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Waste Disposal Dissertation Topics Ideas and Examples

Published by Owen Ingram at January 6th, 2023 , Revised On March 24, 2023

Waste disposal is an important part of our everyday lives that often goes unnoticed. Proper waste disposal ensures that our environment and public health remain safe and healthy. Additionally, it helps to minimise the amount of trash and other materials that enter landfills or pollute our waterways.

Why Conducting Research on Waste Disposal is Important for Students?

The importance of conducting research on waste disposal should not be underestimated when it comes to students completing their dissertations. Waste disposal is a crucial component of the environment and significantly impacts society and how we live.

Researching this topic is critical for students writing dissertations, as it will enable them to understand better the complexities associated with efficiently managing waste products.

  • Researching waste disposal can help students gain a deeper understanding of the current global challenges surrounding this issue, such as pollution and climate change.
  • By exploring these issues from different perspectives, students can develop new insights that could significantly impact how people think about, manage, and reduce their waste output.
  • Additionally, researching this topic can provide insight into how public policy around waste management could be improved to address these urgent environmental issues more effectively.

How to Choose the Right Waste Disposal Dissertation Topics?

With so many waste disposal topics to choose from, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and frustrated. However, there are some critical points that you should consider in order to make sure your selection is right for you.

  • Always opt for a topic that has relevance to your field of study. This will ensure that you can produce interesting and well-informed work.
  • Pick something that has not been extensively researched already – this will give your paper a unique edge and contribute new insights into the chosen subject area.

Make sure the topic appeals to you personally – selecting something too far removed from your interests may lead to difficulty when it comes time for writing up results or conclusions.

  • Waste Management Dissertation Topics
  • Climate Change Dissertation Topics
  • Renewable Energy Dissertation Topics
  • Ecology Dissertation Research Topics

List of Topics for Waste Disposal Dissertation Topics?

  • Municipal solid waste management in India: From waste disposal to the recovery of resources?
  • Environmental and health impacts due to e-waste disposal in China–A review
  • Municipal solid waste disposal in Portugal
  • Waste generation, waste disposal and policy effectiveness: Evidence on decoupling from the European Union
  • Household waste management in a Swedish municipality: determinants of waste disposal, recycling and composting
  • Overview of waste disposal and landfills/dumps in Asian countries
  • Domestic waste disposal practice and perceptions of private sector waste management in urban Accra
  • Present status of e-waste disposal and recycling in China
  • A GIS-based transportation model for solid waste disposal–A case study on Asansol municipality
  • Inconvenience cost of waste disposal behaviour in South Korea
  • An assessment of material waste disposal methods in the Nigerian construction industry
  • Effects of municipal waste disposal methods on community health in Ibadan-Nigeria
  • Solid waste disposal methodology selection using multi-criteria decision-making methods and an application in Turkey
  • Investigation of waste disposal areas using electrical methods: a case study from Chania, Crete, Greece
  • Biodegradation of chemical waste by specialised methylotrophs, an alternative to physical methods of waste disposal
  • Waste disposal problems and management in Ughelli, Nigeria
  • The problem of solid waste management and people awareness on appropriate solid waste disposal in Bahir Dar City: Amhara region, Ethiopia
  • Movement of selected metals, asbestos, and cyanide in soil: applications to waste disposal problems
  • The effects of waste disposal on the coastal waters of Southern California
  • The environmental effects of mining waste disposal at Lihir Gold Mine, Papua New Guinea
  • The inhibiting effects of hydrogen on the corrosion of uranium dioxide under nuclear waste disposal conditions
  • Assessment of odour activity value coefficient and odour contribution based on binary interaction effects in waste disposal plant
  • Effects of thermal treatment on fracture characteristics of granite from Beishan, a possible high-level radioactive waste disposal site in China
  • An essay on the effect of preliminary restoration tasks applied to a large TENORM wastes disposal in the southwest of Spain.

How Does a Good Waste Disposal Dissertation Topic Help Students in Their Research?

A dissertation is an essential milestone in a student’s academic career. It is the culmination of years of research and hard work.

A good dissertation topic can help students to refine their research goals and develop effective strategies for gathering data and completing their project.

A good waste disposal dissertation topic will depend on the student’s area of focus. For example, students interested in local government policies may wish to consider topics such as landfill management or recycling initiatives.

Those interested in public health may wish to look at topics such as hazardous chemicals or air pollution caused by incineration plants. No matter the chosen field, it is essential to select a specific and engaging topic that has not been explored extensively by other researchers in order to maximise its impact on the field.

How Can ResearchProspect Help?

ResearchProspect writers can send several custom topic ideas to your email address. Once you have chosen a topic that suits your needs and interests, you can order for our dissertation outline service which will include a brief introduction to the topic, research questions , literature review , methodology , expected results , and conclusion . The dissertation outline will enable you to review the quality of our work before placing the order for our full dissertation writing service!

FAQ For Waste Disposal Dissertation Topics Ideas

How do i choose the most appropriate waste disposal dissertation topic.

Consider the subject of your degree program and determine what type of research would best match up with the knowledge you have built up over your studies. For example, if you are studying engineering, choosing a waste disposal project related to sustainability or renewable energy sources may be more suitable than focusing on traditional landfill methods.

Can I use these topics for my dissertation?

Yes, you can use these topics for your dissertation. You can also place an order for a unique waste disposal dissertation topic.

Have other students used these topics already?

These topics are unique though other students might have used these topics since they are publically available for anyone to view.

Can ResearchProspect provide unique and customised waste disposal dissertation topics?

ResearchProspect can create unique and customised waste disposal dissertation topics .

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Biomedical Waste Management and Its Importance: A Systematic Review

Himani s bansod.

1 Community Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha, IND

Prasad Deshmukh

2 Head and Neck Surgery, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha, IND

The waste generated in various hospitals and healthcare facilities, including the waste of industries, can be grouped under biomedical waste (BMW). The constituents of this type of waste are various infectious and hazardous materials. This waste is then identified, segregated, and treated scientifically. There is an inevitable need for healthcare professionals to have adequate knowledge and a proper attitude towards BMW and its management. BMW generated can either be solid or liquid waste comprising infectious or potentially infectious materials, such as medical, research, or laboratory waste. There is a high possibility that inappropriate management of BMW can cause infections to healthcare workers, the patients visiting the facilities, and the surrounding environment and community. BMW can also be classified into general, pathological, radioactive, chemical, infectious, sharps, pharmaceuticals, or pressurized wastes. India has well-established rules for the proper handling and management of BMW. Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 (BMWM Rules, 2016) specify that every healthcare facility shall take all necessary steps to ensure that BMW is handled without any adverse effect on human and environmental health. This document contains six schedules, including the category of BMW, the color coding and type of containers, and labels for BMW containers or bags, which should be non-washable and visible. A label for the transportation of BMW containers, the standard for treatment and disposal, and the schedule for waste treatment facilities such as incinerators and autoclaves are included in the schedule. The new rules established in India are meant to improve the segregation, transportation, disposal methods, and treatment of BMW. This proper management is intended to decrease environmental pollution because, if not managed properly, BMW can cause air, water, and land pollution. Collective teamwork with committed government support in finance and infrastructure development is a very important requirement for the effective disposal of BMW. Devoted healthcare workers and facilities are also significant. Further, the proper and continuous monitoring of BMW is a vital necessity. Therefore, developing environmentally friendly methods and the right plan and protocols for the disposal of BMW is very important to achieve a goal of a green and clean environment. The aim of this review article is to provide systematic evidence-based information along with a comprehensive study of BMW in an organized manner.

Introduction and background

The amount of daily biomedical waste (BMW) produced in India is enormous [ 1 ]. People from all segments of society, regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, or religion, visit hospitals, which results in the production of BMW, which is becoming increasingly copious and heterogeneous [ 2 ]. BMW produced in India is about 1.5-2 kg/bed/day [ 3 ]. BMW include anatomical waste, sharps, laboratory waste, and others and, if not carefully segregated, can be fatal. Additionally, inappropriate segregation of dirty plastic, a cytotoxic and recyclable material, might harm our ecosystem [ 4 ]. Earlier, BMW was not considered a threat to humans and the environment. In the 1980s and 1990s, fears about contact with infectious microorganisms such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) prompted people to consider the potential risks of BMW [ 5 ]. BMW is hazardous in nature as it consists of potential viruses or other disease-causing microbial particles; it may be present in human samples, blood bags, needles, cotton swabs, dressing material, beddings, and others. Therefore, the mismanagement of BMW is a community health problem. The general public must also take specific actions to mitigate the rising environmental degradation brought on by negligent BMW management. On July 20, 1998, BMW (Management and Handling) Rules were framed. On March 28, 2016, under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) implemented the new BMW Rules (2016) and replaced the earlier one (1988). BMW produced goes through a new protocol or approach that helps in its appropriate management in terms of its characterization, quantification, segregation, storage, transport, and treatment.

