AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH

© 2015,Science Huβ, http://www.scihub.org/AJSIR

ISSN: 2153-649X, doi:10.5251/ajsir.2015.6.3.41.46

Review on community based municipal solid waste management and its

implication for climate change mitigation
Alefu Chinasho
Forestry Course team, Biodiversity School, Madda Walabu University,
Bale Robe , Ethiopia.Tel.: +251-938-055-910
P.O. Box 247 Email: chinalefu11@gmail.com
ABSTRACT

Most of the Towns in developing countries use traditional solid waste management system or
damping in landfill, which results in environmental and health risks as well as losing economic
opportunities in terms of the resource value of the waste. Therefore, this review is needed to
compare and contrast the relationship between conventional solid waste management with that of
participatory solid waste management (Integrated Solid Waste Management, ISWM). In order to
minimize the hazardous effect of solid waste, active community participation is necessary in every
level of solid waste management. The community participation play a great role in Solid waste
reduction by showing their willingness to use materials which are with no/or little waste, which
results in a significant reduction of the municipal budget for waste collection and transportation.
And also, it plays the role in recycling, and conversion of solid waste in to compost as a
mechanism to increase agricultural productivity and production. Moreover, community based solid
waste management plays a great role in climate change mitigation by reducing green house gas
emission to the atmosphere. This is possible by applying the ISWM, which gives attention to
avoidance, reduce/minimize and reuse, even though they are integrated with recycle recovery,
treatment and disposal of solid wastes. Therefore, the effectiveness and efficiency of solid waste
management depends on the willingness and active participation of community members, since
the waste is generated mainly from local community.
Key words: Climate Change, Community Participation, Solid Waste Management
INTRODUCTION Create greenhouse gas emissions and other air
pollutants, Damage ecosystems, Injure people and
Solid waste is anything that is neither liquid nor gas
property, and Discourages tourism and other
and discharged as unwanted, and its management is
business( Modak, 2010, Mazhindu et al 2012, Tiwari
the collection, transportation, storage, recycling or
and Tiwari, 2012, Zurbrügg, 2013). For this reason,
disposal of it, or the subsequent use of a disposal site
paradigm shift from conventional waste management
that is no longer operational(Solid waste
practices to Integrated Solid Waste Management
management proclamation No.513/2007).
(ISWM) is essential.
Establishing and improving facilities for collection,
recycling, treatment and disposal for MSW In other words, Integrated Solid Waste Management
management can be very costly. For example, (ISWM) is a comprehensive waste prevention,
building and operating sanitary landfills and recycling, composting, and disposal program. An
incineration plants require huge investments and effective ISWM system considers how to prevent,
incur substantial operation and maintenance costs recycle, and manage solid waste in ways that most
(Modak, 2010). effectively protect human health and the environment
(Takele Tadesse, 2004). ISWM involves evaluating
As a consequence of conventional waste
local needs and conditions, and then selecting and
management practices, many cities in developing
combining the most appropriate waste management
countries are facing environmental and health risks
activities for those conditions. The major ISWM
as well as losing economic opportunities in terms of
activities are waste prevention, recycling and
the resource value of the waste. some of the
composting, and combustion and disposal in properly
damages of conventional waste management are:
designed, constructed, and managed landfills. Each
Increase disease transmission or otherwise threaten
of these activities requires careful planning, financing,
public health, Contaminate ground and surface water,
collection, and transport (Takele Tadesse, 2004).

