based organisations in their disposal, and the full implementation of this category has to prioritised in order to achieve a hospitable and sustainable environment for the area. / M Development and Management (Public Management and Governance), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

E-waste is an emerging issue driven by the rapidly increasing quantities, the hazards involved and the valuable materials in it. Due to a lack of environmentally sound technologies or equipment and the imperfect e-waste management system, the poor quality e-waste recycling and disposal methods commonly practiced in developing countries now have serious and hazardous effects on the environment and the workers'/residents' health. Additionally, industrialized countries are exporting increasing quantities of e-waste to developing countries, complicating the situation finther. The environmental and health issues caused by e-waste in developing countries have resulted in the search for solutions to address this problem before it becomes worse. The main purpose of this research is to find how legislation and regulations be used to improve management of e-waste in developing countries especially studying a case in China on e-waste management, which is a very helpful example to other developing countries which are also facing the same e-waste'issue. A case study methodology was used in this research. To collect data, semi-structured interviews with officers or experts from key relevant government departments/institutions involved in e-waste management/regulation, from electronic appliance producers, from customers at different levels of the value chain, as well as direct and non-participant observations were carried out in six cities of China. For another perspective, the review of relevant departmental documents/publications was also carried out to multiply the source of data. In this case study the analysis relies largely on qualitative data and interpretive methods, applied to what was found in interviews/observations and what is written down in documents/ literatures. The research found that lack of systernatic and enforceable law and regulations has become the most serious obstacle in the e-waste management system and limited the effective control of e-waste in developing countries. Developing subsidiary regulations and standards could support the enforcement of the main national law and regulations on e-waste management and it could farther urge the development of local regulations to improve the enforceýbility of the national law and regulations. Identifying the principal administrative department and coordinating the cooperation of various departments could avoid the duplication of administrative functions among government departments. It is important to construct monitoring systems to supervise the enforcement of the regulations and construct the standards and registration system to qualify the e-waste recycling and disposal enterprises, the secondhand market of electronic products and the regenerative resources market of reusable materials in ewaste. The economic differences made it possible to formulate special regulations for economically backward areas compared to the, more advanced areas even within one country. Improving the existing e-waste recovery system and regulating the payment system according to the local economic conditions for e-waste recycling and disposal could improve the integrated management of e-waste. Producers as well as government and even consumers should be responsible for e-waste together. The government needs to continuously strengthen regulatory systems to ensure that the huge economic benefits from the e-waste recycling industry are not overshadowed by the negative impact on the workers'/residents' welfare and overall environmental sustainability,

The aim of this thesis is to describe perceived barriers and drivers and analyze its impact on the implementation of strategies among food retailers in order to reduce food waste. On supply chain, food retailers are in the powerful position, communicating both consumers and suppliers. Existing literatures and our findings show that food retailers engage mostly in strategies to prevent and re-use food waste. The methodology used in this thesis is qualitative research through single case study design in order to gain valuable insights from food retailers and develop the existing theories. The empirical date is collected through semi-structured interviews with a store manager, the head of logistics and a project manager and environmental ambassador, Karin Bildsten. The findings had formed several learning points. First, in this case the major barrier is lack of resources in financial and knowledge terms in order to implement strategies. Second, consumers have a strong impact on the implementation of strategies, playing both as drivers and barriers. Lastly, environmental consideration of employees is a strong driver as well as positive response from society toward implementing different strategies. This research intended to give inspiration to other researchers into this new field of research. The authors concluded with practical recommendations to food retailers as well as some advices to different stakeholders.

Organic waste management presents challenges and opportunities alike for community-based economic development. Waste-to-compost transformation can be socially and economically successful by employing ecological design principles, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and values-based supply chains (VCs). An analysis of commercial buyers' preferences for compost will inform approaches to forming effective partnerships of public, private and nonprofit stakeholders to develop a market for local waste resource products. The thesis summarizes the results of a consumer preferences survey of current and prospective bulk compost purchasers and discusses strategies for implementing new organic waste management policies that will strengthen a local market for compost, build social capital and share economic value. A conjoint analysis of bulk compost preferences in Vermont was conducted to identify the market's preference for quality-based attributes of bulk compost. The data was taken from a survey administered by mail to Vermont business professionals in various fields that use--or could potentially use--compost products in providing goods or services. In addition to price (81 percent of the relative importance buyers place on an attribute), local provenance (8 percent) and suitability for organic production (7.6 percent) were demonstrated as statistically significant determinants of the value buyers placed on compost. Willingness to pay for local provenance and suitability for organic production were measured at 15% and 14% above the baseline product price, respectively. Current and prospective compost producers can effectively market their products and retain a competitive edge in the marketplace by collaborating with other businesses. A viable market for Vermont compost could be achieved through cultivation of niche specialties, stable institutional buyers, more stringent regulation of food waste and nutrient management behavior, and a collaborative effort to construct a product narrative that emphasizes compost's role in a larger social-ecological system of nutrient management and sustainable agriculture.