According to Chapter 2 of the Medical Waste Management and Processing Rules, 2016, “The BMW could not be mixed with other wastes at any stage while producing inside hospitals, while collecting from hospitals, while transporting, and should be processed separately based on classification.” The COVID-19 pandemic has now transformed healthy societies worldwide into diseased ones, resulting in a very high number of deaths. It also created one significant problem: improper handling of the medical waste produced in the testing and treatment of the disease [ 6 ]. In India, BMW generated due to COVID-19 contributed to about 126 tonnes per day out of the 710 tonnes of waste produced daily [ 7 ]. 

The basic principle of the management of BMW is Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle-the 3Rs. Out of the total amount of BMW generated, 85% is general (non-hazardous) waste, and the remaining 15% is hazardous. As BMW contains sharps and syringes, the pathogens can enter the human body through cuts, abrasions, puncture wounds, and other ways. There might also be chances of ingestion and inhalation of BMW, which can lead to infections. Some examples of infections are Salmonella, Shigella, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Streptococcus pneumonia, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), hepatitis A, B, and C, and helminthic infections [ 8 ]. This systematic review is conducted to obtain essential, up-to-date information on BMW for the practical application of its management. The highlight of the management of BMW is that the “success of BMW management depends on segregation at the point of generation” [ 9 ].

The findings have been reported following the principles and criteria of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). The systematic review has been conducted according to these standards and principles.

Search Sources/Search Strategy

We used the MeSH strategy to obtain articles from PubMed and ResearchGate employing the following terms: (“Biomedical/waste” [Majr] OR “Biomedical Waste/source” [Majr] OR “Biomedical Waste/hazards” [Majr] OR “Biomedical Waste/segregation” [Majr] OR “Biomedical Waste/rules” [Majr] OR “Biomedical Waste/laws” [Majr] OR “Biomedical Waste/environment” [Majr]). Specifically, for management-related studies, the search terms (“Management/steps” [Majr] OR “Management/handling” [Majr] OR “Management/coding” [Majr] OR “Color coding/segregation” [Majr] OR “Treatment/method” [Majr] OR “Autoclaving/waste” [Majr] OR “Incineration/waste” [Majr]) were used. We obtained the most pertinent research papers and used them in different arrangements using the Boolean operators “AND” and “OR.”

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

We focused on papers written in the English language, published within the last decade, relevant to the central questions of this review article, and that are systematic reviews such as randomized clinical trials and observational studies. We, however, excluded papers published in languages other than English, irrelevant to the questions, and related to topics other than BMW.

Search outcomes

After the initial screening, we narrowed the search results down to 264 papers. A total of 42 duplicate papers were removed. Subsequently, publications were refined by the title/abstract, and we eliminated a few studies due to the lack of full text and/or related articles. Finally, after assessing 27 items for eligibility, we included 11 papers in our review. Figure ​ Figure1 1 is the flow chart for article selection formulated on PRISMA.

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Object name is cureus-0015-00000034589-i01.jpg

PRISMA: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis, PMC: PubMed Central

Need for BMW management in hospitals

BMW threatens the health of medical staff, hospital-visiting patients, and people in the nearby community. Improper disposal leads to severe hospital-acquired diseases along with an increased risk of air and water pollution. Due to open-space waste disposal practices, animals and scavengers might get infected, leading to the scattering of waste and the spreading of infections. In countering such activities, four major principle functions of BMW management are applicable: the placement of bins at the source of generation of BMW, segregation of BMW, removal or mutilation of the recyclable waste, and disinfection of the waste [ 10 ]. BMW management methods aim predominantly to avoid the generation of waste and, if generated, then recover as much as possible [ 11 ].

BMW management rules in India

On March 28, 2016, under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the MoEF notified the new BMW Rules, 2016 and replaced the earlier Rules (1988). BMW produced goes through a new protocol or approach which helps in the appropriate management of waste, i.e., its characterization, quantification, segregation, storage, transport, and treatment, all of which aim to decrease environmental pollution [ 12 ]. Problems with the improper management of BMW also shed light on the scavengers who, for recycling, segregate the potentially hazardous BMW without using gloves or masks. Strict rules have been implemented to ensure that there is no stealing of recyclable materials or spillage by some humans or animals and that it is transported to the common BMW treatment facility [ 10 ]. The first solution to stop the spread of hazardous and toxic waste was incineration. Incineration is required in all hospitals and healthcare facilities that produce BMW. However, due to the absence of services that provide certified incinerators in a few countries, BMW has to be sent to landfills, which leads to land contamination and harms the environment [ 13 ]. Incinerators used for disposal might also lead to environmental pollution. Numerous toxins are formed during incineration, which are the products of incomplete combustion. Thus, some new standards have been issued to resolve this problem and safeguard the environment and public health [ 14 ].

Steps in the management of BMW

BMW management needs to be organized, as even a single mistake can cause harm to the people in charge. There are six steps in the management of BMW [ 15 ]: surveying the waste produced; segregating, collecting, and categorizing the waste; storing, transporting, and treating the waste. Segregation is the separation of different types of waste generated, which helps reduce the risks resulting from the improper management of BMW. When the waste is simply disposed of, there is an increased risk of the mixture of waste such as sharps with general waste. These sharps can be infectious to the handler of the waste. Further, if not segregated properly, there is a huge chance of syringes and needles disposed of in the hospitals being reused. Segregation prevents this and helps in achieving the goal of recycling the plastic and metal waste generated [ 16 ]. According to Schedule 2, waste must be segregated into containers at the source of its generation, and according to Schedule 3, the container used must be labeled. The schedules of BMW (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, which were initially ten in number, have now been reduced to four [ 17 ]. The collection of BMW involves the use of different colors of bins for waste disposal. The color is an important indicator for the segregation and identification of different categories of waste into suitable-colored containers. They must be labeled properly based on the place they have been generated, such as hospital wards, rooms, and operation theatres. It is also very important to remember that the waste must be stored for less than 8-10 hours in hospitals with around 250 beds and 24 hours in nursing homes. The storage bag or area must be marked with a sign [ 16 ]. 

Figure ​ Figure1 1 shows the biohazard signs that symbolize the nature of waste to the general public.

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Object name is cureus-0015-00000034589-i02.jpg

Biohazards are substances that threaten all living things on earth. The biohazard symbol presented in Figure ​ Figure1 1 was remarked as an important public sign, signaling the harms and hazards of entering the specified zone or room [ 18 ]. Along with the biohazard sign, the room door must have a label saying “AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY.” The temporary storage room must always be locked and away from the general public's reach. The waste is then collected by the vehicles daily. A ramp must be present for easy transportation. The waste collected is then taken for treatment. The loading of wastes should not be done manually. It is very vital to properly close or tie the bag or the container to avoid any spillage and harm to the handlers, the public, and the environment. The transport vehicle or trolley must be properly covered, and the route used must be the one with less traffic flow [ 19 ].

BMW handling staff should be provided with personal protective equipment (PPE), gloves, masks, and boots. BMW retrievers must be provided with rubber gloves that should be bright yellow. After usage, the importance of disinfecting or washing the gloves twice should be highlighted. The staff working in or near the incinerator chamber must be provided with a non-inflammable kit. This kit consists of a gas mask that should cover the nose and mouth of the staff member. The boots should cover the leg up to the ankle to protect from splashes and must be anti-skid [ 16 ]. According to the revised BMW management rules, 2016, it is mandatory to provide proper training to healthcare facility staff members on handling BMW. The training should be mandatorily conducted annually. Along with the management step of the color coding for segregation, it is also important for the staff to be trained in record keeping. This practice of record-keeping helps track the total amount of waste generated and the problems that occurred during the management process, thus helping improve segregation, treatment, and disposal [ 20 ].

Color coding for segregation of BMW

Color coding is the first step of BMW management. Different wastes are classified into different types, and therefore, they must be handled and disposed of according to their classification. The bins used for waste disposal in all healthcare facilities worldwide are always color-coded. Based on the rule of universality, bins are assigned a specific color, according to which the waste is segregated. This step helps avoid the chaos that occurs when all types of waste are jumbled, which can lead to improper handling and disposal and further result in the contraction of several diseases [ 21 ]. The different kinds of categories of waste include sharp waste such as scalpels, blades, needles, and objects that can cause a puncture wound, anatomical waste, recyclable contaminated waste, chemicals, laboratory waste such as specimens, blood bags, vaccines, and medicines that are discarded. All the above-mentioned wastes are segregated in different colored bins and sent for treatment [ 22 ]. Yellow bins collect anatomical waste, infectious waste, chemical waste, laboratory waste, and pharmaceutical waste, covering almost all types of BMW. Different bins and various types of sterilization methods are used depending on how hazardous the waste is. The best tools for sterilization are autoclaves. Red bins collect recyclable contaminated wastes, and non-chlorinated plastic bags are used for BMW collection. Blue containers collect hospital glassware waste such as vials and ampoules. White bins are translucent where discarded and contaminated sharps are disposed of. Sharp wastes must always be disposed of in puncture-proof containers to avoid accidents leading to handlers contracting diseases [ 23 , 24 ]. 

