BACKGROUND Medical establishment such as hospitals and research institutes generate sizable amount of hazardous waste. Health care workers, patients are at risk of acquiring infection from sharps and contamination of environment with multiple drug resistant microorganisms if wastes are not properly managed. OBJECTIVES To characterize types and evaluate waste disposal techniques employed in th...

Organic fraction of solid waste, which upon degradation produces foul smell and generates pathogens, if not properly managed. Composting is not a method of waste disposal but it is a method of waste recycling and used for agricultural purposes. An integrated approach of composting methodology was tested for municipal solid waste management. Solid waste first was composted and after 22 days, was...

This paper uses the 'lens' of integrated and sustainable waste management (ISWM) to analyse the new data set compiled on 20 cities in six continents for the UN-Habitat flagship publication Solid Waste Management in the World's Cities. The comparative analysis looks first at waste generation rates and waste composition data. A process flow diagram is prepared for each city, as a powerful tool fo...

The aim of this study is to identify and measure the variables which influence per capita municipal solid waste generation in the south-eastern U.S., using the 100 counties of North Carolina as a data set and regression models for statistical analysis. Variables are selected to capture the residential, institutional and commercial components of the municipal solid waste stream, as well as the o...

Urbanization and rapid growth of population in India has led to drastic increase in municipal solid waste. Unscientific disposal of municipal solid waste is one of the main reasons attributed for environmental degradation. The present work concentrates on municipal solid waste management in Tiruchirappalli City which comprises of four zones namely Srirangam, Goldenrock, Araiyamangalam and Abish...

The management of municipal solid wastes (MSW) in Latin America is, and traditionally has been, a primary responsibility of local governments. In a large percentage of medium-size municipalities in the region, the management of MSW may use between 30% and 50% of the total municipal budget. The management of solid wastes is a complicated process that not only requires the proper selection and ap...

Solid waste is a significant and growing problem in many urban areas of the developing world. Current systems of waste management in most developing country cities are very rudimentary at best and are grossly inefficient and ineffective. Uncontrolled landfill disposal of solid waste is a pervasive problem which causes a range of external costs, including human health hazards. This paper sets ou...

UNLABELLED Poor solid waste management is among the major challenges facing urban slums in developing countries including Uganda. Understanding community concerns and willingness towards involvement in solid waste management improvement initiatives is critical for informing interventions in slums. METHODS We used a cross-sectional study to collect quantitative data from 435 residents in two u...

In 2009, the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, experienced a six-week labor disruption involving 24,000 city workers that included solid waste and public health employees. In an attempt to control illegal dumping and to manage garbage storage across the city during this period, 24 temporary garbage storage sites were established by the city (mostly in local parks) for residents to dispose of th...