Current management of household hazardous waste (HHW) in the Asian region

Abstract

Background This review intends to explore the household hazardous waste (HHW) generation rates, HHW management, and people’s awareness regarding HHW in Asian countries based on the economic levels using the available published articles. Methods This is a systematic review of the scientific literature based on several databases, namely Scopus, ProQuest, PubMed, Sage Journals, and Elsevier’s Science Direct from 2008 to 2018. Results HHW generation rates in various Asian cities do not seem to be influenced by the countries’ financial status, except for e-waste. The variety in HHW generation rates among Asian countries might be due to various reasons, which include differences in (1) sampling frame/locations; (2) sampling size; (3) study duration; (4) seasons; (5) study year; and (6) HHW definition/composition. Governmental intervention programs on HHW management have been implemented in some of the Asian countries, mostly in high and upper-middle income groups although misconducts are still found. There is a tendency for economically developed countries to ship their e-waste to less-developed countries, where the system relies heavily on the informal sectors where unsafe treatments are often discovered. Low level of awareness regarding HHW risks is mostly identified in the lower-middle income group. However, even though high and upper-middle income groups have a better awareness of HHW, many people do not entirely follow the recommended practices. Conclusion The lack of enforced regulation and proper treatment infrastructure may lead to HHW being mixed with general household waste, which is found in many Asian countries, despite their income levels. In addition, a good awareness of HHW does not guarantee proper handling of it.

Learning from the past to plan for the future: An historical review of the evolution of waste and resource management 1970–2020 and reflections on priorities 2020–2030 – The perspective of an involved witness

“…Some e-waste is categorised as hazardous wastes and will arise in all countries whether or not they have the infrastructure for environmentally sound recycling, recovery and disposal. E-waste is just one component of household hazardous waste ( El-Khateeb, 2022 ), which has long been on the agenda in the Global North (see 1990 baseline; ( Slack et al, 2005 ; Inglezakis and Moustakas, 2015 )) but is increasingly receiving attention in the Global South ( Manggali and Susanna, 2019 ).…”

Household Hazardous Waste: Handling, Precaution and Hazard Reduction

“…The insecticide lindane is found in certain head lice shampoos. As a result, any unneeded shampoos should be retained and preserved for hazardous waste collection [27,29].…”

The governance of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW): A literature review of HHW-related regulation in Southeast Asian developing countries

“…This development has brought implications on the emergence of numerous activities, such as new settlement areas, commercial areas, and industrial areas. Inevitably, rapid urbanization at city center, huge variety of human activities, high level consumptions of goods and services eventually increase the production of municipal solid waste that become a global challenge [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8].…”

“…Because the effect of hazardous waste is extremely harmful for the living organisms and the environment, hence the hazardous waste must be managed properly including hazardous waste generated from household. Based on the study conducted by Manggali and Susanna [8], the absence of HHW-related regulation and its enforcement leads to the improper handling of HHW. Establishing HHW-related regulation is one of the instruments to control the generation, movement, and handling of this type of waste [13].…”