Figure ​ Figure3 3 illustrates the different colored bins used for the segregation of BMW.

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Object name is cureus-0015-00000034589-i03.jpg

BMW management refers to completely removing all the hazardous and infectious waste generated from hospital settings. The importance of waste treatment is to remove all the pathogenic organisms by decontaminating the waste generated. This helps in the prevention of many severe health-related issues that can be caused because of the infective waste. It is a method used to prevent all environmental hazards [ 25 ].

Methods for the treatment of BMW

There are many methods that are used for the treatment of BMW. One of the most economical ways of waste treatment is incineration, which is just not some simple “burning” but the burning of waste at very high temperatures ranging from 1800℉ to 2000℉ to decrease the total mass of decontaminated waste by converting it into ash and gases, which is then further disposed of in landfills [ 25 , 26 ]. Important instructions associated with the use of incinerators are as follows: chlorinated plastic bags must not be put inside the incinerators as they can produce dioxin [ 26 ]. Metals should not be destroyed in an incinerator. The metals present in BMW are made of polyvinyl chloride. When these metals are burned, they produce a huge amount of dioxin. Dioxins are very toxic chlorinated chemical compounds, as dioxins, when released into the environment, can lead to environmental pollution and a higher incidence of cancer and respiratory manifestations [ 14 ].

Autoclaving is an alternate method of incineration. The mechanism of this process involved sterilization using steam and moisture. Operating temperatures and time of autoclaving is 121℃ for 20-30 minutes. The steam destroys pathogenic agents present in the waste and also sterilizes the equipment used in the healthcare facility [ 25 ]. Autoclaving has no health impacts and is very cost-friendly. It is recommended for the treatment of disposables and sharps, but the anatomical, radioactive, and chemical wastes must not be treated in an autoclave [ 27 ]. Chemical methods are the commonest methods that include chemicals such as chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, and Fenton’s reagent. They are used to kill the microorganisms present in the waste and are mainly used for liquid waste, such as blood, urine, and stool. They can also be used to treat solid waste and disinfect the equipment used in hospital settings and surfaces such as floors and walls [ 28 ]. Thermal inactivation is a method that uses high temperatures to kill the microorganisms present in the waste and reduce the waste generated in larger volumes. The temperature differs according to the type of pathogen present in the waste. After the treatment is done, the contents are then discarded into sewers [ 29 ].

Very serious environmental and health hazards can be triggered if hospital waste is mixed with normal garbage, which can lead to poor health and incurable diseases such as AIDS [ 30 ]. The needle sticks can be highly infectious if discarded inappropriately. Injury by these contaminated needles can lead to a high risk of active infection of HBV or HIV [ 31 ]. The groups at increased risk of getting infected accidentally are the medical waste handlers and scavengers. Sharps must properly be disposed of in a translucent thin-walled white bin. If sharps are discarded in a thin plastic bag, there is a high chance that the sharps might puncture the bag and injure the waste handler [ 32 ]. It can also be the main cause of severe air, water, and land pollution. Air pollutants in BMW can remain in the air as spores. These are known as biological air pollutants. Chemical air pollutants are released because of incinerators and open burning. Another type of threat is water pollutants. BMW containing heavy metals when disposed of in water bodies results in severe water contamination. The landfills where the disposal takes place must be constructed properly, or the waste inside might contaminate the nearby water bodies, thus contaminating the drinking water. Land pollution is caused due to open dumping [ 33 ]. BMW must also be kept away from the reach of rodents such as black rats and house mice, which can spread the pathogens to the people living nearby [ 34 ].

Many promising steps were taken to minimize the volume of waste discarded from the source, its treatment, and disposal. The 3R system encourages the waste generators to reuse, reduce, and recycle. Everyone must be aware of the 3Rs because this approach can help achieve a better and cleaner environment [ 35 ]. Unfortunately, most economically developing countries cannot correctly manage BMW. Very few staff members of healthcare facilities are educated about proper waste management. The waste handlers are also poorly educated about the hazards of waste [ 36 ]. Every member helping in the waste management process must be made aware of the dangers of BMW to avoid accidents that harm the environment and living beings [ 37 ].

Conclusions

BMW is generated by healthcare facilities and can be hazardous and infectious. Improper handling can lead to health hazards. Collection, segregation, transportation, treatment, and disposal of BMW are important steps in its management. The color coding of bins, the use of technologies such as incineration and autoclaving, and attention to environmental impacts are also highly crucial. BMW management aims to reduce waste volume and ensure proper disposal. All those involved should strive to make the environment safer.

The content published in Cureus is the result of clinical experience and/or research by independent individuals or organizations. Cureus is not responsible for the scientific accuracy or reliability of data or conclusions published herein. All content published within Cureus is intended only for educational, research and reference purposes. Additionally, articles published within Cureus should not be deemed a suitable substitute for the advice of a qualified health care professional. Do not disregard or avoid professional medical advice due to content published within Cureus.

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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Home > Books > Solid Waste Management - Recent Advances, New Trends and Applications

An Investigation of Waste Management Practice in a South African Township: A Case Study of Ekuphumleni Township, Ndlambe Municipality

Submitted: 31 July 2022 Reviewed: 06 August 2022 Published: 03 November 2022

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.107271

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Solid waste is a global challenge that is more pronounced in developing countries such as South Africa, where its management is a major concern. The government has recently made a concerted effort to engage the public in sustainable waste management practices to resolve the crisis occasioned by the challenge. This chapter investigates waste management practices in the South African Township of Ekuphumleni and relied on a sample of 353 households to obtain some primary data with a questionnaire on the subject matter. The data collected was analyzed using “R,” and the results were presented using charts, tables, and figures. Data collected revealed that waste paper, cans, used plastics, and bottles were major waste components generated by the respondents and these wastes were generally stored unseparated domestically in plastic bags and home garbage can. Furthermore, the respondent indicated that the municipality does a door-to-door collection of their waste and they were unwilling to pay for waste collection services. While the waste management practice is in tandem with the municipal system, the study recommends that the respondents must be educated on circularity, which will ensure reducing, reusing, recycling, and recovering waste and further aid economic empowerment.

  • waste management
  • South African
  • waste separation
  • waste storage

Author Information

Ayo adeniran *.

  • Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa

Lorato Motsatsi

  • Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Pretoria, South Africa

Sijekula Mbanga

Emma ayesu-koranteng, winston shakantu.

*Address all correspondence to: [email protected]

1. Introduction

Waste continues to be generated because of human activities, and as the increase in the human population stimulates urbanisation, it is becoming an issue of global concern [ 1 ]. Waste refers to all pieces of objects and items such as garden waste, packing items, vegetables, metals and old paint containers, among others, that owners have no more use for and they aim to discard [ 2 , 3 ]. The concern for such items stems from the continuous contamination of the atmosphere, soil and water, which endlessly impacts public health and global degradation [ 4 ].

It is important to note that the increasing solid waste generation places additional strain on the already overburdened waste management systems, and if waste is not properly managed, it may cause societal problems with the “Not-In-My-Backyard” mindset anticipated to emerge and prevail [ 5 ]. Besides, poorly managed solid wastes can have catastrophic environmental implications, such as becoming a breeding ground for disease-spreading vectors, production of leachates which contaminates groundwater, production of methane gas with its subsequent effects on global warming and climate change and increased fire outbreak, to mention a few [ 6 ].

Waste management is simply the collection, transportation, processing, or disposal of waste materials [ 7 ]. Chand [ 8 ] further described waste management as a procedure to mitigate the waste impact on the environment, health, or aesthetics. However, the poor handling of the procedure in urban and rural areas has been a major problem for human health and existence [ 9 ].

As a result of the global impact of waste, at least 12 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the 193 UN Member States in September 2015 [ 10 ], have a direct association with solid waste management. Furthermore, according to the Global Waste Management Outlook (GWMO), the cross-cutting nature of solid waste management (SWM) and its impact on 12 SDGs emphasise its importance and political priority [ 11 ].

Despite the SDG’s focus, waste and its management practices remain a major global challenge [ 12 ]. Low-income countries’ main waste procedures and disposal mechanisms are open dumping and open burning [ 13 ]. For example, open littering [ 14 ], open dump [ 15 ], illegal dump sites [ 16 ], and incineration [ 17 ], among others, are some of the waste management practices still in practice in developing countries.

While no study as to the practice of waste management in Ekuphumleni Township, Ndlambe Municipality has been conducted, this chapter seeks to present the findings of the current practice and make recommendations towards addressing and raising the level of awareness and knowledge of sustainable solid waste management practices in the low-income neighbourhood of emerging nations.

The subsequent sections present the literature works, the methodology employed, findings and recommendations and conclusions of the study.

