TRASH Waste Management in Developing Countries Policy Brief Emily Walling, Alissa Walston, Emily Warren, Brian Warshay, and Erica Wilhelm
Overview What s the problem with Municipal Solid Waste? Environmental and Health Impacts Case Study: Nigeria Policy Options Recommendations
Landfill in Morocco Photo courtesy of Jeff Hughes
What s the problem with Municipal Solid Waste? Environmental and Health Impacts Case Study: Nigeria Policy Options Recommendations
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Non-air and sewage emissions created within and disposed of by a municipality, including household garbage commercial refuse construction debris dead animals abandoned vehicles Paper, vegetable matter, plastics, metals, textiles, rubber, and glass Umuahia, Nigeria
Drivers of MSW Problems The poor state of solid waste management in urban areas [of developing countries] is now not an environmental problem but also a major social handicap. (Daskalopoulos et al. 1998). Poverty Population growth High urbanization rates Corrupt and under-funded governments
MSW Composition Waste in developing countries is more dense (2-3 times) than in US Waste has a higher percentage organic material Solid Waste Composition in Lagos, Nigeria 4% 3% 0% 19% 14% 60% Paper Vegetative Plastic Glass Metal Misc. http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/facts.htm http://www.cee.mtu.edu/peacecorps/documents_july03/waste_reduction_and_incineration_final.pdf
Magnitude of the Problem Waste accumulates in urban areas and is often not removed for long periods of time (E. Nwanko interview) Dumping trash on the side of the highway in Nigeria Refuse collected at side of road in Aba, Nigeria Trash that is removed from urban areas is displaced to the side of the highway. Waste is subject to unregulated land filling, burning
What s the problem with Municipal Solid Waste? Environmental and Health Impacts Case Study: Nigeria Policy Options Recommendations
Environmental and Health Impacts The four main ways of dealing with solid waste are: Land filling, Incineration, Composting, Anaerobic Digestion Current practice in developing countries Unregulated land filling Uncontrolled burning (intentional and accidental)
Environmental Impacts Landfill Ozone formation CO2 and methane formation (global warming) Ground water pollution (eutrophication) Bioaccumulation (toxins and heavy metals) Incineration Air emissions (particulates, CO, NOx, acid gases, volatile organics, metals) (acid rain, global warming) Bioaccumulation (toxins and heavy metals) Composting/Anaerobic Digestion CO2 and methane production (global warming)
Health Impacts Landfill Stress-causing odors Noise Ozone formation Fire/Explosion hazards Vermin (disease vectors) Water pollution Incineration Stress-causing odors Surface water pollution Air emissions (particulates, volatile organics, heavy metals) Composting/Anaerobic Digestion Stress-causing odors Noise Respiratory damage by aerosolized microorganisms
Health Effects Why do we care? Green Rationalism (using alternative motivations to solve environmental problems) (Photos: J. Fay)
What s the problem with Municipal Solid Waste? Environmental and Health Impacts Case Study: Nigeria Policy Options Recommendations
Nigeria Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa with 130 million citizens It occupies 15% of West Africa but has 56% of its people. Large oil reserves Political corruption = Low accountability In the country s largest city, Lagos, 25% of budget goes to MSW removal (UNESCO 2003) Almost 90% of total budget goes to government officials (E. Nwanko)
Actors National Governments Local Governments NGOs (United Nations, World Bank) Communities Individuals
Scavengers Individuals sort through trash already dumped or collect from residences to find valuable recyclables which they can redeem for These people usually impoverished Health Implications from proximity to waste Scavenger collecting recyclables in Aba City Dump (E. Warren)
Environmental Organizations and Legislation Federal Environment Protection Agency (FEPA)- Established 1988 Vision 2010- a goal towards sustainable development Education Collaborative approaches Strengthening laws and regulation Encouraging local/private participation
Case Study: Jurisdiction of MSW in Ibadan, Nigeria 1988- Environmental Sanitation Board 1989- Local governments 1991- Ibadan Urban Sanitation Committee (IUSC) 1994 estimate that 70 million NGN would be needed for the IUSC to work efficiently 10 million NGN were actually collected from the local governments
What s the problem with Municipal Solid Waste? Environmental and Health Impacts Case Study: Nigeria Policy Options Recommendations
A New Epoch for M + K Epoch 0: Nothing is working and the government is incapable of managing solid waste Epoch I: Will NOT work in this situation as it stands Skip to Epoch II ½ : A combination of a privatized market and community based encouragement seems to be the most efficient way to begin the transition towards waste management
Institute for Environmental Research Developing plan for Integrated MSW management in Southern Nigeria Manned transfer stations to receive and separated from private collectors Transfer trucks from pick up station to landfill site New and improved landfills Burial cells Composting plant/pilot farm Low cost incinerators Cardboard and paper recycling Glass and metal crushers Enforcement of applicable laws Source: Okolo, Chuka. e-mail interview. 29 April 2004
The Scavenging Industry Organize and increase efficiency of current scavenging practices Improve working conditions Create demand for recycled products to drive market Source separation Citizens have to separate their recyclables for the scavengers to pick up Collected cardboard for recycling Scavenging at the Aba City Dump
What s the problem with Municipal Solid Waste? Environmental and Health Impacts Case Study: Nigeria Policy Options Recommendations
The Possibilities An improved recycling and composting program could save up to: 18.6% in waste management costs 57.7% in landfill avoidance costs Source separation at most residences could save up to: 78% in waste management costs 79.5% in landfill avoidance costs
Approaches Involve NGOs through Green Rationalism approach Create market for recycling/composting International Local Create enforceable environmental legislation
Moving Forward Municipal solid waste will increase at an annual rate of 2.7 percent through the year 2010. (World Bank) Capital investment needed to improve infrastructure Who will pay?
Thank you
Aba City Dump
Aba City Dump