September 5, 2021

Powerpoint:
10:22 PM - 10:38 PM - Solid Waste Engineering and Management

Video:
12:21 AM - 12:23 AM - The History of Garbage
12:23 AM - 12:26 AM - Waste generation and management- Sustainability | ACCIONA
12:26 AM - 12:30AM - What a Waste 2.0: Everything You Should Know About Solid Waste
Management
12:30 AM - 12:34 AM - Integrated Waste Management - City of Glendale
9:06 PM - 9:23 PM - Developing a Waste Management Strategy: Transforming Waste from
Problem to Resource

Why establishing a solid waste management system is necessary for a certain city or
municipality? (About 150 words)
Solid waste management is generally referred to as the process of collecting and
treating solid wastes. This includes looking into solutions and methods to
recycling wastes and extracting whatever useful resource is available. As a certain
area develops and progresses (economically and population-wise), more and more
resources are required to provide for the needs of the people and, this in turn,
results in the generation of wastes. According to the World Bank, around the world,
waste generation rates are rising. Waste generation is even projected to increase
to 3.40 billion tons, annually, in 2050.
Lack of management on these generated wastes will cause a possible accumulation in
places where these should not be present, like lakes, waterways, vacant lots, and
accumulation, in general. These wastes will be used as a breeding ground, not only
for germs, bacteria, and viruses, but also as habitats for the vectors that will
carry and spread these disease-carrying organisms, like rats, lice, and lots more.
Additionally, an unhealthy and unconducive area, filled with wastes, not only
contribute to the acceleration of climate change through methane generation, but it
also impacts perception among the residents and, in extreme cases, promote urban
violence.
These are the major problems identified if a solid waste management is non-existent
in a certain locality. It is important to manage waste properly to promote
sustainability and improve living conditions. While effective waste management is
generally expensive, often comprising 20%-50% of municipal budgets (according to
the World Bank), this can be significantly reduced as government and people work
together, effectively, together. It takes a lot of effort and teamwork for a solid
waste management system to be both economically and effectively viable - something
that is very much needed in the current situation.

References:
https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/brief/solid-waste-management
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/sources-effects-methods-of-solid-waste-
management.php

What are the issues and concerns in establishing an integrated solid waste
management system?(About 150 words)
Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) represents an entirely different approach
(contemporary and systematic) to traditional solid waste management. The United
States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identify ISWM as a complete waste
reduction, collection, composting, recycling, and disposal system. The system
considers a more holistic path to waste management - bridging both the goal of
achieving environmental equilibrium and providing for the needs of the people. This
"bridge setup" is what, technically, complicates ISWM. In the traditional solid
waste management system, the focus is on the waste itself - how to properly manage
it - to limit the environmental impacts and hazardous health consequences. In ISWM,
the focus is split between the management of waste and the provision of appropriate
economic relief to the community - setting up solid waste management systems that
allow community engagement and generating jobs/economic boost. Additionally, a lot
of the issues and concerns can be attributed to the community itself. After years
of malpractice that the community itself has been accustomed with, the proposal to
change these malpractices tend to be initially met with negative outlooks. However,
with time, this will be slowly relieved, as more programs and information campaigns
are launched to let the community know of the gross harmful and negative impacts of
the malpractice. Furthermore, as attributed to the prolonged malpractice, some
areas have accumulated so much waste that financial viability is being thoroughly
challenged. Of major concern here is the accumulation and build-up of hazardous and
toxic wastes, as these wastes require a more specific and specialized management
and treatment process. Despite all these issues and concerns, the community, as a
whole, should work together and address the growing concerns one-by-one so as to
provide a habitable environment for the future generations.

References:
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/integrated-solid-waste-management-iswm-an-overview-
2878106
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/dsd/csd/csd_pdfs/csd-19/
learningcentre/presentations/May%202%20am/1%20-%20Memon%20-%20ISWM.pdf