2. Waste management practices

Waste is unwanted, useless, and discarded material generated daily by human activities [ 18 ]. The E.U. Waste Directive defines waste as any object or substance the owner throws away, implying that it is useless [ 19 ]. However, several schools of thought, such as Steenmans and Malcolm [ 20 ], Thomas [ 21 ], and Hannon and Zaman [ 22 ], have argued against this definition as the value of waste is deemed to be subjective as what is waste to a consumer is a resource to another.

As a result, Wiprächtiger [ 23 ] argues that there is no such element as final waste because its definition will always depend on the degree of its perceived usefulness to its holder. It is then safe to align with van Ewijk [ 24 ] that the definition of waste is always contextual and can depend on the prevailing state of technology, the environment, and political ideology.

According to the Basel Convention, waste is categorised into two main typologies: hazardous and non-hazardous [ 25 ]. While hazardous waste is regulated at the national level, regulating the non-hazardous is within the purview of the regional and or municipal government [ 26 ]. The Basel convention documented hazardous wastes as radioactive, industrial, electronic and medical waste, among others, while the non-hazardous are municipal and non-hazardous industrial waste [ 27 ].

Mngomezulu [ 14 ] and Adeniran [ 15 ] identified the typology of municipal waste to include cans, and other metals, paper, bottles, plastics, food remains, old appliances, glass and construction demolition waste, among others.

Hoornweg and Bhada-Tata [ 6 ] further identified the types of waste and their sources to be: glass (broken glassware and bottles, coloured glass and light bulbs, among others); metal (foil, cans, tins, appliances and railings, among others); organic (garden/yard waste, food scraps and wood process residues, among others); paper (newspaper, cardboard, paper scraps and boxes, among others); plastic (packaging, containers, bags and lids, among others); and other (leather, textiles, rubber, multi-laminates and other inert materials).

The growth in waste is alarming in metropolitan areas, and this is due to population movements towards these centres [ 28 ]. Waste growth tends to rise proportionately with urbanisation, rising income levels, and population expansion [ 12 , 29 ]. While the global population keeps growing, its changing demographics are quickly evolving, and such areas are witnessing unprecedented levels of urbanisation, with the majority of this growth occurring in small and medium-sized cities in low-income countries [ 30 ]. Amaral [ 31 ] indicates that the unprecedented population growth has several environmental consequences, including increased urbanisation and municipal solid waste generation, which is expected to reach 3.4 billion tonnes annually by 2050. This waste growth is unfortunately not being matched with appropriate management practices [ 32 ].

Waste management is collecting, storing, treating, and disposing of waste materials in a manner that is safe for humans, vegetation, living creatures, ecosystems, and the environment [ 33 ].

As practiced in most emerging countries, households dispose of all forms of waste together [ 34 ], and the municipal trucks collect them [ 35 ] and when and if not collected, the practice of illegal dumping, littering and open burning of waste is practiced [ 36 ].

In South Africa, AWARD [ 37 ] indicated that over 90% of the collected waste is disposed of into landfills.

The literature highlighted three types of landfills: the open dump, the semi-controlled landfill, and the sanitary landfill [ 38 ]. Despite the attendant challenges posed by the open dump practices, it is still the most used method by urban centres in the developing world [ 12 ].

Waste collection and landfill activities have significantly contributed to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change [ 39 ]. However, these poor waste management practices have fallen excessively on the poverty-stricken neighbourhoods with little or no influence on the waste products being illegally dumped near them [ 40 ].

A waste management system includes appropriate separation and decommissioning, logistics, storage, worker training and disposal facilities [ 41 ].

Adeniran [ 42 ] posited that numerous policies had been positioned to tackle waste and pollution in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, [ 43 ] argues that it is unclear if these policies are actioned as there is little or no progress towards achieving their aims and obligations. In addition, UNEP [ 44 ] indicated that the inability of many African governments to enforce waste and environmental regulations had fostered an environment of impunity, thus affecting the performance of waste management. According to David [ 45 ], the resultant effect is that industry participants are incapable of keeping up with the increasing waste streams and the timely development of strategies and policies to manage them effectively.

Despite their limited capacity for planning, limited resources, operational monitoring, and contract management, local governments are frequently in charge of an effective waste management system, and these limiting factors make sustainable waste management difficult [ 46 ].

Globally, various waste handling and disposal systems are in place; however, the major difference between the systems of advanced and emerging economies is waste separation at the collection point [ 47 ], which facilitates waste recycling and reuse, recognised as the most beneficial waste management system.

Mir [ 48 ] aver that the population must accept a waste management system to be effective, and [ 49 ] underscores the importance of ensuring a higher standard of living for future generations, simply defined as sustainability. Hence a solid waste management system must be socially acceptable, economically viable, and environmentally efficient to be sustainable [ 50 ].

Affordability denotes that all sectors of society accept the cost of maintaining a clean environment, whereas societal acceptance denotes that the inhabitants agree to the service offered if it meets their needs [ 51 ]. Meanwhile, the waste management system must be environmentally friendly by implementing an environmental conservation strategy, structure, and policy.

Simatele [ 52 ] documented that South Africa, like other developing countries, has implemented waste management policies, but their application proved inconsistent. Dlamini et al. indicated that these policies cover a set of efforts to tackle enhancements for environmental and public health quality. Nonetheless, despite the legal importance and quality, the law’s enactment per se does not guarantee improvements in solid waste management [ 53 ].

South Africa has 13 pieces of legislation on waste management [ 54 ]; the most recent is the National Environmental Management: Waste Amendment Act, 2014 (Act 26 of 2014). The thrust of this legislation is “to protect health and the environment by providing reasonable measures for the prevention of pollution and ecological degradation and for securing ecologically sustainable development”.

3. Methodology

The data for this paper were collected between 20th and 24th September 2020 between the hours of 10 h00 and 20 h00 to ensure that respondents who had gone to work were given the opportunity as they are expected to have returned by the evening at the latest. The time frame was chosen because residents are expected to have completed their household chores by 10 h00; those who had left home in the morning would have returned for dinner by the late evening. During the collection period, data were collected on various aspects, including household waste management and disposal practices; thus, this study focuses on the waste management practices of Ekuphumleni households. Ekuphumleni township is adjacent to the Kenton on Sea within the Ndlambe Municipality in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The township is located approximately 130 km from Port Elizabeth on the Port Alfred-East London corridor.

The estimated population of the township was about 1800 households and using a 95% confidence level and a 5% margin of error, 317 households were targeted, but we succeeded in reaching a sample of 353 households using convenience sampling to gather primary data from the willing and available representatives of all households during the fieldwork.

Within the COVID-19 protocol, this study utilised a Likert scale-like questionnaire; because of its simplicity in composition, the Likert Scale was the preferred scaling system for applicable statements/questions as it also allows for the use of hidden perceptions and is expected to yield a high accuracy of measurement [ 55 ]. The questionnaire covered a wide range of topics and offered information for developing a local economic strategy as the data collection tool. The data collection was managed by the researchers, who also participated in the data collection, assisted by a team of well-trained field workers. There had been several meetings and consultations between all stakeholders regarding the green village project to be developed within the community prior to administering the questionnaire. Ward Councillors, Community Representatives, and Municipality Officials attended these meetings and expressed their support for conducting the study in the area. After approval, potential participants were approached, informed consent was obtained from them, all the participants were assured of anonymity and confidentiality, and their participation was entirely voluntary.

The data collected was analysed using SPSS, and the adopted decision rule was adapted from [ 56 ] and presented in Table 1 .

Decision rule.

Adapted from Sarrafzadeh [ 56 ].

4. Findings

4.1 demography.

Demographic data allows us to determine whether there are differences in the answers provided by the respondents based on personal characteristics, and it also assists us in determining if there are gaps in our data, allowing us to ensure that it reflects the subject in question [ 57 ].

4.1.1 The population of households by gender

The data collected on the gender makeup of each household is presented in Figure 1 , and it shows that the 353 participating households have a female population of 748 (57.2%) and a male population of 560 (42.8%). This implies that each household has an average of 3.70 people, i.e. the ratio of females to males is 2.12 to 1.58 per household).

dissertation report on waste management

Population of household by gender.

4.1.2 Household headship

The questionnaire did not specify how participants should perceive headship, and no question queried what made a household member the head. However, in most households, the person described as the head of the household was the oldest family member.

As shown in Figure 2 , except for one household with a coloured male respondent head, there are more black female-headed households than black male-headed households across all age groups. According to the frequency distribution in Figure 3 , the overall mean age of the household head was 46 years.

dissertation report on waste management

Age of household head.

dissertation report on waste management

Distribution of age of household head.

4.1.3 Education level

Using households that are 20 years and above, Table 2 shows that 410 respondents representing 93.0% of the household members either did not attend school, had incomplete or complete primary and incomplete and complete secondary school while 17 Nr (3.9%) have certificate and 10 Nr (2.3%) hold diplomas. It is also interesting to note that the 4 Nr (0.9%) with a bachelor’s degree are all female. Again, these figures apply to household members (20 years and above) whose highest education qualification was reported.

