Waste is one of the biggest environmental issues faced by most cities in developing countries. The amount of waste generated has increased rapidly and this is creating tremendous pressure on local governments to manage the wastes efficiently right from storage bins, to collection, transfer and transport and finally treatment and disposal. Many of the waste management practices in the past were aimed at short-term solutions without sufficient regard or knowledge for long-term integrated waste management solutions that take into account financial constraints, scarcity of land, impacts on health and environment, appropriate technology and conservation of resources through 3R (reduce, re-use and recycle) programs. The solutions for waste management in developing countries may involve many inter-related factors and the challenge faced by cities is to translate these factors into practical solutions.

With our growing awareness of the detrimental environmental effects of current waste management practices, local authorities in developing countries are under increasing pressure to provide effective waste management systems. Better practice, safer and long-term solutions are required under the principle “best available technology without incurring excessive costs”. An integrated waste management (IWM) approach is one of the solutions for waste management in developing countries.

IWM involves the selection and application of suitable techniques, technologies and management programs to achieve specific waste management objectives and goals. In this respect, government and non-governmental agencies including industries and the general public, all have equal role in achieving the long-term solutions for sustainable waste management practices.