In order to minimize the hazardous effect of solid
waste that occurs due to improper or conventional
solid waste management, active community
participation is necessary in every level of solid waste
management (Anschutz, 1996). According to
Anschutz, 1996, Community-based solid waste
management projects are activities carried out by
members of communities to clean up their
neighborhood and/or to earn an income from solid
waste. For instance, community members play a role
in collection of solid waste, sale of recyclables,
recycling and (vermin) composting activities.
Community participation can comprise varying
degrees of involvement of the local community. This
can range from the contribution of cash and labour to
consultation, adaptation of behaviour, involvement in
administration, management and decision-making.
With community management often the highest level
of community participation is meant, i.e. involvement
in decision-making. Gotame (2012) stated that the
Community participation in solid waste management
is always required, because solid waste management
is a continuous maintenance system. For instance, to
store the garbage in a specific bag or bin, to bring it
to an agreed point, to separate it in dry and wet
waste, the community participation is necessary.
Many studies showed that the male members of the
family do not have responsibility of handling the
household waste. However, sometimes they involve
themselves when the waste is bulky and some
physical help is required to transport it to damping
places (UNEP, 2010, Nigatu Regassa et al 2011,
Mazhindu et al 2012). As a result, the participation of
female members of household (mother or daughter)
is necessary in management system of solid waste
management.
Significance/necessity of the review: Over recent
decades one of the commonest characteristics
manifest in the developing nations has been the
disparity between rapid urban population growth and
sanitation infrastructure provision. This disparity is
being worsened by the challenges of poor waste
management practices impacting on the deteriorating
ecosystems of the rapidly transforming cities in these
countries (Mazhindu et al 2012).
Consequently, this review compares and contrasts
the relationship between conventional solid waste
management with that of participatory solid waste
management (Integrated Solid Waste Management).
This is needed due to the reason that most of the
Towns in developing countries use traditional solid
waste management system, or damping in landfill
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Am. J. Sci. Ind. Res., 2015, 6(3): 41-46
(Yami Birke,1999). For instance, the research
conducted in Ethiopian Towns in 1999, showed that
86.6 percent used open dump to dispose waste,
while the rest used holes (Yami Birke,1999). This
shows that all of the towns use traditional solid waste
management system (damping), which is costly and
dangerous to environment and human health, and
fasten climate change. Therefore, this review will put
the baseline information about the role and benefits
of community participation on solid waste
management and its implication for climate change
mitigation.
The roles of community’s participation in solid
waste management
Avoiding and Reducing Municipal Solid Waste
(MSW): The best and first method of solid waste
management is avoidance, which is avoiding the
occurrence of waste (Zurbrügg, 2013). The
community members play agreat role by showing
their willingness to use materials which are with no/or
little waste. Whereas, reduce is a “Waste prevention”,
which seeks to prevent waste from being generated.
Waste prevention strategies include using less
packaging, designing products to last longer, and
reusing products and materials. Waste prevention
helps reduce handling, treatment, and disposal costs
and ultimately reduces the generation of methane.
For example, the effective implementation of “volume
based fees” in Korea led to a 21.5 percent reduction
of MSW generation from 1994 to 2009(Ministry of
Environment, Republic of Korea, 2010,). In order to
make these activities effective, the willingness and
awareness of the community is necessary. Cities
striving to reduce their wastes should set clear
indicators or quantifiable measurements that reflect
the performance of the cities with regard to solid
waste management. Indicators should be compared
against targets in order to gain a reference point for
whether the action being assessed was successfully
implemented and to what degree. Some examples of
indicators include resource efficiency, recycling rates
and amount of waste land filled (Modak, 2010).
Recycling and Composting: Recycling is a process
that involves collecting, reprocessing, and/or
recovering certain waste materials (e.g., glass, metal,
and plastics, paper) to make new materials or
products (Mazhindu et al 2012). Communities have
great role in the collection, segregation, temporal
storage and transportation of solid wastes. Some
recycled organic materials are rich in nutrients and
can be used to improve soils. The conversion of
waste materials into soil additives is called