Heat and electricity production along with waste management are two modern day challenges for society. One of the possible solution to both of them is the incineration of household waste to produce heat and electricity. Incineration is a waste-to-energy treatment process, which can reduce the need for landfills and save the use of more valuable fuels, thereby conserving natural resources. This report/paper investigates the performance and emissions of a municipal solid waste (MSW) fueled industrial boiler by performing a system identification analysis using Principle Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares Regression (PLS-R) modeling. The boiler is located in Västerås, Sweden and has a maximum capacity of 167MW. It produces heat and electricity for the city of Västerås and is operated by Mälarenergi AB. A dataset containing 148 different boilers variables, measured with a one hour interval over 2 years, was used for the system identification analysis. The dataset was visually inspected to remove obvious outliers before beginning the analysis using a multivariate data analysis software called The Unscrambler X (Version 10.3, CAMO Software, Norway). Correlations found using PCA was taken in account during the PLSR modelling where models were created for one response each. Some variables had an unexpected impact on the models while others were fully logical regarding combustion theory. Results found during the system analysis process are regarded as reliable. Any errors may be due to outlier data points and model inadequacies.

The main goal of my thesis is to map the legal regulation of municipal waste management in the Czech Republic. The reason for the study of the legal regulation is to establish whether the regulation has sufficient instruments to treat the municipal waste in compliance of the waste management hierarchy that is grounded in the European Union's Waste Framework Directive. The thesis also deals with the different concept of the municipal waste in Czech and European legislation. It mentions the differences that would be carried out to the field of municipal waste by the planned legislation.

This study analyses legal regime of hazardous waste management. Study analyses international legal regime and describes the most important conventions and agreements and also introduces relevant international organizations. Next part of study is about European legal regime of hazardous waste, on which is based Czech regulation. Final parts deal with Czech regulation. There si briefly introduced Act no. 185/2001 and short history view. Last part deals with every method of hazardous waste management and also analyses waste hierarchy.

Legal regime of municipal waste management This work about legal regime of municipal waste management in the Czech Republic begins with a chapter about some aspects of the municipal waste, especially the quantity in which the CR and the EU produces municipal waste, ways in which municipal waste is disposed and percentage limits which should be achieved in municipal waste management. Next part is started with a short flashback into the history of legislation of waste (and municipal waste as well) in the Czech Republic in the last 20 years - follows independence of the Czech Republic. Conception of municipal waste did not get throught a big changes during that decades, so didn't the system of municipal waste management. In the recent years there have been serious discussions about the new "waste" law and after the new Goverment was elected they started again, also we will see if the new law will see the lights of the world. The work then gives an explanation of basic terms - waste and municipal waste - in the Czech law and also in the European law. Because of being the member of European Union, the Czech Republic has quite similar definitions of these terms - new laws were prepared to be conformable with European law. Also the waste hierarchy, important for the approach to waste management, is the...

Landfilling is the most common treatment of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the An Giang province in south Vietnam. Many of the landfills are not sanitary and can be harmful to the environment and the residents, especially those who live within the settled distance limit of 1000 meters. There is a lack of knowledge about the people living close to landfills in the An Giang province. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate any issues about living close to landfills, by comparing health, knowledge and social issues, between people living near landfills and people in urban areas in the An Giang province. A total of 80 people was chosen in Long Xuyen and An Phu, for a questionnaire. The data was compiled and coded in Excel for further analyzation in SPSS. The results show differences in social issues, health and knowledge related to landfilling and solid waste. The experiences in the landfill areas could be taken in advantage. The study suggests using students in communication programs and workshops to increase knowledge and practice about solid waste among the citizens. To monitor landfills and the air in due to open burning of solid waste, is recommended. / Deponering är den vanligaste behandlingen av hushållsavfall i An Giang-provinsen i södra Vietnam. Många av dessa soptippar (deponier) är inte sanitära och kan vara skadliga för både miljön och invånarna som bor inom den bestämda avståndsgränsen på 1000 meter. Det finns brist på kunskap om de människor som bor nära deponier i An Giang-provinsen. Därför var syftet med studien att undersöka förekomsten av problem av att bo nära deponier i provinsen. Detta gjordes genom att jämföra hälsa, kunskap och sociala frågor mellan människor som bor intill deponier och människor i urbana områden. Totalt valdes 80 personer i Long Xuyen och An Phu till en enkätstudie. Uppgifterna sammanställdes och kodades i Excel för vidare analys i SPSS. Resultaten visade skillnader i sociala frågor, hälsa och kunskap relaterade till deponering och fast avfall. I deponiområdena fanns det mycket erfarenhet som skulle kunna utnyttjas. Studien föreslår bl.a. att använda skolungdomar i kommunikationskampanjer och workshops för att öka kunskap och praxis hos invånarna. Att övervakning och mäta deponier och luften p.g.a. öppen eldning av avfall, rekommenderas.