Household members’ highest educational qualification.

4.1.4 Household average monthly income

As revealed in Tables 3 , 244 households (69.1%) live on an average monthly income of less than R6000, while another 46 households (13%) earn no income. 6.2% earn an average monthly income of between R6000 and above R20000, meaning they are in the mid to high-income strata.

Household average monthly income.

4.2 Waste management practices in Ekuphumleni township

4.2.1 types of waste generated and frequency.

Taking a cue from Table 1 , as seen from Table 4 , waste paper, cans, used plastics, and bottles rank first, second, third and fourth with mean scores of 3.13, 3.00, 2.95, and 2.92, indicating that the respondents sometimes generate these materials as waste. On the other hand, food remains, old clothing, old appliances, human waste, hazardous waste and oil are rarely generated as their mean scores ranged between 1.45 and 2.44; decision rule from Table 1 , the respondents never generate other types of waste with a mean score of 0.32. With a composite mean of 2.09, there is a sign that waste is rarely generated in the township.

Types of waste generated and frequency.

Key: A = Always; O = Often; S = Sometimes; R = Rarely; N = Never; U = Unspecified; MS = Mean Score; and R* = Ranking.

4.2.2 Waste storage material and frequency

Plastic bags with a mean score of 3.45 is often used as storage material by the respondents, as shown in Table 5 , and it ranks first. Home garbage cans (MS, 2.11) and cardboard boxes (MS 1.68), ranking second and third respectively, are often used, while municipal plastic drums (MS 1.43), biodegradable sacks (MS 1.20), nearby municipal dumpster (MS 0.92) and into unused open plots (MS 0.75) are never used. With a composite mean of 1.65, there is an indication of general apathy towards storing waste in materials.

Waste storage material and frequency.

4.2.3 Waste separation

Table 6 reveals that 323 respondents representing 91.5%, indicated that they do not separate their wastes, while 19 Nr (5.4%) stated that they do and 11 Nr (3.1%) were not specific. The respondents who indicated that they separate the waste, however, stated that they separate them into components of bottles, glasses, plastics, cans, boxes, cardboard and papers.

Waste separation.

4.2.4 Waste disposal system and frequency

Table 7 shows that the disposal of waste into the Municipal waste truck with a mean score of 4.26 is often used as the means of waste disposal, while community bins (MS 1.82) are rarely used, and others such as recycling facilities, empty plots, landfill sites, abandoned houses and others are generally never used as their mean score is between 0.54 and 0.82. Besides, the composite mean of the waste disposal location stands at 1.58.

Domestic waste disposal system and frequency.

When further asked about the frequency of the collection, as revealed in Table 8 , the respondents indicated that the municipality is the main waste collector with 344 Nr (97.5%) indicating such while 5Nr (1.4%) indicated other and 4 Nr (1.1%) was unspecified.

Waste collector.

4.2.5 Waste collection point and frequency of collection

From the mean score ranking as presented in Table 9 , door-to-door collection (MS 2.91) ranked the first in waste collection types, followed by community waste collection point (MS 1.95), while the collection of waste anywhere it is dumped (MS 0.70) and others (MS 0.20) ranks third and fourth respectively.

Waste collection point and frequency of collection.

Key: D = Daily; W = Weekly; F = Fortnightly; M = Monthly; N = Never; U = Unspecified; MS = Mean Score; and R* = Ranking.

4.2.6 Pay for waste removal

As shown in Table 10 , the number of respondents who indicated that they do not pay for waste removal is 333 (94.3%), and 9 (2.5%) respondents did not specify. Of the number that said that they do pay for waste removal, 5 Nr (1.4%) indicated that the government helps them, and 6 Nr (1.7%) stated that they receive no help from the government.

Pay for waste removal.

5. Discussion of findings

From the findings, it can be generally inferred that the respondents practice effective waste management in line with the provision of the local municipality and the municipality also fulfils its responsibility of waste collection.

To underscore the representativeness of the study, the findings show that both genders of females and males participated in the study, although the data stated that there were more women than men, and this is supported by Knoema [ 58 ], who indicated that there are more women than men in South Africa, with a ratio of 97 men to 100 women. Also, this finding is supported by data from UNDP [ 59 ] on South Africa, which states that 51.5 per cent are female, and 48.5 per cent are male. Furthermore, Arcgis [ 60 ] stated that the average South African household size in 2019 was 3.3 people, whereas the study revealed an average of 3.70 persons per household, a size within the same range, reiterating the validity of the findings. Literature has, however, indicated that the generation of waste which in turn dictates the waste management practice, is affected not only by the number of people but also by other factors like population structure or way of living and female to male ratio [ 61 ].

The survey identified that female household headship was in the majority, and literature indicates that female headship has been on the rise in South Africa, as recorded by the 10-yearly census data on female headship and income [ 62 ]. This assertion of [ 62 ] gives credence to the finding of this study. Furthermore, Posel [ 63 ] observed that the average age of South African heads of households was between 44 and 51 years and the average age of the participants from Ekuphumleni township was 46.32 years. While Anbazu [ 64 ] indicate that household heads influence the choice of waste management practice, Uma [ 65 ] further observed that many female-headed households utilise informal refuse disposal systems rather than male-headed households.

Using household members that are 20 years and above, the study observed that 12.5% of the respondents indicated that they have no schooling, but the finding of the waste practice showed that they have a good practice in consonance with Chikowore [ 66 ]. This finding is also supported by the observation of Mngomezulu [ 14 ] that the level of education has no association with waste management practices, but environmental education and a lack of information do.

The study observed that over 60% of the respondents are earning below R4000, putting them in the low-income strata of society. There is much scientific literature on the association of socioeconomic indices such as income with solid waste generation, but there are inconsistencies in the other literature findings. For example, Khan [ 67 ] stated that income significantly influences solid waste generation and management. Porpino [ 68 ] concluded that low-income households generate more waste, while Omolayo [ 69 ] concluded that higher-income households generate more waste than lower-income ones. Machate [ 70 ] observed that the causative factor is income, and that waste generation increases as income increases. Namlis [ 71 ] posited that the association was dependent on the development stage of a country and hypothesised that as income rises in emerging nations, so would solid waste generation; however, as income increases in advanced economies, waste generation significantly reduced. From the preceding, as expected, the waste generation in this community depended on other influencing factors asides from income.

Waste paper, cans, used plastics, and bottles were the major waste components generated in the township, and these wastes are recyclable. According to Chen [ 72 ], estimating the waste types generated and their management method can be useful for predicting future waste management trends. Nineteen case study of municipal solid waste in developing countries, as documented by Troschinetz [ 73 ], produces by average recyclable content of 55%. Such organic content includes food waste, paper and paper materials, human waste, bio-degradable plastic, and landscape and pruning waste, among others [ 9 ]. The data collected aligns with the literature on the typology of waste generated in developing countries and can be used to predict future trends and waste management systems.

Plastic bags and home garbage cans are indicated to be mostly used by the respondents as domestic storage materials, and according to the documentation of Yoada [ 74 ], the two most common storage items for domestic solid waste in Accra, Ghana, were plastic bins, baskets polythene bags, paper boxes and old buckets. Gumbi [ 75 ] also indicated that residents’ major types of containers to dispose of waste collected by the municipality ranged from plastic bags to metal bins and plastic bins. The findings of this study show that plastic bag is the popular waste storage material in the township and aligns with other works of literature.

With over 90% indicating that they do not separate their waste, this finding aligns with the general apathy towards waste separation in developing countries where waste separation is uncommon, as observed by Ferronato [ 12 ]. According to Babaei [ 76 ], while initiatives to strengthen solid waste management in emerging economies have primarily focused on cost-effective practices such as separation, source reduction and recycling, their implementations have experienced social opposition because of low awareness and willingness to participate. Matete [ 77 ] also indicates that separation at source, among other things, is not yet accorded a top priority in line with regulatory and legal requirements in South Africa. Hence, it can be inferred that the respondent does not practice waste separation as part of their waste disposal practice.

The municipal waste truck always collects the waste from the respondents weekly from door-to-door as indicated by the respondents. According to the South African legislative provision, the municipality is responsible for solid waste management [ 78 ]. This agrees with literature from developed or emerging economies, such as Indonesia [ 79 ], Ghana [ 80 ], Colombia [ 81 ], Turkey [ 82 ], South Africa [ 52 ], USA [ 83 ] and the United Kingdom [ 84 ] among others where the municipal truck is the main collector of waste, but the difference is the frequency and efficiency. The finding of this study, where residents indicated that municipal truck comes to remove their wastes, confirms what the literature indicates.

However, Statistics South Africa [ 85 ] observed a lack of SWM services in South Africa, with only 66% of the population receiving waste collection services from municipalities or private companies through municipal contracts. With this background, Hlahla [ 86 ] indicated that South Africa has a variety of waste collection systems designed to accommodate the unique conditions of a peri-urban community, one of which is door-to-door collection by municipal truck, which is the collection practice in Ekuphumleni.

