Waste management for the people
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Abstract
Professionals and practitioners who work to provide waste management services are keenly aware that our core missions are to safeguard public health and the environment, and to develop cost-efficient methods to achieve those ends. But sometimes younger engineers, scientists and managers (and even seasoned veterans) overlook the history of ‘the way we were’ just a few decades ago. Also, most citizens of developed countries take for granted the normally reliable collection, processing (including recycling, waste-to-energy combustion and composting systems) and disposal services that reduce waste volumes and make the residuals go ‘out of sight and out of mind’. But these citizens rarely consider the people-centric reasons why today’s municipal solid waste (MSW) management infrastructure evolved the way it did. Some of those reasons are explored here, with a focus on North American experiences. For those living in developing countries, where even basic MSW management services are not yet widely available (or affordable), a look-back at this history can help prioritise funding and formulate future policies and programmes. Most significantly, it should be noted that effective MSW management services can be costly, often beyond the budgets of local governments, despite the obvious benefits. For instance, modern MSW management services first began to emerge in Europe and the United States after World War II, but only after the design and construction of reliable water supply and wastewater treatment infrastructure were mandated and at least partially funded by national legislation. It took another decade for the passage of similar national laws to stimulate cities to similarly improve their MSW management infrastructure.