DOCSLIB.ORG

Recycling and Material Recovery in Cameroon: Implications for Poverty Alleviation and Ecological Sustainability

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Recycling and Material Recovery in Cameroon: Implications for Poverty Alleviation and Ecological Sustainability Recycling and Material Recovery in Cameroon: Implications for Poverty Alleviation and Ecological Sustainability Von der Fakultät für Umweltwissenschaften und Verfahrenstechnik der Brandenburgischen Technischen Universität Cottbus zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines Doktor-Ingenieurs genehmigte Dissertation vorgelegt von M.Sc. Fred Zisuh Asong aus Tiko, Kamerun Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Ertel Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Hans-Jürgen Voigt Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 27.01.2010 ii Dedication To: My lovely wife Lekeaka for her constant support and endurance for the years I have been away. My Dad (Zisuh) and Mum (Ajoache) for academic and moral upbringing. It has always been their dream to see me reach this level. My mother-in-law, Mama Grace Fonkeng for the lessons of endurance and commitment I have learned from her. iii Declaration I, Fred Zisuh Asong, do hereby declare that this doctoral dissertation entitled “Recycling and Material Recovery in Cameroon: Implications for Poverty Alleviation and Ecological Sustainability” carried out at the Chair of Industrial Sustainability and submitted to the Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Process Engineering at Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus, Germany in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of a “Doktor-Ingenieur” (Dr.-Ing) is my original research. The thesis was supervised by Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Jürgen Ertel, Head of the Chair of Industrial Sustainability at BTU Cottbus (main supervisor) and Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Hans- Jürgen Voigt, Head of the Chair of Environmental Geology at BTU Cottbus (co- supervisor). The thesis was defended on 27th January 2010 before an examination panel comprising Prof. Dr. Jur. Albrecht (Head), Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Jürgen Ertel, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Hans-Jürgen Voigt and Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Albrecht Gnauck. While part of this dissertation builds on the conceptual framework from some of my previous studies at the above mentioned Chair and under the supervision of Prof. Dr. rer. nat. J Ertel, I do also declare that the contents of this doctorate dissertation have never been submitted in part or whole to any other academic or awarding institution for the award of an academic degree. Asong, Fred Zisuh (2311986) (B.Sc. Geology; M.Sc. Appl. Geology; M.Sc. ERM) iv Acknowledgments I would only have done myself justice by admitting work of this magnitude could not have been achieved without the immense support of some sort from some people around me and a whole lot whom I got to meet or crossed path during my study period. My sincere gratitude goes to Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Jürgen Ertel for accepting to supervise this research. Having benefited your supervision from my study project and master thesis (at the master study program in Environmental and Resource Management) and the present supervision for my doctorate thesis, I have not only got a rewarding big thank you but I have come a long way to learning some realities in the academic world and how such realities connect with the outside world. More so, I have learned good human character necessary for interaction in an international community. I also express enormous thanks to Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Hans-Jürgen Voigt of the Chair of Environmental Geology at BTU Cottbus for co-supervising this research. Your critical comments have been helpful. I am also grateful to DAAD through the BTU International office for providing some financial support for my research. I am deeply indebted to Dr. Agyingi, C.M. of the University of Buea for being a helpful contact and resource person in Cameroon and whose input to this work has been commendable. Your love for truth and humility has been my ideal. I wish to thank Obasi Marinus (Life Science graduate of University of Buea) and his pals for the immense help and selfless sacrifice to me for field work and other data collection. To my younger brother, Dr. Ngoasong Michael Zisuh of Nottingham Trent University, England, I say thank you for your financial and moral support. To my bosom friends Nkamta Ernest N. and Nkengapa Daniel L, because of your true friendship to me, I can only say I love you. My gratitude to Mr Klaus-Peter Dreyer for the initial translation of the dissertation summary into German and to Madam Susann Handke, secretary at the Chair of Industrial Sustainability for the final German version and for her wonderful cooperation in administrative issues related to my studies at the Chair. v I wish to acknowledge the massive financial, moral and spiritual support my Dad (Zisuh) and Mum (Ajoache) have provided me with especially in the past six years. And to my sisters and brothers: Mrs Sinju nee Atabong J., Mrs Forzi nee Ngulefac F., Mrs