Lecture10
Model Answers to Learning Activities
LEARNING ACTIVITY 10.1
Waste is an inevitable product of society. Historically, health and safety have been the major
concerns in waste management, and solid waste management practices were initially
developed to address these concerns, which were the result of indiscriminate dumping of waste
without proper collection and disposal. Managing this waste is now a need that society has to
address. In addition to ensuring human health and safety, a sustainable system for solid waste
management systems must be environmentally effective, economically affordable and socially
acceptable. An integrated approach to solid waste management can deliver both environmental
and economic sustainability. An integrated system would include an optimised waste collection
system and efficient sorting followed by options such as material recycling, biological treatment,
thermal treatment and landfill.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 10.2
The steps involved in implementing IWM are planning, price, publicity, political support and
perseverance. A well-devised and comprehensive plan is necessary to implement a successful
programme. Planning should involve political bodies, waste generators, haulers, construction
contractors, etc., as each group has the potential to strengthen or derail a project. Sound
economic analysis that considers the resources of the community and adverse impacts on the
environment is necessary to adopt alternative strategies for managing waste. A plan for
informing the public about the programme's progress should be developed and implemented as
the programme succeeds. The support for a programme can erode quickly, unless attention is
paid to keeping the programme on the public agenda and maintaining strong and positive public
support. Political support is often crucial to obtaining finance and ensuring that the programme
gets the resources needed to construct facilities and operate them efficiently. A community
waste management programme must be prepared for the long term. The ultimate key to
success is the political and public will to persevere until the programme is in place.
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