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The need for improved cost planning methods for solid waste management (SWM) is particularly strong in emerging economies where problems are severe, expectations for improvements are high, but finances are constrained. Estimating cost functions is suggested as an improved cost planning method. The research uses 1999 data from 298 Indian municipalities, covering over 140 million people. Stepwise multiple regression involving eight predictor variables was conducted on costs to detect any statistically significant correlations. The average costs on either a per tonne or per capita basis are most influenced by the total number of staff employed per capita or per tonne. The results are believed to be due to labour costs being such a high fraction of total costs in developing countries. Due to high variability in labour intensity between municipalities the data showed no clear correlation between per tonne or per capita costs and population, indicating no economy-of-scale. The data used here are subject to significant conjecture over their quality and age; however, the unique nature of the study should help future researchers investigating costs in emerging economies.

The importance of cost planning for solid waste management (SWM) in industrialising regions (IR) is not well recognised. The approaches used to estimate costs of SWM can broadly be classified into three categories - the unit cost method, benchmarking techniques and developing cost models using sub-approaches such as cost and production function analysis. These methods have been developed into computer programmes with varying functionality and utility. IR mostly use the unit cost and benchmarking approach to estimate their SWM costs. The models for cost estimation, on the other hand, are used at times in industrialised countries, but not in IR. Taken together, these approaches could be viewed as precedents that can be modified appropriately to suit waste management systems in IR. The main challenges (or problems) one might face while attempting to do so are a lack of cost data, and a lack of quality for what data do exist. There are practical benefits to planners in IR where solid waste problems are critical and budgets are limited., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Depending on their nature and severity, disasters can create large volumes of debris and waste. The waste can overwhelm existing solid waste management facilities and impact on other emergency response and recovery activities. If poorly managed, the waste can have significant environmental and public health impacts and can affect the overall recovery process. This paper presents a system overview of disaster waste management based on existing literature. The main literature available to date comprises disaster waste management plans or guidelines and isolated case studies. There is ample discussion on technical management options such as temporary storage sites, recycling, disposal, etc.; however, there is little or no guidance on how these various management options are selected post-disaster. The literature does not specifically address the impact or appropriateness of existing legislation, organisational structures and funding mechanisms on disaster waste management programmes, nor does it satisfactorily cover the social impact of disaster waste management programmes. It is envisaged that the discussion presented in this paper, and the literature gaps identified, will form a basis for future comprehensive and cohesive research on disaster waste management. In turn, research will lead to better preparedness and response to disaster waste management problems., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Variations in solid waste composition data are necessary as inputs to solid waste planning, yet uncertainty exists regarding which probability distributions might be generally valuable to describe the variability. Twenty-two detailed analyses of solid waste from British Columbia, Canada, were fitted to distributions using the BestFit software. Alternative distributions were ranked based on three goodness-of-fit parameters and twelve waste fractions. The log-logistic distribution was found to be the most able to fit over the wide range of composition types considered. The results were demonstrated to be insensitive to the number of waste components or to the choice of a two- or three-parameter distribution. Although other distributions were able to better match the waste composition for individual waste types, the log-logistic distribution was demonstrated to fit, overall, a wide variety of waste composition types.

Traditional disaster response plans are struggling to adapt to the increasingly complex, unique, and uncertain disaster impacts. Decision-making under deep uncertainty suggests the consideration of decision trigger points and adaptive processes to develop plans that are flexible for any oncoming challenge. Two disaster response planning situations are examined here: disaster waste management, and volcanic eruption clean-up. Both of these are examined in terms of how we can use adaptive processes to develop flexible plans oriented around key decision drivers. The indicators developed show that orienting plans around both hazard-centric drivers (level of earthquake shaking, ashfall depth) and impact-oriented descriptors (number of displaced people, hazard of waste) offer several benefits. Coupling the development of impact-oriented descriptors with scenario discovery and scenario planning will help disaster planners to identify key decisions, decision criteria and triggers that can be built into the planning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling is often employed as part of a disaster waste management system. However, the feasibility, method and effectiveness of recycling varies between disaster events. This qualitative study is based on literature reviews, expert interviews and active participatory research of five international disaster events in developed countries (2009 Victorian Bushfires, Australia; 2009 L’Aquila earthquake, Italy; 2005 Hurricane Katrina, United States; 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, New Zealand; 2011 Great East Japan earthquake) to answer three questions: What are the main factors that affect the feasibility of recycling post-disaster? When is on-site or off-site separation more effective? What management approaches improve recycling effectiveness? Seven disaster-specific factors need to be assessed to determine the feasibility of disaster waste recycling programmes: volume of waste; degree of mixing of waste; human and environmental health hazards; areal extent of the waste; community priorities; funding mechanisms; and existing and disaster-specific regulations. The appropriateness of on or off-site waste separation depends on four factors: time constraints; resource availability; degree of mixing of waste and human and public health hazards. Successful recycling programmes require good management including clear and well enforced policies (through good contracts or regulations) and pre-event planning. Further research into post-disaster recycling markets, funding mechanisms and recycling in developing countries is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]