Fuanchenaleh nee Ngenyi E., Nchonganyi Marie, Njinyah Sam, Nkemnji Jude and Ndemafia B, the fact that you demanded so little of me but gave me more was a true sign of your wish to see me succeed. To you all I owe my appreciation and love. I owe immense gratitude to my in-laws the Tsamoh's and Bissong's not only for their support and encouragement but for their coming to terms with the fact that I had to be away from their daughter (my wife) for over three years because of academic obligations. Yours have been a rare but highly commended level of understanding. May the good lord continue to bless and keep you. I remain indebted to the Kembe‟s (especially wife Fru Rose Bih) for the huge impact they created on me during my studies – at some points you were like parents to me. Only the good lord would reward you abundantly. At some point in time when the future seemed bleak, Mrs Ajuang nee Sulwe Jackson and Kwah Mbazang did make a difference for me and for this I owe them gratitude. A whole lot of friends also made life worth living for me during these tumultuous years out of home and all of whose names I cannot cite here not because of negligence yet I remain thankful to them. I wish to acknowledge the support from the following friends: Nkemnkeng Pius, Anu Mbunya, Tabenyang Victor, Samjeh Dinga, Nkengasong Henson, Frau Dreyer nee Daisy Adhiambo, Frau Bittner nee Akinyi Yvonne. Life away from my lovely spouse Atemkeng Mirabel L has never been any easy for me. Despite the huge geographic separation, the love, support and encouragement I received from her was enormous. Her faith in God and her trust in prayer have been so vital in my success. Sweetheart thank you for all you are to me. Despite my weaknesses and foolishness, I trust God has been blessing me and will always do so. To Him be glory, praise and honor. Amen! vi Summary Recycling and material recovery are gaining more grounds in applicability as viable options to sustainable solid waste management especially in Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) schemes. In this dissertation a critical analyzes is made of the MSWM problem in Cameroon and an assessment of the role Small- and Medium-Size Enterprises have been playing in the area of recycling and material recovery. The main research methods applied in this research include: fieldwork, administration of questionnaires, interview and literature review. Using two case study localities (Limbe and Buea municipalities), the various practices in MSWM are elaborated, the constraints and challenges faced by management discussed and proposals for either expanding/upgrading existing schemes to be more sustainable as well as strategies to initiate new systems presented. Innovations within collection systems such as the introduction of household bins and specialized collection of specific waste could be quite beneficial to existing schemes. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) which constitute one of the fastest growing waste streams presents greater management challenges. Two case study localities (Buea and Kumba) are used to analyze the problem of WEEE in Cameroon. An overview of the handling of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) at end-of-life (EoL) in Cameroon is made with special focus on households and repair units. At household level, WEEE is disposed of alongside other waste arisings in the available disposal facilities for given household. Repair units represent a very vital connection between dysfunctional EEE and EoL forms as all users of EEE tend to bring these devices to these units for repairs. An inventory of the various EEE at repair units for these two localities shows that above 40% percent of such equipments are totally out of use. In Kumba, Classes 1 and 4 EEE (according to EU WEEE directive classification) dominate while class 3 is almost absent. In Buea, Class 3 and 4 are dominant. These results show that socio-cultural, economic and even climatic factors influence the choice of EEE that people in this area acquire. The intense level of repair activities and recovery of useful parts by repair units show that there exist adaptable options to handle WEEE in especially economically and environmentally beneficial ways. The recycling of aluminum for production of household utensils represents a very basic vii and adaptive industrial set-up, which can easily be operated and run at very cheap cost and with a little manpower. While this venture seems apparently successful in economic terms as an option to poverty alleviation through income generation, it is plagued by some problems which, if given due consideration will render it a prospective option for poverty alleviation (through small enterprise business development) and environmental sustainability (as an option to sustainable MSWM). In this dissertation, a model is thus presented, which can be utilized by stakeholders to improve on the sector. An assessment of efforts and constraints to implementing comprehensive recycling and recovery schemes in Cameroon was also carried out. Results show that there are existing practices on which comprehensive recycling and recovery can be built upon that would be beneficial to both councils and engaged schemes – mostly SMEs and NGOs.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Thesis Template
