Solid Waste Management in India: A State-of-the-Art Review

Abstract

This paper presents the current scenario of solid waste management aspects and its challenges in India, which will benefit developing and low-income countries. The leading cause of waste generation is the growing population and the new lifestyle due to the increased per capita income. Consequently, the magnitude of solid waste is continuously growing along with its compositional diversity. In earlier days, the wastes were organic and could be disposed of in low-lying areas conveniently without causing any adverse impact on the environment. But today, the organic fraction of waste has steeply declined while the inorganic portion has increased manifold. Moreover, wastes from industries, hospitals, construction sites, households, and many other sources severely affect the environment and public health. Also, the chemicals generated from the improper disposal of these wastes enter the air, soil, and water resources, causing hazardous and toxic effects in countries that could not implement the adopted policy framework strictly. A state-of-the-art review is conducted in this paper to further search other primary and prevalent reasons behind the inability of proper waste management and to find a real solution.

Ecological Impacts, Management and Disposal Methods for Medical Wastes: A Review

“…Consumables materials and disposable are widely depended on for infection controlling and contagion controls; yet, this causes massive wastes and costs. Once sterilized, surgical gowns, reusable trays, sharps containers and scalpels have a lower environmental and economic cost than single-use equivalents [Gour and Singh, 2023]. Along with consumables, medical workers employ single-use medical equipment instead of fixing, cleaning, and sterilizing a previously used instrument.…”

Utilization of methane from municipal solid waste landfills

“…In general, LFG is a naturally occurring gas that is produced from the breakdown of organic matter in landfills. CO 2 , CH 4 (the main component of natural gas), and trace amounts of organic chemicals make up the majority of LFG [17]. The CO 2 contained in LFG should be sequestrated [18], and landfill leachate needs to be carefully treated [19].…”