The amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted due to waste management in the cities of developing countries is predicted to rise considerably in the near future; however, these countries have a series of problems in accounting and reporting these gases. This study investigated GHG emissions from the municipal waste sector in South Africa. In particular, the eThekwini Municipality is researched in detail and current emissions as well as further projections have been calculated. This research has to be placed in the wider context where developing countries (including South Africa) do not have binding emission reduction targets, but many of them publish different greenhouse gas emissions data which have been accounted and reported in different ways. Results from the first stages of this research showed that for South Africa, inventories at national and municipal level are the most important tools in the process of accounting and reporting greenhouse gases from waste. However, discrepancies in the methodology used are a concern. This is a challenging issue for developing countries, especially African ones, since higher accuracy methods are more data intensive. Therefore, the development of local emission factors for the different waste management processes is important as it encourages a common, unified approach. In the accounting of GHG from waste at municipal level, emission factors, based on a life cycle approach, are used with increased frequency. However, these factors have been calculated for many developed countries of the Northern Hemisphere and are generally lacking for developing countries. The second part of this research showed how such factors have been developed for waste processes used in this country. For the collection and transport of municipal waste in South Africa, the average diesel consumption is around 5 dm3 (litres) per tonne of wet waste and the associated GHG emissions are about 15 kg CO2 equivalents (CO2 e). Depending on the type of landfill, the GHG emissions from the landfilling of waste have been calculated to range from -145 to 1 016 kg CO2 e per tonne of wet waste, when taking into account carbon storage, and from 441 to 2 532 kg CO2 e per tonne of wet waste, when carbon storage is left out. The highest emission factor per unit of wet waste is for landfill sites without landfill gas collection and these are the dominant waste disposal facilities in South Africa. The emission factors developed for the different recyclables in the country showed savings varying from -290 kg CO2 e (glass) to – 19 111 kg CO2 e (metals - Al) per tonne of recyclable. They also illustrated that there is variability, with energy intensive materials like metals having higher GHG savings in South Africa as compared to other countries. This study also showed that composting of garden waste is a net GHG emitter, releasing 172 and 186 kg CO2 e per tonne of wet garden waste for aerated dome composting and turned windrow composting, respectively. By using the emission factors developed, the GHG emissions from municipal waste in the eThekwini Municipality were calculated and showed that for the year 2012 net savings of -161 780 tonnes CO2 e were achieved. This is mainly due to the landfill gas to electricity clean development mechanism (CDM) projects and due to recycling in the municipality. In the absence of landfill gas (LFG) collection and utilisation systems, which is typical for the majority of South African landfills, important GHG emission from the anaerobic degradation of waste are recorded. In the near future (year 2014) the closure of one of the three local landfill sites and the re-directioning of the majority of waste to another landfill sites which does not have LFG collection and utilisation, will cause an increase of GHG emissions to 294 670 tonnes CO2 e. An increase in recycling and the introduction of anaerobic digestion and composting has the potential to reduce these emissions as shown for the year 2020. However, only the introduction of a LFG to electricity system will result in the highest possible overall GHG savings from waste management in the municipality. In the absence of the Clean Development Mechanism and the associated financial arrangements, these systems have to be financed locally and might present a financial challenge to the municipality. Therefore, the second intervention which will make a difference by lowering GHG emissions from waste management would be to increase recycling in general and in particular the recycling of paper and metals. Since there is no direct competition for carbon, in addition to recycling, anaerobic digestion can be introduced and this combination will achieve increased savings in the future. If anaerobic digestion is not possible, composting in addition to recycling will also lead to savings, albeit not as high as with anaerobic digestion. The results presented in this study show that life cycle based GHG emission factors for waste and their use can support a unified approach to accounting of GHG and better decision-making for municipalities in the local context. They can give valuable input for the planning and development of future waste management strategies and they can help optimise current municipal solid waste management. / Ph.D. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2013.