With over 94% of the respondents stating that they were not willing to pay for waste management services, the study aligns with Omolayo [ 87 ], who observed that socioeconomic factors such as income level affect households’ willingness to pay for waste management in South Africa. Therefore, the respondents’ household income level could be inferred to be why the respondents are unwilling to pay for such services.

6. Conclusion and recommendations

The United Nations’2030 target continues to prioritise environmental sustainability. As a result, various levels of government in South Africa have implemented various waste disposal avenues for the populace, but there have been reported inefficiency of these program(s) in many parts of the nation. As a result, we investigated waste management practices in the South African township of Ekuphumleni using primary data.

The descriptive statistics findings show an average of 3.70 people (the ratio of females to males is 2.12 to 1.58) per household, and the average household head age of 46 years was recorded. In addition, about 87% of the household heads had formal education and over 60% with a monthly income estimated at below ZAR4000/USD200. The findings further identified that most of the waste generated by the township is recyclable, and that the main disposal method is storing the waste at the household level with some form of plastic material, which is collected weekly at their doors by the municipal truck. Many households perceive littering and the dumping of refuse anywhere as an environmental problem that requires drastic measures for its control or eradication.

Recycling has a mean score of 0.82, indicating the need for sensitisation programmes and incentives to increase household participation in recycling waste products.

Almost none of the respondents pay for waste, which can be attributed to some or all the socioeconomic factors, particularly household income.

The study’s findings imply that the waste management practices of the residents of Ekuphumleni township do not fully align with the sustainable waste management practices of reducing, reusing, recycling and recovering, although a high volume of their waste is recyclable. The waste collected by the municipal trucks end up in landfills, thus contributing to greenhouse gas emission and pollution of the groundwater system.

Therefore, this study concludes that there is a need for sustainable waste management practices in the township. This is achievable by raising awareness and educating the residents on the need for sustainable waste management practices of reducing, reusing, recycling and recovering towards a circular economy. Towards this, the South African government must intensify its efforts on poverty alleviation interventions to improve the socioeconomic status of households and environmental sensitisation programmes through adequate citizen education to facilitate the achievement of zero waste.

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the efforts and hard work of the field survey teams who assisted with data collection under the very trying COVID-19 conditions. The cooperation and kind assistance of the Ndlambe Municipal Officials and the residents of Ekuphumleni and Dr. Kabundu for assistance with the statistical analysis. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Department of Science and Technology (DST) in South Africa funded the research as part of the Ecosun Village Demonstration Project.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Garcia-Garcia, Guillermo. "Development of a framework for sustainable management of industrial food waste." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2017. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/25552.

Whitehair, Kelly J. "Investigation of strategies to decrease food waste in college and university foodservice." Diss., Kansas State University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/12447.

Abdiju, Kushtrim. "Exploring a New Way of Food Inventory Management in Households Using Modern Technologies to Reduce Food Waste." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för datavetenskap och medieteknik (DM), 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-89391.

Zimmermann, Kelly K. "Food Waste Reduction Strategies in Supermarkets: The Lived Experiences of Perishable Food Managers in Michigan." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/4264.

Thomsson, Olof. "Systems analysis of small-scale systems for food supply and organic waste management /." Uppsala : Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences (Sveriges lantbruksuniv.), 1999. http://epsilon.slu.se/a185.pdf.

Srey, Chanrita, Naoko Otonari, and KHOUYA ALI Adam EL. "The Barriers and Drivers in Reducing Food Waste within Grocery Stores : A case study." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för marknadsföring (MF), 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-56344.

CONRAD, Tangui, Vincent DUVIGNACQ, and Mathieu GAUTHIER. "Drivers Leading to the Identification of an Entrepreneurial Opportunity : Applied to Entrepreneurs in the Food Waste Management Industry." Thesis, Internationella Handelshögskolan, Högskolan i Jönköping, IHH, Företagsekonomi, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-44040.

Halm, Julia. "Assessing Barriers and Benefits to a Food Waste Composting Pilot Program in Oberlin, Ohio." Oberlin College Honors Theses / OhioLINK, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=oberlin162151075210671.

Bender, Kathryn Elizabeth. "Marketing for Sustainability: Government Management of Wild Horses and Producer Date Labeling of Foods." The Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1562859068154192.

Saengsathien, Arjaree. "Modelling and determining inventory decisions for improved sustainability in perishable food supply chains." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/17594.

Salisu, Nadezda, and Lina Olsson. "Towards environmentally sustainable development in the food retail industry : A case study of Lidl Sweden." Thesis, Mälardalens högskola, Akademin för ekonomi, samhälle och teknik, 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-25384.

Leung, Hoi-ting, and 梁凱婷. "Food waste upcycling for a sustainable food waste management in Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10722/207646.

Ng, Chiu-ue, and 吳昭榆. "Food waste management in Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10722/194571.

Clark, Andrea L. "Waste Management Minimization Strategies in Hospitals." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/5064.

Petäjävaara, Ida. "Sustainability and Health in Disaster Waste Management." Thesis, Södertörns högskola, Institutionen för naturvetenskap, miljö och teknik, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-20231.

Toca, Andreea. "Rethinking waste streams: using food waste to rear mealworms." Thesis, KTH, Miljöstrategisk analys (fms), 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-211251.

Span, Kati A. "Pre-Consumer Food Waste at Three Dining Facilities." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/43204.

af, Ugglas Samuel. "Waste diagnostic - A caste study of a company’s waste management." Thesis, KTH, Skolan för kemi, bioteknologi och hälsa (CBH), 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-279482.

Bland, Antoinette. "Waste Management in California Jails and Prisons." Thesis, Brandman University, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3720297.

The focus of this mixed-methods study was to identify waste reduction strategies that reduced the impact of California jails and prisons on the environment through waste diversion and reduction. This study also sought to identify barriers that hindered jail and prison personnel from developing such strategies, and pursued recommendations on how those barriers could be overcome.

Traditionally, California county jails and state prisons are resource intensive, overcrowded housing locations for about 200,000 adult men and women (Glaze & Herberman, 2013). California jails and prisons operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and utilize resources such as electricity, personnel, food, and other products. Accordingly, they generated significant waste (California Department of Resources and Recovery [CalRecycle], 2012). The prisoners alone generated about four pounds of waste per person each day, consistent with societal averages (CalRecycle, 2012; Corrections Corporation of America, 2007; Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2012a). Because of this, jails and prison must do more to reduce waste.

This study provided examples of organizations currently reducing waste through strategic initiatives and highlighted areas where jails and prisons could begin or further improve waste diversion practices. The study utilized archival data, a web-based survey, and interviews for data collection and analysis. The data from California jails and prisons were analyzed to identify strategies, barriers, and ways to eliminate or reduce barriers to waste reduction programs in California jails and prisons.

The findings conclude, California state-operated prisons and sheriff-operated county jails are using two primary strategies to divert waste from landfills. The number one strategy is recycling. The second strategy being used is waste prevention and material reuse. The barriers identified by California state-operated prisons and sheriff-operated county jails include finding vendors to collect certain materials as well as finding vendors to travel to remote locations. Other barriers include a lack of personnel and in some instances a lack of knowledge. Sheriff-operated jails and state-operated prisons in California identified waste management program support from leadership as a primary method to eliminate or reduce barriers to implementing a waste reduction program. Implications for action and future research are also discussed as part of this study.

Karunamoothei, V. "Restaurant food waste management using microwave plasma gasification technology." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 2018. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/8723/.

Boer, Jan den. "Sustainability assessment for waste management planning : development and alternative use of the LCA-IWM waste management system assessment tool /." Darmstadt : Inst. WAR, 2007. http://www.ulb.tu-darmstadt.de/tocs/194398196.pdf.

Chirico, Jennifer M. "Solid waste management: the barriers to sustainability on remote islands." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/45901.

Herman, Tess P. "Optimizing Feedstock Mixtures for Anaerobic Digestion of Food Waste, Brewery Waste, and Crop Residues." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1564764496107388.

Asp, Simon. "Reducing Food Waste with a Sustainable Lunch Concept : A Service Design Project." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för tillämpad fysik och elektronik, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-163206.

Agbesola, Yetunde. "Sustainability of Municipal Solid Waste Management in Nigeria : A Case Study of Lagos." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Tema vatten i natur och samhälle, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-97010.

Lam, Yik-man, and 林奕雯. "Partnership for sustainable waste management: a case study of the food waste recycling partnership scheme in HongKong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2012. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B48543263.

Williams, Steven A. "Trash Talk| Understanding Food Waste at a Charter Elementary School in Florida." Thesis, University of South Florida, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1586126.

Waste as a topic for anthropological investigation has enjoyed a recent resurgence in interest, mirroring burgeoning discussion among policy-makers and the general public about questions of environmental impacts, economic costs, and social detriments of contemporary waste management paradigms. While waste management in the United States has largely focused on technical and organizational solutions typically considered the domain of environmental planning and engineering (such as source reduction, recycling, and reuse), anthropology and the social sciences have become more prominently involved in efforts to inform policy-makers and researchers about the social and behavioral factors influencing waste norms and habits, particularly in educational institutions and municipal governments.