    IIIEE Theses 2010:06 Analysis of Drivers and Barriers for Personal Computer Re-use A case study of secondary PCs in Taiwan Aishan Hsieh Supervisors Naoko Tojo Thesis for the fulfilment of the Master of Science in Environmental Sciences, Policy & Management Lund, Sweden, June 2010 MESPOM Programme: Lund University – University of Manchester - University of the Aegean – Central European University Erasmus Mundus Masters Course in Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management MESPOM This thesis is submitted in fulfillment of the Master of Science degree awarded as a result of successful completion of the Erasmus Mundus Masters course in Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management (MESPOM) jointly operated by the University of the Aegean (Greece), Central European University (Hungary), Lund University (Sweden) and the University of Manchester (United Kingdom). Supported by the European Commission’s Erasmus Mundus Programme © You may use the contents of the IIIEE publications for informational purposes only. You may not copy, lend, hire, transmit or redistribute these materials for commercial purposes or for compensation of any kind without written permission from IIIEE. When using IIIEE material you must include the following copyright notice: ‗Copyright © Aishan Hsieh, IIIEE, Lund University. All rights reserved‘ in any copy that you make in a clearly visible position. You may not modify the materials without the permission of the author. Published in 2010 by IIIEE, Lund University, P.O. Box 196, S-221 00 LUND, Sweden, Tel: +46 – 46 222 02 00, Fax: +46 – 46 222 02 10, e-mail: [email protected]. ISSN 1401-9191 Analysis of Drivers and Barriers for Personal Computer Re-use Acknowledgements First and foremost I want to thank my supervisor Naoko Tojo for her invaluable patience, input, guidance, support, inspiration and encouragement.
    [Show full text]
  • Household Waste Management and Resource Recycling in Taiwan
    2015 International Conference on Waste Management Household Waste Management and Resource Recycling in Taiwan Ying-Ying Lai Deputy Director, Department of Waste Management, Taiwan EPA 2015 0 Speaker Ying Ying Lai Education Background Institute of Natural Resources Management, National Taipei University (2004-2007) - Master Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, (1981-1985) - Bachelor Working Experience(present) Department of Waste Management, EPA(1992– 2009,2010 – ) Current • Experience in waste management of Waste Recycling, Position: Household Waste and Industrial Waste. • Special policies or programs has participated including Deputy Extended Producer’s Responsibility, Recycling Fund Director of Management, "Four-in-One" Recycling Program, source Waste reduction programs, Environmental Science and Technology Management Parks, Industrial Waste Report and Tracking System, construction & demolition waste, Sustainable Materials Department, Management program. EPA Taiwan, Department of Supervision Evaluation & Dispute Resolution ,EPA ROC (2009–2010) Department of Water Quality Protection ,EPA (1988 –1992) OUTLINE Foreword EPR & Four-in-One Recycling Program 5R Related Programs Future Prospects 2 Natural Resources Deficient Population: 23 millions Area: 36,000 km² Population density: 624 person/km² (Urbanization： 78%) (Taipei City：9,956 person/km²) Energy imported > 98% Mineral imported > 80% Food imported > 70% 3 Strategies and Goals Strategies：5R ─ reduction ─ reuse ─ recycling ─ recovery ─ reclamation
    [Show full text]
  • Municipal Solid Waste and Utility Consumption in Taiwan
    sustainability Article Municipal Solid Waste and Utility Consumption in Taiwan Hsin-Chen Sung 1, Yiong-Shing Sheu 2, Bing-Yuan Yang 3 and Chun-Han Ko 3,* 1 Ocean Conservation Administration, Ocean Affairs Council, Executive Yuan, Taipei 10043, Taiwan; [email protected] 2 Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan, Taipei 10043, Taiwan; [email protected] 3 School of Forest and Resources Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +886-2-2368-3176; Fax: +886-2-3365-4520 Received: 4 February 2020; Accepted: 8 April 2020; Published: 22 April 2020 Abstract: In Taiwan, 3,130,735 t of refuse for disposal and 4,113,808 t of recycled recyclable waste were generated in 2017. The government of Taiwan has been actively promoting a resource recycling program since July 1998. To pursue sustainability and locate waste minimization opportunities, the correlation between utility consumption and population and the quantity of refuse and recyclable waste from municipalities in Taiwan was studied. There are six special municipalities and 16 cities and counties covering a great variety of urbanization and settlement characteristics, such as registered populations, electricity, and water consumption. The above parameters of the municipalities were correlated with the quantities of refuse and recycled urban waste. Residential electricity consumption, overall population, and business electricity consumption were found to be major parameters correlating the generation of refuse and recycled urban waste. Due to their higher levels of business activities, the waste generation behaviours of these six special municipalities are more diverse than those of the 16 municipalities.