Indiana has 7-8 years of landfill capacity remaining until its landfills are full. Delaware County has been without a municipal sanitary landfill since 1985. The purpose of this study was to evaluate Delaware County public opinion on solid waste management issues in order to ultimately include the public in the management process. Two hundred eighty-one Delaware County residents were surveyed by telephone to assess their knowledge and opinions on solid waste management issues. Two sets of conditions were hypothesized to influence attitudes: urban versus rural living environment, and educational level. There was no significant difference (P<0.05) between urban and rural attitudes towards waste management options. There was a difference between responses as a function of educational level; the more educated respondents were more aware of solid waste disposal issues. It was concluded that the public is aware of both national and local waste management issues, and are in favor of legislative control measures. / Department of Natural Resources

Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) was applied to evaluate the "Blue Bag" recycling program in Muncie, IN. Data was collected from the Muncie Sanitary District, a waste recovery facility and from a sample of Muncie residents. Results were analyzed descriptively and statistically and compared in terms of environmental performance to a landfilling option. Recycling resulted in greater greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction and also in larger savings in energy consumption compared to landfilling (an equivalent of savings of $25,800.52 per year). A willingness to pay (WTP) parameter ranged from $0-175 in WTP in taxes/rent per year and a $0-52 range for WTP per trash container collected. The mean value of the welfare improvement corresponded with values obtained by other researchers (Hanley and Spash, 1993), totaling $960,797.65 for the WTP in taxes/rent scenario and $412,819.95 for the WTP per trash container collected scenario. The project's Net Present Values (NPV) were negative under the 3, 5 and 7`%, discount rates (-5209,961.75, -8242,477.73 and -S269,187.38 in the case of an optimistic scenario and -S675,244.83, -657.262.23 and -640,288.54 for the pessimistic scenario, respectfully) if environmental impacts were not taken into consideration. Environmental benefits associated with the Blue Bag program impacted results of the analysis - the project's NPVs were positive under the range of 3, 5 and 7% interest rates (510,569.501.26, 9,704,811.17 and 8,951,068.00 for the optimistic scenario and S 10, l 04,218.17, 9,290,026.68 and 8.579,966.84 in the case of pessimistic scenario, respectfully). It is concluded, that if the Blue Bag program is justified on CBA grounds, it can be considered as a profitable initiative from the social point of view; otherwise, the recycling program's costs outweigh its incomes and the existence and continuation of the Blue Bag program may he questioned. Further studies should be conducted in order to comprehensively test the overall social impacts of the program that could affect results presented in this study. / Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management has been a challenging issue throughout history. Waste management options have evolved, but they can present distinct environmental impacts, such as the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). This study quantified the environmental benefits (i.e., greenhouse gas emission and energy use reductions) of various MSW management plans proposed for Puerto Rico through the use of the Waste Reduction Model (WARM). The waste management initiative known as the “Base Case” was found to offer the most environmental benefits. Thus, higher benefits can be attained from the implementation of an integrated solid waste management / Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management

The study investigated solid waste management in the Mafikeng Municipality including the attitudes of the residents towards the waste management services rendered by the municipality. The study found the followings: the main sources of waste were from households due to minimal industrial activity in the area; that the residents had negative attitudes and perceptions about the waste management services provided by the Municipality. The majority of residents were not involved in the identification of needs and management of solid waste. They wanted to take an active role in the planning, design and implementation of the service especially where the formulation of policies are concerned; adequate policy mechanisms need to be adopted to enforce proper behaviour in waste disposal. The study recommends that: • the community be involved in planning, design and implementation of the service especially where the formulation of policies are concerned. • adequate policy mechanisms need to be adopted to enforce proper behaviour in waste disposal. / Thesis (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2003