The central questions to this research were as follows: (1) What are some of the perceptions and practices concerning food waste at an environmental charter elementary school in Florida? (2) What do self-reported data on food waste behaviors suggest about disposal habits and norms? (3) What is the extent to which food is discarded relative to other types of refuse? and (4) From the perspectives of school staff and students, what are some of the factors influencing food waste?

To answer these questions, I employed both "garbological" and ethnographic methods at an environmental charter school, Learning Gate Community School, over a period of nine months, including (1) participant observation, (2) garbological audits of the cafeteria waste stream, (3) key informant interviews with students and staff, and (4) log sheets sent home to a random sample of parents to gauge the fraction of leftovers taken home that are ultimately discarded in order to gain a more holistic understanding of the waste stream of the school cafeteria.

The results of this project support the following conclusions: (1) students at Learning Gate tend to agree that food waste is a detriment, but these concerns are subordinate to factors such as the degree of hunger at lunchtime and the perceived palatability of certain food items and (2) lunch periods are an important block of unstructured time, which Learning Gate students use for a far broader variety of activities than merely nourishment

Ngai, Ho-yee, and 危可兒. "Food waste management in a Hong Kong secondary school campus." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2012. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B4854341X.

Modin, Ivan. "Development of an Automatic Control Platform for Food Waste Management." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för elektroteknik, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-451933.

Lama, Lisa. "FoodEd : Encouraging sustainable food waste practices through an informative app." Thesis, KTH, Skolan för elektroteknik och datavetenskap (EECS), 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-264574.

Adjei, Solomon D. "Review of waste management in the UK construction industry." Thesis, University of Wolverhampton, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2436/618541.

Duval, Alexandra M. "Valorization of Carrot Processing Waste." DigitalCommons@CalPoly, 2020. https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2155.

De, Beer Thys. "Sustainable waste management : a decision support framework." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/80319.

Hon, Kwok-hung Martin. "Materials and waste management in the Hong Kong catering industry." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 2002. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B25439121.

Mollatt, Michelle Claire. "Ecological food sense : connections between food waste flows and food production in Enkanini Informal Settlement, Stellenbosch." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/86550.

Solis, Liana D. "Turning Waste into Compost in Napa, California." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2016. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/pomona_theses/147.

Saat, Sita Aisyah. "Analysing sustainability of solid waste management in Malaysia using ecological modernisation perspective." Thesis, University of Strathclyde, 2012. http://oleg.lib.strath.ac.uk:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=17842.

Hartmann, Ntombizanele. "The role of waste management in urban sustainability: case study Bluewater Bay." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020771.

Björklund, Ted, and Wictor Fors. "Waste Management With a Green Supply Chain : A case study regarding how for-profit organisations should utilise waste management." Thesis, Mälardalens högskola, Industriell ekonomi och organisation, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-39338.

Ho, Lai-chu, and 何麗珠. "Waste management in in-flight catering service industry." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2000. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B42575394.

Herron, Trevor P. "An Internship with the Zero Waste Alliance." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1114196877.

Woo, Pak-keung, and 鄔柏強. "Food waste in Hong Kong : a study on source reduction." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10722/207631.

Rousta, Kamran. "Municipality Solid Waste Management An evaluation on the Borås System." Thesis, Högskolan i Borås, Institutionen Ingenjörshögskolan, 2008. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hb:diva-19040.

Singh, Suhas. "Re-defining data visuals for an efficient and sustainable food waste management." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för geovetenskaper, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-325159.

Velin, Johanna, Pär Gustafsson, and Emmy Torstensson. "Sustainable Food Consumption : Exploring Consumers' Perspectives." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för marknadsföring (MF), 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-65186.

Hellmann, Hansen Sascha. "Conditions for Urban Sustainability in South Africa : Waste management and everyday life practices." Thesis, Karlstads universitet, Institutionen för miljö- och livsvetenskaper (from 2013), 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-74504.

Badiger, Aishwarya Satish. "Consumer Food Waste Reduction using Dynamic Labelling and Predictive Shelf-life Modelling for Pasteurized Milk." The Ohio State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1532015322705163.

Ai, Ning. "Challenges of sustainable urban planning: the case of municipal solid waste management." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/44926.

Hon, Kwok-hung Martin, and 韓國雄. "Materials and waste management in the Hong Kong catering industry." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2002. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B43894938.

Barylak, Carson Hilary. "Integrated waste management at The Ohio State University economic and institutional determinants of sustainability /." Connect to resource, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1811/32239.

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  • Published: 26 April 2024

Current and future perspectives for biomass waste management and utilization

  • Ornella Francioso 1  

Scientific Reports volume  14 , Article number:  9635 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

  • Geochemistry

The collection is dedicated to the conversion of biomass wastes into value-added bioproducts and bioactive compounds, with a focus on their applications in the agro-energy sector. Of particular relevance were three studies evaluating the effects of livestock waste, rice straw and biochar on soil properties, crops and productivity. Of note were two articles on the bioconversion of aquaculture sludge by insects and the production of biofuel from seed oil as an alternative to overcoming the depletion of fossil fuels. Finally, one article analysed the potential for recovering organic and mineral compounds from gastropod shells. The articles provided insights into the management and use of biomass wastes, as well as suggestions for future research to promote sustainability in agriculture.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing conflicts, there are rapid and unprecedented changes occurring in the climate, environment, and economy. Therefore, it is necessary to find immediate solutions to these challenges. The goal is to identify and co-develop innovative circular solutions that promote environmental sustainability, resilience, and economic growth in the near future. Agriculture has traditionally operated as a circular economic system, utilizing livestock farming yields waste as manure, animal bedding, and related by-products and crop residue 1 to restore soil fertility. This has been achieved through the use of elemental agricultural practices, taking into account the availability of biomass waste. Advances in knowledge, technology, and synthetic products have significantly increased primary productivity, food production processes, and food security. As a result, the circularity has been lost or reduced, resulting in a return to a linear economic model with a considerable accumulation of waste 2 . Mismanagement of biomass waste has significant environmental impacts due to the GHG emission, pollutants, and unpleasant odours. According to Gerber et al. 3 , agricultural and livestock by-products are responsible for 40% of global CH 4 emissions, while waste disposal accounts for 18% 3 . Therefore, managing biomass waste properly is crucial in mitigating its impact on the climate and environment 4 . The 4Rs, Reduce, Reuse, Recover, and Recycle 5 became mandatory. By using biomass waste, local communities can increase their income, reduce the financial burden of waste disposal and minimize their carbon footprint 6 .

Article highlights in this collection

This Collection focuses on the conversion of biomass waste into value-added bio-products and bioactive compounds, and their applications in the agro-energy sector. The ultimate aim is to reduce waste and promote a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach. Three studies analyzed the effects of livestock waste, rice straw 7 , 9 and biochar 10 on various soil characteristics, crops and productivity. Two papers are presented focusing on how insects bio-convert aquaculture sludge into nutrients 11 , and finding alternative energy sources to overcome the fragility of fossil fuels and their negative environmental effects 12 . Finally, in one paper, the potential for recovering organic and mineral compounds from gastropod shells was explored 13 .

Specifically, Wang et al. 7 investigated the recycling of P from livestock waste, including poultry manure (PM), cattle manure (CM), cattle bone meal (CB), maize straw crop residues (MS), and superphosphate (SSP), in acidic (red soil) and alkaline (river soil) soils that received the same total P supply. The study addressed the problem of low P availability in these soils, which is a major constraint to sustainable crop productivity. Only CM increased soil labile P fractions to levels similar to SSP. These results have important implications for sustainable agriculture, as phosphate fertilizers are produced from phosphate rock, a non-renewable resource 8 .

Ghosh et al. 9 used rice straw at 12 Mg ha −1 combined with P-solubilizing microorganisms and 75% P mineral to improve silicon (Si), organic acid levels, soil enzyme activity and grain yield. The results showed that grain yield increased by 40% compared to no P application, and by 18% compared to 100% P application. Therefore, recycling agricultural residues with phosphorous-solubilizing microorganisms has the potential to increase crop yields and save 25% of mineral P, leading to sustainable soil management.

Pinnavaia et al . 10 addressed the impact of biochar in agriculture. They evaluated the effects of sugarcane bagasse biochar on the growth of cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), as well as the yield and quality of the lint, in a three-year field experiment. Despite the high concentration of biochar added to the soil, no significant effect on cotton lint and seed yield was observed in the first two years. The agricultural and environmental implications of this research are significant, as it highlights the potential of biochar to promote sustainability in agriculture.