    [Show full text]
  • (E-Waste): Material Flows and Management Practices in Nigeria
    Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Waste Management 28 (2008) 1472–1479 www.elsevier.com/locate/wasman Review Electronic waste (e-waste): Material flows and management practices in Nigeria Innocent Chidi Nnorom a,*, Oladele Osibanjo b a Department of Industrial Chemistry, Abia State University, Uturu, Abia State, Nigeria b Basel Convention Regional Coordinating Center for Africa for Training & Technology Transfer, Department of Chemistry, University of Ibadan, Nigeria Accepted 29 June 2007 Available online 20 September 2007 Abstract The growth in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) production and consumption has been exponential in the last two decades. This has been as a result of the rapid changes in equipment features and capabilities, decrease in prices, and the growth in internet use. This creates a large volume of waste stream of obsolete electrical and electronic devices (e-waste) in developed countries. There is high level of trans-boundary movement of these devices as secondhand electronic equipment into developing countries in an attempt to bridge the ‘digital divide’. The past decade has witnessed a phenomenal advancement in information and communication technology (ICT) in Nigeria, most of which rely on imported secondhand devices. This paper attempts to review the material flow of secondhand/scrap elec- tronic devices into Nigeria, the current management practices for e-waste and the environmental and health implications of such low-end management practices. Establishment of formal recycling facilities, introduction of legislation dealing specifically with e-waste and the confirmation of the functionality of secondhand EEE prior to importation are some of the options available to the government in dealing with this difficult issue.
    [Show full text]
  • Food Waste Handling in Malaysia and Comparison with Other Asian Countries
    International Food Research Journal 23(Suppl): S1-S6 (December 2016) Journal homepage: http://www.ifrj.upm.edu.my Mini Review Food waste handling in Malaysia and comparison with other Asian countries 1Lim, W. J., 1*Chin, N. L., 1Yusof, A. Y., 2Yahya, A. and 3Tee, T. P. 1Department of Process and Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia 2Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia 3Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia Article history Abstract Received: 20 July 2016 The increasing amount of food waste in Malaysia in recent years has brought many environmental Received in revised form: issues in the country where it affects the nation’s solid waste management framework. At the 4 October 2016 moment, the government is limited to other alternatives of food waste disposal besides the Accepted: 5 October 2016 conventional landfill and incineration methods. This paper provides information on the current status of food waste handling, management, regulations, and policies in Malaysia. It helps Keywords to draw the problem and challenge to a clearer view in efforts of achieving sustainable and integrative food waste handling in the country. Anaerobic digestion Asian Countries Composting Food waste Malaysia © All Rights Reserved Introduction high energy usage and technology. Incineration method is rarely applied for food waste treatment as Food waste is discarded on a daily basis due it creates air pollution (Zhang et al., 2014). Both of to living nature of human beings via agricultural, these methods are unsustainable for managing food industrial and domestic activities.
