Challenges and Progress in Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
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The pollution of the environment by waste material began with the emergency in the industrial revolution and urbanization. Urban development quickened after the Second World War. The development was as well described by an expansion in the era of dumping industrial and domestic wastes. In the long run, there were open dumping locales and smoldering of squanders in opens air. The refuses from homes and industries became a major concern. Heaped wastes were burnt, in the atmosphere thereby posing health and environmental threats. The local government tried to control the refuse; their reaction was introducing the main dumpsite, which they referred to as “sanitary landfill.” What the administration considered sanitary landfill was an adjusted open dumping site. The first reaction to the environmental problem was criticized since it was another source of pollution.
History and the evolution of solid waste problem
In the past, solid refuse from cities and urban centers were minimal. Due to the rise of the industrial revolution, today, solid garbage products have grown greatly. This condition has led to outbreaks of contagious diseases. That triggered the origin of the Municipal solid waste management. Later, pressure from the citizens made the cities opt for services of refuse management from the Municipal other than the traditional sanitation workers (4).
Unforeseen challenges of the Municipal solid waste management system emerged with the advancement in century.

Waste products with dangerous substances were disposed of in tiny and open dumps. These polluted dumps later, started overflowing and hence were considered as a public crisis.
Urban growth accelerated after the Second World War. The growth entailed an increase in the solid refuse. Eventually, there were open dumping sites and burning of wastes in opens air. Burning of garbage intern introduced health problems to the environment and its population. The local government in an attempt to control the refuse responded by introducing the only dumpsite which they referred to as “sanitary landfill.” What the government considered sanitary landfill was a modified open dumping site. An example of such landfills was described by the sanitary engineering project in 1953 by California University researchers. Such discharge entails dropping refuse out in an ample space for scavenger’s access. Vultures and pigs would be allowed to spread out as they feed on the waste. The collectors would trade on the waste for a whole day before the wastes were burned towards the edge of the landfill.
Due to demands from the citizens, the senior government talked out the local governments to do away with the little dumpsites and come up with better ones that can contain the dangerous substances. They also invested in recycling to help reduce the municipal solid wastes, creating more room for the garbage.
Literature materials about sanitary landfills emerged between 1940 and 1950s. Lanier (2016, n.p) says that contents and the titles of these literature materials suggested improved knowledge on sanitary landfills was advancing. The materials pointed the problems of gas generation from landfill fires. Among the issues raised were the concerns for ground waters. The suggestions from the literature articles explained that the method of waste decomposition contaminated ground water. The United States public health (USPHS) was committed to the elimination of open sites for burning wastes.
Private entrepreneurs too started collecting refuse for recycling. Later in the years, the municipal curbside collection program became an ordinary and everyday thing. Recycling rates did not increase even as solid garbage increased. (Wei et al. 2011, 8)Everyday refuse discarded, put the public at risk. Recycling methods could not solve the problem as some products could not be recycled and the recycling rates were very low (9).
Reasons for garbage production
Solid waste production is majorly a day-to-day human activity such as household refuse, industrial waste, commercial waste and agricultural garbage. Household waste includes food remains, plastic bags. There are many people with households in the cities. As every person buys food, the rate of refuse increases from the increased population, hence there is a lot of waste in the towns
As people get medical attention from hospitals, syringes, and cotton used on them are disposed into dumps. The soil gets into direct contact with such waste, making it vulnerable to pollution. Such a biodegradable matter poses a health hazard as it has no ability to decompose instead it mixes with underground water and the soil. Every time an individual goes shopping, the seller packages products in plastic bags. This behavior causes many chemical wastes, as packaging has become a necessity in the daily operations.
Ideally, the waste materials are persistent because of over production of materials the solid waste thrown was the result of excess supply. If the production of papers would be proportional to the public demands, then there would be very few papers to throw away if not none. If plastic manufacturers reasoned about the environment, they would reduce paper bags. If the polyethylene and plastic paper bags were few, people would use the bags economically without dumping them all over (124). The government may also impose a tax on the plastic garbage to increase the cost of production. Overpriced goods would buy in low quantity, and the luxury to throw away will be minimized.
Consequences of the waste production in a city of a developing country
Solid wastes if not disposed correctly can be hazardous to human and animal health as some wastes contain toxic substances. Refuse from household have risen due to the rapid demand for food and other essentials.
Wastes such as food remain if deposited near people’s residents can cause epidemic outbreaks such as diarrhea, cholera and dysentery. Flies that devour rotten scraps, transmitting the dirt to open water bodies and food, can cause these outbreaks. Some of these diseases end up costing human life.
Certain wastes such as broken glasses and bottles from producers of beverages and used syringes are physically dangerous. Such wastes are sharp and can cause wounds to the workers or any individual who come in direct contact with them. “These wastes can expose anyone to contracting diseases such as hepatitis” B (Fourie 2004, 4) Solid garbage that can decompose provides favorable survival mechanisms for microbial pathogens. The pathogens are carriers of other dangerous ailments such as tetanus.
