ABSTRACT
Municipal sewage sludge (SS) is a sustainable bioresource due to high organic matter and beneficial plant nutrient content. In addition, it also contains concentrated chemical and biological contaminants, making SS disposal one of the most challenging concerns in modern society. However, raw SS is treated before its use to reduce volume, weight, and potential health risks, with different treatment methods such as anaerobic/aerobic digestion, composting, and lime stabilization. These treatment processes are inefficient in eliminating pollutants. However, the beneficial characteristics of SS (nutrient and energy content), stringent criteria for sludge disposal, and increasing environmental awareness have compelled developed nations to consider SS a viable resource instead of waste. This chapter discusses the resource recovery potential of SS and the methods used for beneficial utilization of SS in developed countries, such as land applications (agriculture, land restoration, mine spoil reclamation), energy recovery, nutrient recovery, and in the construction sector. Therefore, this chapter extensively discusses existing legislations in developed nations and different SS management methods to achieve more sustainable strategies in the future and opens a prospect for developing nations.