    [Show full text]
  • WEEE Management in Southeast Asia: Current Practices, Challenges and Measures 東南アジア等における電気・電子 廃棄物の現状・課題・対策
    3R Conference for Asian Local Governments October 5, 2017 WEEE Management in Southeast Asia: Current Practices, Challenges and Measures 東南アジア等における電気・電子 廃棄物の現状・課題・対策 Michikazu Kojima Chief Senior Researcher Institute of Developing Economies JETRO 1 Current Practices 2 E-waste Buyer on Street • Waste collector on street also buy e-waste from household or others. They bring e-waste to Junk shop. Computer, Monitor, Color TV, Printer, Refrigerator, Washing machine, Air conditioner, Printed Circuit Board, Copy Machine, Toner, Note book, Fax machine Waste buyer on a street in Beijing, May, 2006 3 Why is regulation on e-waste needed? • Different backgrounds of e-waste recycling regulation can be observed • Increase of treatment cost by local government or recycler • E-waste in Japan. • Pollution from recycling process • E-waste recycling in Taiwan and China. • Improper treatment of residues • CFC from air conditioner and refrigerator in Japan • Resource scarcity • Export ban on rare metals by China was a background of formulating acts on small home appliance recycling • Regulations try to change responsibilities of stakeholders, cost sharing mechanism, and design of products, such as change of materials. 4 Increase of treatment cost by local government • As economic development, amount of waste generated increases, waste contents become more complex. Local governments in Japan were bothered by the increase of waste treatment cost. • In early 1970s in Japan, local governments tried to impose waste collection and treatment responsibility on difficult waste such as plastic packaging, home appliances and tire. Although it was not possible to impose new responsibility on producers at that time, industries started to study the recycling technology and conduct pilot collection program.
    [Show full text]
  • Proposta De Um Modelo De Dinâmica De Sistemas Aplicado À Gestão De Resíduos Sólidos Urbanos Domiciliares De Curitiba
    UNIVERSIDADE TECNOLÓGICA FEDERAL DO PARANÁ PROGRAMA DE PÓS-GRADUAÇÃO EM TECNOLOGIA E SOCIEDADE GABRIEL MASSAO FUGII PROPOSTA DE UM MODELO DE DINÂMICA DE SISTEMAS APLICADO À GESTÃO DE RESÍDUOS SÓLIDOS URBANOS DOMICILIARES DE CURITIBA TESE CURITIBA 2019 UNIVERSIDADE TECNOLÓGICA FEDERAL DO PARANÁ PROGRAMA DE PÓS-GRADUAÇÃO EM TECNOLOGIA E SOCIEDADE GABRIEL MASSAO FUGII PROPOSTA DE UM MODELO DE DINÂMICA DE SISTEMAS APLICADO À GESTÃO DE RESÍDUOS SÓLIDOS URBANOS DOMICILIARES DE CURITIBA Tese de doutorado apresentada ao Programa de Pós-G raduação em Tecnologia e Sociedade, Universidad e Tecnológica Federal do Paraná. Área de Concentração: Tecnologia e Desenvolvimento. Orientador: Prof. Dr. Christian Luiz da Silva Coorientador: Prof. Dr. Alain Hernández Santoyo CURITIBA 2019 Dados Internacionais de Catalogação na Publicação Fugii, Gabriel Massao Proposta de um modelo de dinâmica de sistemas aplicado à gestão de resíduos sólidos urbanos domiciliares de Curitiba [recurso eletrônico] / Gabriel Massao Fugii.-- 2019. 1 arquivo texto (246 f.) : PDF ; 5,73 MB. Modo de acesso: World Wide Web Título extraído da tela de título (visualizado em 27 jun. 2019) Texto em português, com resumo em inglês Tese (Doutorado) - Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Tecnologia e Sociedade, Curitiba, 2019 Bibliografia: f. 221-243 1. Tecnologia - Teses. 2. Resíduos industriais - Curitiba (PR) - Estudo de casos. 3. Resíduos industriais - Política governamental - Curitiba (PR). 4. Política pública - Avaliação. 5. Variáveis (Matemática). 6. Análise multivariada. 7. Inovações tecnológicas. I. Silva, Christian LuiZ da. II. Santoyo, Alain HernándeZ. III. Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná. Programa de Pós-graduação em Tecnologia e Sociedade. IV. Título. CDD: Ed. 23 – 600 Biblioteca Central da UTFPR, Câmpus Curitiba Bibliotecário: Adriano Lopes CRB-9/1429 AGRADECIMENTOS Primeiramente, agradeço à Deus por ter me guiado até aqui.