composting. Recycling and composting generate
many environmental and economic benefits. For
example, they create jobs and income, supply
valuable raw materials to industry, produce soil-
enhancing compost, and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and the number of landfills and
combustion facilities.
Benefits of Community Based Solid Waste
Management
Achieving Waste Reduction Targets: The
successful community-based SWM and composting
programmes reduce the waste to be land- filled by
diverting a larger amount of waste from the municipal
stream close to the source of generation. According
to Premakumara 2012, the municipal waste
generation in Cebu City has increased from 212
tons/day in 1982 to 470 tons/day in 2010. However,
since the city has taken efforts to introduce waste
separation at source, recycling and composting
activities at community-scale, about 30% waste
reduction target was achieved by 2012.
Reducing Municipal Budget for Waste
Management: The reduction of waste to be landfilled
brings a significant reduction of the municipal budget
for waste collection, transportation. The study result
of Cebu city shows that reduction of 30% or 140
tonnes/day waste to be landfilled brings the following
cost savings for Cebu City (Premakumara 2012).
 112,000 pesos, Cost for waste collection and
transport to the Inayawan landfill
 28,000 pesos, Cost pay for the private
company for waste transportation from
Inayawan to Consolacion final landfill site
 105,000 pesos, Tipping fee for waste
dumping at the Inayawan landfill
Generating Livelihood and Strengthening Local
Economy: Community based solid waste
management creates local economic opportunities for
community members through the promotion of
recycling, hiring waste collectors, and establishing
composting facilities. This activity created about 338
new job opportunities for the poor residents, giving
them additional income of 404,500 pesos per month
(Premakumara 2012).
Strengthening Community Cohesion: This
program raises awareness and understanding on
environmental issues, develops partnership, trust and
understanding among service providers and different
groups in the community, and enhances opportunities
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Am. J. Sci. Ind. Res., 2015, 6(3): 41-46
for vulnerable groups to take part in meaningful
activity.
Improving Local and Global Environment: The
community-based SWM and composting
programmes often bring environmental and health
benefits to the residents through improving the
primary waste collection and treatment at the
neighbourhood level (Premakumara 2012).
Uncollected waste provides breeding grounds for
disease vectors, such as those of 22 human diseases
identified as linked to improper SWM (World Bank,
1999).
Potential Environmental Impacts of Conventional
Solid Waste Management
Increase disease transmission: Rotting organic
materials pose great public health risks, including, as
mentioned above, serving as breeding grounds for
disease vectors. Waste handlers and waste pickers
are especially vulnerable and may also become
vectors, contracting and transmitting diseases when
human or animal excreta or medical wastes are in the
waste stream(Ministry of Health of FDRE, 2004)
.Risks of poisoning, cancer, birth defects, and other
ailments are also high (Modak, 2010, Mazhindu et al
2012, Zurbrügg, 2013).
Contaminate ground and surface water: Municipal
solid waste streams can bleed toxic materials and
pathogenic organisms into the leachate of dumps and
landfills. (Leachate is the liquid discharge of dumps
and landfills; it is composed of rotten organic waste,
liquid wastes, infiltrated rainwater and extracts of
soluble material.) If the landfill is unlined, this runoff
can contaminate ground or surface water, depending
on the drainage system and the composition of the
underlying soils (Mazhindu et al 2012, Zurbrügg,
2013). Improper waste dumping had blocked urban
waterways in the Barangays which cause flooding
during the rainy season (Premakumara 2012). Many
toxic materials, once placed in the general solid
waste stream, can be treated or removed only with
expensive advanced technologies. Currently, these
are generally not feasible in Africa. Even after organic
and biological elements are treated, the final product
remains harmful.
Create greenhouse gas emissions and other air
pollutants: Improper waste disposal has received
increasing attention in relation to climate change,
particularly as a significant contributor to greenhouse
gases (GHG). When organic wastes are disposed of
in deep dumps or landfills, they undergo anaerobic
degradation and become significant sources of

