ABSTRACT

Rapid urbanization is taking place in the main cities of developed and developing nations around the globe. This results in immense pressure on urban local bodies (ULBs) to manage their existing infrastructure and meet the needs of the growing population. The existing solid waste management infrastructures are insufficient to handle the ever-increasing amounts of mixed solid waste. Lack of public knowledge and weak institutional structure are the main reasons towards inefficient segregation, collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal of waste. Due to the weak collection and gathering systems, solid waste is littered on streets, which results in unhygienic conditions. Most of the solid waste treatment technologies have failed because of the poor quality of nonsegregated waste. Ultimately, a significant fraction of untreated solid waste reaches open dump sites in developing countries, which results in high levels of air, water, and soil pollution in nearby surroundings. To solve this growing problem in urban centers, ULBs should include efficient technological solutions to collect, transport, and treat solid waste.