    [Show full text]
  • Integration of Sustainability Awareness in Entrepreneurship Education
    sustainability Article Integration of Sustainability Awareness in Entrepreneurship Education Jane Lu Hsu 1,* and Maja Pivec 2 1 Department of Marketing, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402202, Taiwan 2 Institute of Design and Communication, FH JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences, 8020 Graz, Austria; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Compared to topics such as creativity and strategic implementation in entrepreneurship education, sustainability has not been profoundly emphasized in programs. This study seeks to fill this gap by examining cross-cultural differences between the Austrian and Taiwanese educational contexts in terms of sustainability awareness in entrepreneurship among students in higher education. To conduct the study, students from both Austria and Taiwan were interviewed after developing a procedure to cross-examine their activities in programs, workshops, and team projects. The results indicated that students’ perception of sustainability differed according to sociocultural background: Taiwanese students tended to prefer individual responsibility and action, whereas Austrian students were more aware of the impact of industry and food production on sustainability. Such an approach could help students in both Taiwan and Austria to attain a better understanding of the sustainability problems that require entrepreneurial solutions. The uniqueness of this study lies in its cross- examination and cross-comparisons of sustainability integration in entrepreneurship education in Austria and Taiwan. Such comparisons provide educators and policymakers the opportunity Citation: Hsu, J.L.; Pivec, M. to engage in cross-cultural exchanges of knowledge and experiences from which they can learn Integration of Sustainability and adapt. Awareness in Entrepreneurship Education. Sustainability 2021, 13, Keywords: entrepreneurship education; sustainability; cross-national comparisons; Austria; Taiwan 4934.
    [Show full text]
  • Balancing the Life Cycle Impacts of Notebook Computers: Taiwan's
    Resources, Conservation and Recycling 48 (2006) 13–25 Balancing the life cycle impacts of notebook computers: Taiwan’s experience Li-Teh Lu a, Iddo K. Wernick b,∗, Teng-Yuan Hsiao c, Yue-Hwa Yu a, Ya-Mei Yang a, Hwong-Wen Ma a a Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 71, Chou-Shan Road, 10660 Taipei, Taiwan b EKM International, 269 Boulevard, Passaic, NJ 07055, USA c Department of Tourism Industry, Jin-Wen Institute of Technology, 99, Ann-Chon Road, 231, Taipei County, Taiwan Received 20 September 2005; accepted 1 December 2005 Available online 7 February 2006 Abstract We analyze the economic incentive structure as well as the environmental implications of the current national policy for recycling notebook computers (NB’s) in the nation of Taiwan. Using cost–benefit analysis and formal life cycle assessment (LCA) we critique the current program and recommend future improvements. The current policy requires manufacturers to pay a recycling fee for each unit sold domestically. These payments are channeled to third party recycling agents as well as consumers that return used NB’s. While sound in principle, the arrangement falls short of providing incentives for sustaining the domestic recycling infrastructure, scarcely covering operating costs and leaving little capital to develop new recycling technologies. The current program also fails to induce widespread consumer participation by relying on an economic incentive that compares poorly with the value obtainable from resale on the second-hand market. An environmental assessment of various end-of-life disposal options for NBs reveals that recycling for some components actually leads to greater negative environment impacts than the alternatives.
    [Show full text]
  • 42604932.Pdf
    THE IMPACT OF SOLID WASTE COLLECTION, PRICING AND RECYCLING POLICIES. ON RESIDENTIAL SOLID WASTE YEN-LIEN KUO Ph. D. 2006 Abstract Most large cities have waste crises at some time or other. MSW (municipal solid waste) is a major component of the waste stream of cities, the bulk of which derives from residents (households) rather than businesses. Since MSW is an increasing function of per capita GDP, MSW typically grows with development, and many cities in the fastest-growing economies have had to find ways to regulate the solid waste generated by households. This thesis set up a household waste disposal model in order to evaluate the scope for MSW management using instruments that change household waste disposal decisions. The model is estimated by a panel of data on MSW disposal in 18 cities in Taiwan and Japan. The estimations are then used to test the effectiveness of a number of policy options. The model shows that households elect to trade off storing/composting waste against the three main waste discarding options: legal dumping, illegal dumping and recycling. It is also shown that the household's decision to discard a unit of waste is based on each disposal option's marginal cost, including tariff, labour and disutility for storing/composting waste. The study confirms that the higher the frequency of non-recyclables collection, the less recycling and more waste dumping would be. This may be caused by a reduction in the marginal cost of dumping. For cities with garbage collection more than 5 times per week, decreasing the garbage collection frequency increases recycling and decreases garbage dumped.
