Review on life cycle assessment of integrated solid waste management in some Asian countries

The problems posed by municipal solid waste in Asia are more complex because here, most nations urbanize rapidly with about 30-50% population increase. In developing countries, the growth rate of most cities exceeds 4% per annum. The issue at stake is that the 20-40% of municipal revenues spent in most countries to manage the waste is not enough to handle the rising trend of the waste generated. The problems are multi-dimensional. In Asia for example, issues ranging from disputes, norms, health concerns have continued to create obstacles and sometimes alarming situations. This had interfered with proper decisions in managing the waste that menaces the environment at a pace faster than the modern technology itself. In the paper some of the municipal solid waste management options are reviewed in some of these Asian countries with emphasis on a life cycle assessment (LCA) to adopt an integrated approach in solving the problem. Some solid waste management options were evaluated where some viable and suitable options could be derived based on Asian approach. Therefore, sustainable scenarios are suggested for stakeholders to manage municipal solid waste properly. The results are specifically intended to be used as a basis for decisions on strategies and policies for waste management and investments for new waste treatment facilities by decision makers in local, regional and national authorities or industries in the region. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.