Municipal solid waste management and short-term projection of the waste discard levels in Taiwan

Abstract

Industrialization and urbanization result in signifi cant changes in lifestyle. These lifestyle changes seem to lead to unsustainable consumption patterns and increase the generation of various kinds of environmental loads, especially the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW). Taiwan is a small island with scarce natural resources. The economic development in Taiwan has resulted in the generation of large amounts of MSW. As a result, the Taiwan Environmental Pollution Administration (TEPA) has produced regulations for waste minimization and has imposed several important policy measures that have successfully reduced the MSW discard rate in recent years and have established a public recycling network as a part of the MSW collection. Nowadays, the objective of the MSW policies in Taiwan is to develop a "zero-waste society." This article aims to review the MSW management progress in Taiwan and to project future MSW discards up to 2011 based on the national plan and assumed scenarios for socioeconomic variables. According to the analysis results, a more sustainable consumption pattern can be proposed and the corresponding MSW management system can be planned so as to develop a low-waste-discard society.Key words Municipal solid waste management · Developing country · Changes in lifestyle · Consumer behavior · Econometric modeling As the socioeconomic environment changes, the MSW generation rate also changes to a great extent. In this study, MSW is classifi ed into eight categories by physical property for treatment and fi nal disposal planning. Since the MSW composition analysis was conducted on a dry basis before 2004, the moisture of waste is separated and taken as a single category (however, the analysis changed to a wet

Examining the effectiveness of municipal solid waste management systems: An integrated cost–benefit analysis perspective with a financial cost modeling in Taiwan

“…In fact, several construction plans of new incinerators have been suspended. For those municipalities without incinerators, they have to spend more financial costs on the waste transportation and treatment while the organic component of MSW is not allowed to be disposed of in landfills (Weng et al, 2009a). To tackle the abovementioned deficiency, regionalized MSW management systems are suggested to improve the current situation upon in the context of financial cost-effectiveness as well as capacity planning of waste treatment facilities, as argued by Chang and Lin (1997) and Weng et al (2008).…”

“…Moreover, the financial cost functions could be coupled with other MSW models for further applications. As an example, the financial cost functions are coupled with the Estimation Model System of MSW discards developed in Weng et al (2009a).…”

“…In addition, TEPA starts to implement 3Rs programs by the command and control methods (e.g., mandatory recycling of due recycled materials) as well as economic instruments (e.g., deposit, green-label, charge and fees) (Bor et al, 2004;Chen and Wesseler, 2005;Lu et al, 2006;Weng et al, 2009a;Young et al, 2010). The MSW management programs put an emphasis, at first, on recycling by encouraging recycling activities as well as implementing mandatory waste separation and recycling within MSW collection.…”

“…Influencing factors are analyzed in the financial cost functions. Besides, a short-term projection for the MSW operation and maintenance (O&M) costs up to 2011 would be conducted by coupling with the Estimation Model System of MSW discards established in Weng et al (2009a). Possible ranges of the essential administrative cost on MSW O&M would be forecasted based on the assumed scenarios, considering the socio-economic changes, the 3Rs policy effects and the lifestyle changes.…”

Assessment of the Relative Adequacy of Landfills as a Means of Solid Waste Disposal in Malaysia

“…Regulations and policy measures for waste minimization have resulted in a low-waste-discard society in Taiwan [27].…”