ABSTRACT
Waste generation, either in solid or liquid form, is a gift of civilization. In large urban communities, huge quantities of solid wastes are generated as a by-product of normal human activity. The wastes generated pose serious problem of collection, transportation and ultimate disposal. Since the ecosystem does not have the capacity to absorb wastes, the accumulation of such wastes poses vast environmental problems. This is no more evident than in the Asia region, where land-based waste disposal has affected the stability of the biosphere. However, on reviewing waste reuse, Kirkham (2001) comments that safe and smart reuse of wastes could lead to significant benefits to the public given that many solid and liquid wastes retain valuable macro-and micro-nutrients, in addition to certain unwanted substances. In this chapter, we present an overview of urban solid wastes and their potential impact on the environment.