An environmental challenge that is currently plaguing the South African townships in the Metropolitan Area is the volume of solid waste being illegally disposed in open spaces along road verges as well as in streams. The research aims to identify the root cause of illegal dumping in the township of Clermont, Kwa-Zulu Natal. The researcher used quantitative, qualitative and observation methodologies to collect data from member’s of the community of Clermont. The severity of the problem will be measured by looking at different age groups; level of income per household as well as gender. In general waste management and environmental management has received little attention compared to other socio-economic problems like un-employment. As the bulk of the world’s population move from rural areas to urban areas, poverty is becoming an increasingly urban phenomenon. Environmental problems range from impairment of human health, economic and other welfare and extinction of the ecosystem. The urban poor bear the greatest burden of urban environmental risks. The most significant environmental challenge in South Africa is effectively management of waste. Currently the focus in South Africa has been on waste disposal rather than on waste prevention. Consequently there are no incentives for reducing waste and industries are not required to submit plans for waste management when commencing a new business. Waste management legislation is fragmented; as a result there is a lack of control in waste management. This research will investigate whether community members are aware of what is expected from them by the municipality and private waste collection companies. It will further analyse at the norm of waste disposal within the developing countries compared to developed countries. The study will attempt to provide practical solutions for the township of Clermont. The study has five chapters. The first chapter introduce the problem, objectives and hypothesis. The second chapter deals with the theoretical review to help the reader understand different cases and how waste management handled in different parts of the world. This has been done by looking at the international, national and local level, comparing waste management trends. The third chapter describe the study area in detail and different scientific methodologies researcher used to prove or disprove the hypothesis and objectives that were set in the first chapter. Chapter four analyses all the data that was collected from the community of Clermont and unpack other underlying factors that lead to poor waste management in this township. For example the researcher will conclude using the data collected if the frequency of waste collection is sufficient for the community and what can be done to minimize illegal dumping. Chapter five, which is the last chapter of this dissertation will suggest recommendations that can be used to correct all problems that associated with illegal dumping in Clermont Township. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2010.

No description available.

The environmental impact of consumer goods is becoming a growing concern in the modern world. With the increasing awareness of our daily impact and our effects on such crises as global warming, there has been a recent push to develop better environmental strategies and new industries focused on sustainability and the recycling of a variety of post-consumer goods. In other words, there is a shift towards turning waste into money in the name of the environment. Urban regions provide the perfect setting for such development. The concentration of post-consumer waste makes the mining of recyclable materials economical and the availability of labor needed to support the emerging sustainable industries sets the stage for social, economic and environmental benefits. There are currently several end-of-life (EOL) options for post-consumer products. EOL scenarios include secondary material reclamation, material reclamation, repurpose material reclamation, and waste disposal. Within each of these EOL scenarios exists a myriad of process permutations ranging from various collection schemes and modes of transportation to material processing standards and new recycled product industries. Due to the variety of EOL options for post-consumer products, there is no straight-forward answer to the question Which EOL option is preferred? Thus, under the guidelines of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as standardized by the International Standards Organization (ISO) in ISO14040, with the inclusion of social and economic requirements as well, the various EOL scenarios are compared in several impact categories including energy use, greenhouse emissions, waste generation, social implications and economic viability. The results of this comparative analysis provide insight into the potential of a more sustainable urban environment, which is part of a much larger goal of reducing our daily impact on the world around us. One industry sector that contributes to a rather large amount of post-consumer trash each year, nearly 4.7 billion tons, is the carpet industry. Carpet thus occupies a great percentage of overall dedicated waste space according to product density. Within an urban environment, the burden of such a bulky waste product is more evident; thus carpet is used here as a case study for the social, economic and environmental impacts of material mining in urban regions for the improvement of overall industrial sustainability. A comparative EOL study is conducted comparing the social, economic and environmental effects of secondary material reclamation, material reclamation, repurpose material reclamation, and waste disposal of post-consumer carpet (PCC) within the thirteen county urban region of Atlanta, GA.

Thesis (D.P.H.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 168-178). / Microfiche. / xiv, 178 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

<p>Solid waste management is a phenomenon that has been researched for many years. With the development of industries and commerce, waste inputs into waste management programs are crucial, since these are the sectors responsible for the generation of waste and thus the inputs are invaluable when programs are formulated. In order to develop effective waste management strategies, it is important to identify the source of waste generation and the processes that must be followed to minimize waste. The objective of this research was to follow waste from generation to ultimate disposal and to case study why and how differences in waste disposal practices occur in the Breede River District (BRD) and the Cape Metropolitan Area (CMA).</p>