    [Show full text]
  • Taiwan Global Anti-Incinerator Alliance Community Action Leads Government Toward Zero Waste
    Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives Global Anti-Incinerator Alliance Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives TAIWAN Global Anti-Incinerator Alliance Community Action Leads Government Toward Zero Waste By Cecilia Allen A garbage collector in Taipei separates bones from recyclable kitchen waste. (photo: Allianz SE) The island of Taiwan faced a waste crisis in the 1980s because of lack of space to expand its landfill capacity.W hen the government turned to large-scale incineration, the community’s fierce opposition n ot only stopped the construction of dozens of burners, but also drove the government to adopt goals and programs for waste prevention and recycling. These programs TAIWAN and policies were so effective that the volume of waste Population: 23 million Area: 36,192 km2 decreased significantly even while both population and gross Population density: 642/km2 domestic product increased. However, the government, by Average annual rainfall: 2,500 mm Average temperature range: 5ºC to 35ºC maintaining both pro-incinerator and waste prevention policies, Altitude: 0 - 3,952 meters above sea level Waste diversion rate: 48.82% has capped the potential of waste prevention strategies Waste generation: 0.942 kg/capita/day because large investments in incineration drain resources that Spending on waste management per capita: US $25.40 per year could otherwise be used to improve and expand them. Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives GLOBAL AllIANCE FOR INCINERATOR AltERNATIVES TAIWAN: COMMUNITY ActION LEADS GOVERNMENT TOWARD ZERO WASTE Global Anti-Incinerator Alliance | 1 Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives Global Anti-Incinerator Alliance In the 1980s, the combination of high population intended for composting.
    [Show full text]
  • Heavy Metals, Human Health -.::PROBICOU
    HEAVY METALS, HUMAN HEALTH AND OUR ENVIRONMENT Industrial workers improvise using sacks as protective gear, source: PROBICOU File photo Chemical discharge oozing out of an industry. This is a publication by: Pro-biodiversity Conservationists in Uganda (PROBICOU), Pro-biodiversity Conservationists in Uganda (PROBICOU), Plot 181 Bombo Road, Crown House Building (Ku-Biiri)P.O Box 34407 Kampala, Uganda Plot 181 Bombo Road, Crown House Building (Ku-Biiri)P.O Box 34407 Kampala, Uganda TEL: +256-414-532676, +256-782-393912, +256-712- 666340 TEL: +256-414-532676, +256-782-393912, +256-712- 666340 Email: [email protected], [email protected] Email: [email protected], [email protected] Supported by: The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC) H EAVY METALS, HUMAN HEALTH AND OUR ENVIRONMENT H EAVY METALS, HUMAN HEALTH AND OUR ENVIRONMENT Editorial team Robert Tumwesigye Baganda (Coordinator) Editorial REFERENCES Lee, C-H., Chang, S-L., Wang, K-M., Wen, L-C., 2000. Management Dr. David Ogaram 1. (3) K. Jay and L. Steiglitz, “Identifi cation and Quantifi cation of Vola- of scrap computer recycling in Taiwan. Journal of Hazardous Materials Consultant Toxicoligist tile Organic Components in Emissions of Waste Incineration Plants,” A73, 209–220. Mr. Paul Twebaze CHEMOSPHERE Vol. 30, No. 7 (1995), pgs. 1249-1260, identifi ed the (Program offi cer- Waste Management) Management of Heavy following volatile organic chemicals emitted from a solid waste incinera- Liu X, Tanaka M, Matsui Y. Electrical and electronic waste management tor stack: Ms. Sharifah Nakigozi in China: progress and the barrier to overcome. Waste Manag Res (Program offi cer- Biodiversity Conservation) 2.
    [Show full text]