Some domestic animals like dogs source for food in trash heaps and transfer the wastes to surrounding homesteads causing unhygienic surroundings. Uncollected plastic wastes collect rainwater, which creates a site for breeding mosquitoes causing malaria infections hence affecting human health. The scenes created by solid waste are also not suitable for viewing, most of the times the garbage sinks. Plastic wastes are non-biodegradable. They are broken down into small pieces by the sun producing plastic dust, which causes problems in the ecosystem.
Colored plastics contain a highly toxic pigment. Burning of plastics and paper bags emit toxic gases which contributes to acid rain. Acid rain is also toxic and can erode metallic materials such as metallic poles, iron sheets, and wires.
Some wastes that do not decompose, they rot therefore producing methane gas and bad odor. Methane gas is explosive and contributes to the greenhouse effect, which causes the destruction of property and loss of human life through methane. Landfills can leak. This can cause threats to underground water, giving harmful gasses and odor to the nearby people, causing air pollution, which results in respiratory problems (4). This waste can also cause decreased property value especially to apartments or schools near it.
Garbage collection has become a business. The people operating landfills think of the income generated from it first and rarely give thought to protecting their health and the environment from some destructive wastes. To most of the manufacturers, it is a business that matters to them and not safety; the profit comes first. Decomposition and putrefaction takes place when people heap solid refuse without proper treatment. Dangerous refuse materials also penetrate the soil and reach the source of ground water. The sediments are contributors to water pollution.
Stagnant scrap and other refuse materials pollute land and water when the waste products percolate down into the underground water resources. The organic refuse emits obnoxious odors while decomposing.
Governments’, NGOs’ and the communities’ response to the problem
Local governments are now providing waste services; waste collection, storage, and disposal services. The waste services include garbage collection from households and public sectors. Households are encouraged to gather waste and issue to specialized groups at the door. Responsible groups collect refuse from households and companies, and deliver to the recycle station. Biodegradable wastes are used to make farmyard manures. Among the recycled wastes are polythene papers and plastic materials. Wastes from construction sites such as metal are also recycled and modified to make other metallic goods. Municipalities have decided to work with other stakeholders in recycling wastes as they have come to the realization that it needs collaborations for the recycling project to succeed.
The provincial government is to provide an officer to oversee the waste management process and after that prepare a performance report to show forth its implementation. Provincial governments ensure that the regulations that regulate solid waste are followed.
The Minister is the licensing authority for industries that produce hazardous wastes. The NGO’S have started to consider solid garbage management as a way to protect human beings from health hazards. They have adapted door-to-door garbage collection which is later disposed to the nearest subsequent disposal site.
The NGO’s uses organic wastes on compost plants. This plan helps put the scraps to use rather than having them pollute the environment. The NGO’S have also introduced waste collection bins located on roadsides, market places, and near homesteads. They have also been impactful in their efforts to reduce the waste materials. .
Youths in various communities have formed group initiatives to help clean towns. The youth initiatives are mostly volunteer programs that aim at restoring the good environmental conditions.
Developing countries are still facing challenges with solid waste materials. Efforts are made to facilitate a clean environment. The government NGOs and private investors have taken initiatives to reduce dumping and robust waste deposits. There is a need for a further study that would concentrate on long-term control of solid wastes.
References
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Fourie, Andy. 2004. “Balancing Environmental and Social Considerations in a Developing Country – The Great South African Plastic Bag Debate”. Waste Management 24 (6): 531. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2004.05.001.
Lanier, Hickman. 2016. “A Brief History of Solid Waste Management in the US during the Last 50 Years – Part 2 – Forester Network”. Forester Network. http://foresternetwork.com/daily/waste/landfill-management/a-brief-history-of-solid-waste-mangement-in-the-us-during-the-last-50-years/.
Visalli, Joseph R. “The Similarity of Environmental Impacts from All Methods of Managing Solid Wastes”. Journal of Environmental Systems 19 (2): 155-170. doi:10.2190/8pt0-47kt-m6pq-4wb2.
Wagner, Travis. 2004. “Hazardous Waste: Evolution of a National Environmental Problem”. Journal of Policy History 16 (04): 306. doi:10.1353/jph.2004.0024.
Wei, Yunmei, Takayuki Shimaoka, Amirhomayoun Saffarzadeh, and Fumitake Takahashi. 2011. “Alteration Of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Bottom Ash Focusing On The Evolution Of Iron-Rich Constituents”. Waste Management 31 (9-10): 1992-2000. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2011.04.021.
Zaman, Atiq Uz and Steffen Lehmann. 2013. “The Zero Waste Index: A Performance Measurement Tool For Waste Management Systems In A ‘Zero Waste City’”. Journal Of Cleaner Production 50: 123-132. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.11.041.