Solid waste management in developing countries 

Solid wastes refers to all forms of tangible wastes generated from our households, market places, industries among other areas. This ranges from the normal litters from households to electronic waste which has since posed a huge challenge to the environment.

 

According to research done, more than 11.2 billion tonnes of solid wastes are collected worldwide every year. Poor management of these wastes such as improper disposal and non collection by relevant bodies result in water pollution if they are swept by wind or floods into water bodies, air pollution due to the foul smell generated from heaps in dumpsites and their carbon emissions and soil contamination. This shows how harmful solid wastes can be to our environment.

However, with management measures such as recycling, reusing and reducing, you could be wondering why solid waste management still poses a challenge in most developing countries.

Reasons for poor waste management in developing countries

Truth be told, most developing countries have no proper support for their recycling industries which are after all very few.

Remember, first, these countries face alot of challenges such as poor infrastructure, famine and poor health facilities and therefore put their main focus on building roads, ensuring food security and building hospitals than they invest in the recycling industries. This isn't a bad idea because those seem to be more basic but do they understand the risks involved in poor treatment of the solid wastes? Infact, poor waste management can be the source of some of the diseases they strive to treat in those health facilities.

Secondly, those working as garbage collectors are often looked down upon as doing lesser jobs yet they should be appreciated for creating a conducive environment for everybody to live in. The working environment is also not pleasing thus discouraging even the unemployed from being garbage collectors.

Thirdly, the ignorance rate in individuals in these areas is also very high. Here, individuals see where bins are but will drop wastes anyhow to have the garbage collectors earn rightfully. Others simply don't care! They can drop litters anywhere at any time and since there are no proper laws put in place to punish such individuals, this becomes a norm and the end result is more poorly disposed wastes which the dumpsites cannot contain

Critical aspects to be looked into when addressing solid waste management in developing countries

Due to the above challenges faced by developing countries, the same approach used in developed countries to address solid wastes may not apply. Therefore, Government of respective developing countries, NGOs and environmental Organizations can address the following to help waste management  in these countries:

Open dumps

It is a fact that most developing countries have open dumps for their solid wastes. These usually leak into water bodies causing diseases to humans. Therefore, the bodies mentioned above should first find a way of creating an enclosure to these landfills then look at how we can move to infrastructure such as sanitary landfills.

Address perception on recycling

Most individuals in developing countries do not understand the concept of recycling. For them, once something has been used and therefore considered waste, it is thrown away. Sensitizing individuals on recycling and the recyclable wastes will be a big turning point on embrang recycling thus proper solid waste management in these countries. Furthermore, they can earn from those wastes as recycling companies will pick them up from them at a fee and also ensure employment for the high percentage of unemployed youths in these countries.

Solutions to help in solid waste management in developing countries.

The following can be done to ensure successful solid waste management:

Organizations should come up to sponsor the recycling industries in most of the developing countries to see them rise and work to curb the threats of solid wastes.

The  Government should put in place strict laws that show how those who throw litters anyhow are punished and make sure they implement such laws.

 

Sensitization on recycling and citing reasons for proper waste disposal should be done by both the media and environmental Organizations.

Benefits of solid waste management

l  Creation of employment especially to the youths

l  Solving some health issues

l  Reducing poverty

l  Ensures environmental protection

l  Save Municipalities money

In conclusion, waste being part of our everyday life, solid waste management is a responsibility of every individual in a country whether developed or developing. Individuals should therefore strive to minimize their waste production and embrace measures such as recycling, reusing and reduction of wastes to ensure an healthy environment for every living Organism.

 

References

https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/developing-countries-need-new-solutions-waste-management-rethought-8655717d20dd

https://ppp.worldbank.org/public-private-partnership/library/informal-recycling-sector-developing-countries

https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/resource-efficiency/what-we-do/cities/solid-waste-management