ABSTRACT
There is an urgent need to find alternative waste management mechanisms in communities where local councils are not developed and that lack a proper waste collection system and infrastructure. This chapter presents a sustainable waste management program (“food yielding waste management system,” FYWMS) implemented in the plantation sector in Sri Lanka. It highlights the possibility of creatively exploring locally acceptable and community-driven pragmatic solutions to overcome the waste management challenges that hinder the achievement of many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries. With the participation of many stakeholders, the innovative waste management model described in the chapter offers an alternative to the traditional centralized system. The chapter also points to the impacts, challenges and lessons learned for those who aspire to initiate innovative solutions to the challenges faced in achieving the SDGs.