methane, a gas with 21 times the effect of carbon
dioxide in trapping heat in the atmosphere (Tiwari
and Tiwari, 2012, Mazhindu et al 2012, Zurbrügg,
2013).
One measure for reducing GHG emissions at lowest
cost and in a sustainable way in developing cities is
the promotion of composting. Composting falls under
the category of greenhouse-gas-avoiding measures.
Organic waste, which is composted under aerobic
conditions, produces less greenhouse effect (in terms
of CO2 equivalents) than organic waste dumped in
landfills.
The rough estimation in reduction of greenhouse
gases generated in landfills through composting in
Cebu City was equal to 12,000 tonnes of CO2
equivalent in 2012(Premakumara 2012). Garbage is
often burned in residential areas and in landfills to
reduce volume and uncover metals. Burning creates
thick smoke that contains carbon monoxide, soot and
nitrogen oxide, all of which is hazardous to human
health and degrades urban air quality. Combustion of
polyvinyl chlorides (PVCs) generates highly
carcinogenic dioxins.
Damage ecosystems: When solid waste is dumped
into rivers or streams it can alter aquatic habitats and
harm native plants and animals. The high nutrient
content in organic wastes can deplete dissolved
oxygen in water bodies, denying oxygen to fish and
other aquatic life form. Solids can cause
sedimentation and change stream flow and bottom
habitat. Landfills in sensitive ecosystems may destroy
or significantly damage these valuable natural
resources and the services they provide (Zurbrügg,
2013).
Injure people and property: In locations where
shantytowns or slums exist near open dumps or near
badly designed or operated landfills, landslides or
fires can destroy homes and injure or kill residents.
The accumulation of waste along streets may present
physical hazards, clog drains and cause localized
flooding (Mazhindu et al 2012).
Discourages tourism and other business: The
unpleasant odor and unattractive appearance of piles
of uncollected solid waste along streets and in fields,
forests and other natural areas can discourage
tourism and the establishment and/or maintenance of
businesses (EGSSAA, 2009).
The implication of community based solid waste
management for Climate Change Mitigation: The
importance of ensuring good solid waste
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Am. J. Sci. Ind. Res., 2015, 6(3): 41-46
management is now well recognized at all levels:
international, national and at community level. With
the United Nations a commitment was made to
address solid waste management issues, which
include making it more environmentally sound,
socially acceptable and economically feasible, with
an emphasis on the increasing service coverage of
solid waste services to all urban and rural areas
worldwide (Zurbrügg, 2013).
There is a general consensus on the importance of
the "waste management hierarchy" (Figure 1) as a
leading strategic concept that defines and underlines
the following policy principles in their order of
decreasing priority. Implementation of this hierarchy
is however, less evident and easy. Solid waste
managers, for example, have little influence and
control over generation or minimization of waste
which is instead in the hands of designers, engineers
and managers in industry who decide about what is
manufactured, constructed and/or processed.
Furthermore, implementing certain activities of
avoidance, minimization or reuse may contradict with
social or economic feasibility without significantly
adding value to the environmental sustainability
objectives (Sankoh and Yan, 2013). The first three
steps of the hierarchy are also strongly dependant on
the awareness and behavior of the population. Here,
the main role of waste authorities involves
information sharing and educating citizens to
enhance awareness and behavior change in all
aspects that relate to solid waste. When applying the
hierarchy of waste management, solid waste
classification (segregation) is important. Solid waste
may be classified as biodegradable (Waste which
can be decomposed by biological processes) and
non-biodegradable (which is not biologically
degradable). Organic waste is biodegradable and
recyclable. Biodegradable waste can be decomposed
in two ways; aerobic (with oxygen), and anaerobic
(without oxygen) (Tiwari and Tiwari, 2012). When
organic wastes are disposed of in deep dumps or
landfills, they undergo anaerobic degradation and
become significant sources of methane, a gas with
21 times the effect of carbon dioxide in trapping heat
in the atmosphere. Burning creates thick smoke that
contains carbon monoxide, soot and nitrogen oxide,
all of which is hazardous to human health and
degrades urban air quality. Combustion of polyvinyl
chlorides (PVCs) generates highly carcinogenic
dioxins (EGSSAA, 2009).

Fig. 1: The waste management hierarchy (triangle). Source: (Zurbrügg, 2013).
Where priority of solid waste elements diminish from
top to bottom is surrounded by national and local
influencing factors (circular boxes).
Conclusion
Solid waste is anything that is neither liquid nor gas
and discharged as unwanted. The improper
management of Solid waste results in environmental
pollution and human health problem. Some of the
damages are increasing disease transmission,
Contaminate ground and surface water, Create
greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants,
Damage ecosystems, Injure people and property,
and Discourages tourism and other business. In
order to minimize these hazardous effects of solid
waste, active community participation is necessary.
Community participation can comprise varying
degrees of involvement of the local community. This
can range from the contribution of cash and labour to
consultation, adaptation of behaviour, involvement in
administration, management and decision-making.
The community participation plays a great role in
Solid waste reduction by showing their willingness to
use materials which are with no/or little waste, which
results in a significant reduction of the municipal
budget for waste collection and transportation. Not
only this, but also the community participation plays
the role in recycling, and conversion of solid waste in
5
Am. J. Sci. Ind. Res., 2015, 6(3): 41-46
to compost as a mechanism to increase agricultural
productivity and production.
Moreover, community based solid waste
management plays a great role in climate change
mitigation by reducing green house gas emission to
the atmosphere. This is possible by applying the
Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM), which
gives attention to avoidance, reduce/minimize and
reuse, even though they are integrated with recycle
recovery, treatment and disposal of solid wastes.
Therefore, the effectiveness and efficiency of solid
waste management depends on the willingness and
active participation of community members, since the
waste is generated mainly from local community.
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