Discuss briefly the different components of an integrated solid waste management

system (About 150 words)?
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the major
components of an integrated solid waste management are the following: a.) Waste
Prevention, b.) Recycling and Composting, and c.) Disposal (Landfilling and
Combustion). Each of these components already speak for itself; the goal of Waste
Prevention is to prevent over-accumulation and generation of waste - reducing
wastes as much as possible. The goal of Recycling and Composting is to re-process
and recover wastes as viable raw materials while generating jobs within the
community. And the goal of Disposal (Landfilling and Combustion) is to properly
dispose wastes that are no longer reusable and have already exhausted its useful
life - where landfilling is the construction and management of landfills that
accept these wastes and combustion is the use of appropriate technologies to burn
these wastes with the added goal of generating energy through the combustion
process.
These three major components are further specified and broken down to specific
activities by the N Dimensional GIS Solutions in Hyderabad, Telangana. The company
identified eight (8) activities, and these are: a.) Technical Services, b.) On-Site
Services, c.) Resource Recovery, d.) Solid and Liquid Waste Treatment, e.)
Commodity Trading, f.) Waste Logistics, g.) Waste Disposal and Facilities
Management, and h.) Legal Compliance. These eight (8) activities are merely
breakdowns and the specifics that act within the earlier three (3) major components
mentioned.

References:
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi/P1000L3W.PDF?Dockey=P1000L3W.PDF
https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/integrated-solid-waste-management-services-
10340583988.html

Do a quick desktop investigation with regards to the status of solid waste

management system in the Philippines and identify what are the major problems that
need to be addressed.
A solid waste management system exists in the Philippines in the form of a National
Law that was approved in 2001 - called Republic Act 9003 or Ecological Solid Waste
Management Act of 2000. The main objective of the law is to prioritize the closure
of dumpsites and establishments of material recovery facilities (MRFs).
Specifically, it is based on the management of waste following this hierarchy: a.)
source reduction and waste minimization at source, b.) reuse, recycling and
resource recovery of wastes, c.) efficient collection, proper transfer and
transport of waste, and d.) efficient management of residuals and of final
disposal/processing of wastes. Wastes are further classified into compostable,
recyclable, residual and special wastes (under RA 6969) to properly identify and
sort these wastes - making reusability and recovery easier. It being a national law
is already very much useful, in the sense that every entity, whether it be private
or government, is mandated to properly follow and observe its implementing rules
and regulations. Sadly, however, a lot of obstacles are present that greatly
challenge the law itself.
On the handling and processing of biodegradable/compostable wastes, proper and
efficient collection and transportation should be done, if facilities to handle and
process these wastes are available and capable of meeting the demand of the area.
Management of residuals (majority are plastic wastes) is difficult since a lot of
products that are in circulation are wrapped or packaged in some sort of
plastic/synthetic material and is widely available to the public. At the community
level, it is evident that the LGU alone cannot effectively address the issues alone
- some greatly lacking the necessary technical and engineering expertise.
Information dissemination, regulation and enforcement campaigns are not properly
implemented. Even the community itself, is still, to a certain degree, unable to
fully accept the changes that are being proposed by the LGUs. A major problem also
is the lack of equipment and manpower to handle solid waste management purely.
In an academic paper by Castillo, A., et. al. (2013), the status of the waste
disposal facilities (as of 2012) in the National level is still tremendously
lacking. While there exists a lot of disposal facilities, 7% are under
rehabilitation and closure, and only 4% are serving the LGUs - overall, the
compliance rate is low at 4.64%. While 2012 is already such a far date, when
compared to 2021, a 2018 news article has mentioned that a 2015 study in the
journal "Science" has revealed that the Philippines is the third worst ocean
plastic polluter in the world, after China and Indonesia.
While the status of the country is quite alarming and saddening, to say the least,
numerous efforts are being done both by the government and the people. Many have
slowly realized, and became victims themselves, of the gross mismanagement of the
many wastes generated and accumulating in the country. Efforts are done, slowly but
steadily, to address many issues surrounding solid waste. However, it is important
that this pace be accelerated since it has been projected already that solid wastes
produced by the country is expected to increase to 77,776 tons by 2025. A
terrifying outlook indeed, especially if no additional effort and support is done.

References:
https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/S4_EugeniaBriones_Philippines-
compressed.pdf
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jsmcwm/24/0/24_677/_pdf
https://www.fukuoka.unhabitat.org/kcap/activities/egm/2009/pdf/torres_en.pdf
https://www.denr.gov.ph/index.php/priority-programs/solid-waste-management
https://www.eco-business.com/news/philippines-central-government-on-solving-
plastic-trash-problem-weve-done-all-we-can/