Sustainable Solid Waste Management

Describes basic principles and recent advances for handling solid waste in an environmentally sustainable way. This volume uses a global lens to examine all aspects of the solid waste, including waste minimization, waste as a resource, appropriate disposal, and efficient systems fostered by effective public policy.

Sponsored by the Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste Engineering Committee of the Environmental Council of the Environmental and Water Resources Institute of ASCE.

Sustainable Solid Waste Management describes basic principles and recent advances for handling solid waste in an environmentally sustainable way. Solid waste poses problems of quantity—the sheer amount is increasing around the world—but also of environmental impact, especially with the introduction of materials harmful to ecosystems.

This volume uses a global lens to examine all aspects of the solid waste, including waste minimization, waste as a resource, appropriate disposal, and efficient systems fostered by effective public policy. Written by leading experts, the 22 chapters analyze the critical issues to be considered during the various stages of a waste management program.

Topics include:

• public policies focusing on reducing waste at its source, recycling, and minimizing disposal amounts
• technologies for treating and recycling solid waste
• safe, efficient treatment and disposal of hazardous and other special wastes
• development and maintenance of engineered landfills and landfill mining
• legal frameworks and the use of life-cycle assessment as a tool for the waste management industry.

Municipal engineers, environmental managers, researchers, students, policy makers, and planners will find this book to be an essential guide to social and technological issues related to sustainable solid waste management.