An interesting way to promote the transition to a circular economy is to use insects to bio-convert aquaculture sludge to recover nutrients that can be used as animal feed. In addition, the residual material can be conveniently used as organic fertilizer. Rossi et al. 11 used black fly larvae ( Hermetia illucens ) to treat aquaculture sludge waste at different amounts. Overall, this study highlights the potential of Hermetia illucens larvae in managing fresh aquaculture sludge waste, providing a dual benefit of waste reduction and insect biomass production.

Jan et al. 12 studied a new method for producing biofuel from Sisymbrium Irio L. seed oil using a titania catalyst. The authors highlight the significance of this plant as it can be grown in unfavourable environments and, due to its physicochemical properties, produces an eco-friendly fuel that is a competitive source for commercial biodiesel production.

Elegbede et al. 13 investigated the composition of gastropod shells ( Tympanotonus fuscatus , Pachymelania aurita , and Thais coronata ) as a way to recover CaCO 3 and other organic molecules from readily available biomass waste. The use of these materials has proven to be essential and cost-effective in promoting a circular bio-economy.

The articles presented valuable insights into biomass waste management and utilization, as well as suggestions for future research to promote sustainability in agriculture.

Muhammad, S. et al. Insights into agricultural-waste-based nano-activated carbon fabrication and modifications for wastewater treatment application. Agriculture 12 , 1737. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture121017372 (2022).

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Phiri, R., Rangappa, S. M. & Siengchin, S. Agro-waste for renewable and sustainable green production: A review. J. Clean. Prod. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139989 (2024).

Dhanya, M. S. Perspectives of agro-waste biorefineries for sustainable biofuels. In Zero Waste Biorefinery. Energy, Environment, and Sustainability (eds Nandabalan, Y. K. et al. ) 207–232 (Springer, 2022).

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Pinnamaneni, S. R. et al. Effect of continuous sugarcane bagasse-derived biochar application on rainfed cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) growth, yield and lint quality in the humid Mississippi delta. Sci. Rep. 13 , 10941. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-37820-8 (2023).

Rossi, G. et al. Fresh aquaculture sludge management with black soldier fly ( Hermetia illucens L.) larvae: investigation on bioconversion performances. Sci. Rep. 13 , 20982. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-48061-0 (2023).

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Elegbede, I. O. et al. Proximate, minerals, carotenoid and trypsin inhibitor composition in the exoskeletons of seafood gastropods and their potentials for sustainable circular utilisation. Sci. Rep. 13 , 13064. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-38345-w (2023).

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A leaked DWP report offers a critical assessment of the utility’s culture

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power headquarters in downtown L.A.

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Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. It’s Dakota Smith at the helm, with help from David Zahniser.

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The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is going through big changes at the top.

A new general manager was tapped. The board of commissioners elected a new president, former state lawmaker Richard Katz . And a search is underway for a new ratepayer advocate to keep tabs on the spending at the DWP.

But behind the scenes, the utility has also been facing withering scrutiny. A confidential report recently outlined long-standing problems with its culture and management structure.

The DWP board sought the report in the wake of a corruption scandal involving top executives at the utility, who were accused of rigging contracts and taking bribes , costing the agency tens of millions of dollars. Three people who worked for the DWP, including a former general manager, are now serving prison sentences.

The report, prepared by the law firm Paul Hastings, doesn’t offer earth-shattering revelations about the corruption scandal. But it does provide a bracing assessment of the department’s upper management, describing a workplace culture that encouraged employees to keep their “heads down” and “curry favor” with management in order to advance professionally and “maximize” their pensions.

The report, completed last year, looked at “systematic failures and gaps” that allowed wrongdoing to be carried out at the utility. The document was never publicly released, but has been reviewed by The Times.

Investigators with Paul Hastings interviewed about 40 people, including current and former DWP employees and commission members, according to the report.

“ Everyone we spoke with agreed there is a significant accountability problem at the department,” the law firm wrote in its 95-page report, using italics for emphasis.

The report also depicted the DWP as a cliquey environment where employees received plum positions and promotions based on their relationships with top leaders, rather than their job performance.

The assessment concluded that the role of the DWP general manager is akin to a celebrity where there are “limited checks and balances” and “lots of feigned obsequiousness.” Also, the DWP lacks an internal system for reporting fraud, waste and abuse, the law firm found.

The report did recognize that the DWP has “hardworking” and “smart” workers. And it offered several recommendations, including regular reviews of employees and managers and a stronger role for the ratepayer advocate.

That post is currently held by Fred Pickel , who is departing later this year.

Representatives for Mayor Karen Bass and the DWP declined to comment on the report, saying it is a “confidential” communication between Paul Hastings and the utility.

Paul Hastings has a $4.25-million contract with the utility that started in 2022.

Since the corruption scandal became public in 2019, some moves have already been made. The ratepayer advocate — which is housed in the Office of Public Accountability — now sits in on closed-door board meetings, after previously being shut out.

Pickel, asked about his reaction to the report, told The Times that the Office of Public Accountability “can only be effective if listened to. It is easy for what we say to be ignored.”

Some of the issues outlined in the report aren’t new. A city report released in 2015 criticized the multiple layers of bureaucracy and political interference at the DWP, arguing that changes were needed for stronger oversight.

Jack Humphreville, who volunteers with the Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates, said the DWP faces competing pressures from City Hall, the union representing DWP workers, and environmentalists.

Humphreville said that he sees “an element of fear” among staff at the utility, who don’t want to lose their jobs or perks by bucking the system. The feeling at the DWP is “if you don’t play by the rules, [you’re] going to get screwed,” he said.

State of play

—BASS BREAK-IN: An intruder forced his way into Getty House , the Windsor Square residence of Mayor Karen Bass , over the weekend, smashing a glass door, cutting himself and leaving a trail of blood inside, according to prosecutors. Details from the D.A.’s office were chilling: Ephraim Hunter , 29, allegedly attempted to get into the home’s upstairs bedrooms, leaving blood on doorknobs. Bass and her family were inside the house at the time.

Hunter pleaded not guilty to burglary and vandalism charges. Meanwhile, LAPD’s interim chief disclosed that the department had no officers at Getty House at the time of the break-in, because of a “short gap” in time between security shifts.

— A ‘VERY DISTURBING’ EVENT : Bass has disclosed few details about the break-in, telling The Times she’s “trying to be respectful” of the ongoing investigation. “It was a very disturbing event, and I’m glad that my daughter, son-in-law and brand-new grandson are OK,” she said.

— BUDGETING WITH BASS : Back at City Hall, the mayor issued her $12.8-billion budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year, scaling back spending in a number of areas. The proposed budget provides enough money for 8,908 police officers, a far cry from her goal of 9,500 from last year. The plan also reduces homelessness spending, in large part because of the coming end of Proposition HHH, the 10-year housing bond measure.

— SKID ROW SETBACK : The nonprofit AIDS Healthcare Foundation announced Thursday that it had abandoned its plan for purchasing six distressed properties from the portfolio of Skid Row Housing Trust, which collapsed financially last year. An AHF spokesperson said the properties needed millions of dollars in repairs and were on track to continue to experience large operating losses .

— MORE FOR MENTAL HEALTH: L.A. County leaders unveiled a $45.4-billion budget that would ramp up the hiring of mental health workers, adding more than 450 positions at the county’s Department of Mental Health. Those new hires would be assigned systemwide and include positions for homeless outreach, county clinics and the new CARE Court system.

— LEGAL SHOCK WAVES: Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta announced the filing of felony charges against a top advisor to Dist. Atty. George Gascón , accusing her of mishandling the confidential records of 11 sheriff’s deputies. Assistant Dist. Atty. Diana Teran, through her lawyer, denied wrongdoing. The charges come as Gascón is campaigning for reelection and are expected to have a far-reaching effect on cases handled by his office.

— SUBWAY STABBING : Distressed by the stabbing death of a subway passenger heading home from work, Metro’s 13-member board asked its staff to study an array of measures for beefing up security on its bus and rail system. “I hate to say it. I will not ride our transit system by myself. I am afraid. And I sit on Metro,” said County Supervisor Kathryn Barger .

— ONE AND DONE : Bass selected Carmen Chang as the next general manager for the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, known as DONE. Chang works as a director at an anti-poverty nonprofit.

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  • Where is Inside Safe? The mayor’s signature program to combat homelessness did not launch any new operations this week. However, attorneys for the city were in court seeking the dismissal of a lawsuit targeting Bass’ declaration of an emergency on homelessness. The next hearing is set for May 30.
  • On the docket for next week: The City Council’s budget committee begins a series of meetings next week on Bass’ proposed budget. The first of those sessions is scheduled for Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Stay in touch

That’s it for this week! Send your questions, comments and gossip to [email protected] . Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Saturday morning.

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dissertation report on waste management

Dakota Smith covers City Hall for the Los Angeles Times. She is part of the team that won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in breaking news for reporting on a leaked audio recording that upended City Hall politics. She joined the newsroom in 2016 and previously covered City Hall for the Los Angeles Daily News. She is a graduate of Lewis & Clark College and lives in Los Angeles.

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