A Review on Characteristics, Techniques, and Waste-to-Energy Aspects of Municipal Solid Waste Management: Bangladesh Perspective

Abstract

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management has become a major concern for developing countries. The physical and chemical aspects of MSW management and infrastructure need to be analyzed critically to solve the existing socio-economic problem. Currently, MSW production is 2.01 billion tonnes/yr. In developing countries, improper management of MSW poses serious environmental and public health risks. Depending on the socio-economic framework of a country, several MSW management procedures have been established, including landfilling, thermal treatment, and chemical treatment. Most of the MSW produced in underdeveloped and developing countries such as Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan is dumped into open landfills, severely affecting the environment. Waste-to-Energy (WTE) projects based on thermal treatments, e.g., incineration, pyrolysis, and gasification, can be feasible alternatives to conventional technologies. This research has explored a comprehensive method to evaluate MSW characteristics and management strategies from a global and Bangladesh perspective. The benefits, challenges, economic analysis, and comparison of MSW-based WTE projects have been analyzed concisely. Implementing the WTE project in developing countries can reduce unsupervised landfill and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Alternative solutions and innovations have been discussed to overcome the high capital costs and infrastructural deficiencies. By 2050, Bangladesh can establish a total revenue (electricity sales and carbon credit revenue) of USD 751 million per year in Dhaka and Chittagong only. The landfill gas (LFG) recovery, waste recycling. and pyrolysis for energy production, syngas generation, and metal recovery are possible future directions of MSW management. The MSW management scenario in developing countries can be upgraded by improving waste treatment policies and working with government, academicians, and environmentalists together.

Identification of Illegal Dumping and Community Views in Informal Settlements, Cape Town: South Africa

“…Illegal waste disposal is a significant problem in several regions globally, particularly in townships and informal settlements, where garbage presents economic, social, and environmental hazards [1][2][3]. Waste collection is a crucial component of every nation's waste management infrastructure.…”

Sustainable Plasma Gasification Treatment of Plastic Waste: Evaluating Environmental, Economic, and Strategic Dimensions

“…Pyrolysis causes more air and soil pollution than incinerators. 18 The process of flow gasification has been recognized as a highly promising technique for the efficient and clean production of syngas on a large scale. 19,20 A variety of materials can be used in the different stages of this process, including biomass gasification in the early stages of technology development, reverse multiburner gasification of coal-water slurry, and noncatalytic partial oxidation utilizing natural gas or coke oven gas.…”

“…Pyrolysis is a completely nonoxidative thermochemical process that converts raw materials to coal, oil, and combustible gases in an inert environment. Pyrolysis causes more air and soil pollution than incinerators …”

Modelling the Nexus of municipal solid waste sector for climate resilience and adaptation to nature-based solutions: A case study of Pakistan

“…Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management is a critical concern for developing economies to sustain the living standard in urban areas, and efforts are more focused on its collection to clean the vicinity and dump waste in the periphery of the city without considering its adverse impacts on local ecosystem, environment and global climate [ 1 ]. Most developing economies around the globe are in a transition phase to attain sustainability in the waste sector [ 2 ]; however, the economic conditions, technological barriers, and local capacity issues hinder achieving the desired results.…”