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Plastic waste circularity is a priority at a global level. Sustainable development goals (SDGs) set the ways to go, and the circular economy principles underlined the 'green' strategies to be employed. However, in practice, there is still much to do, especially in developing countries, where open burning and open dumping still represent the common way of plastic waste disposal. This review aims to analyse current plastic waste circular approaches in low-middle income settings. Seven countries were selected based on the economic level and data availability from the authors, and analysed to collect and critically discuss the actions implemented at a city level. Examples of waste minimization and recycling strategies, selective collection systems and public campaigns are reported from Africa, Asia and Latin America. First, a background analysis related to physical and governance aspects of municipal solid waste management systems of the chosen settings was conducted. The assessment was focused on the treatment processes or minimization actions. Then, the applicability of the projects to achieve the SDGs was commented on. The outcomes of the research underline the need to: (1) scale up small-scale and pilot projects, (2) disseminate good practices in more low- to middle-income settings, (3) create synergies among international partners for further replications in cities. Urgent solutions to plastic waste pollution are needed. The review presented practical actions to be implemented now to boost plastic waste circularity in developing cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, the rapid economic development has resulted in a change in the lifestyle of urban dwellers, which has changed the composition of the waste generated. Due to the high volume of waste generated, the collection, transportation, and disposal stream requires a highly efficient system. It requires knowledge of what the wastes are comprised of, how they need to be collected and disposed of, and the participation of citizens, local governments, and private entrepreneurs. With the vision to transform Kerala into a garbagefree state and achieve full-scale environmental health, Kerala has notified the principle of 3Rs in the State Policy on Solid Waste Management. As per Suchitwa Mission annual report 2019-2020, in the year 2019-2020 Kerala has generated 10,044 TPD of Municipal Solid Waste. With a population growth rate of approximately 10.24%, Kerala could generate 16,565 TPD of waste in 2036. This increase in waste generation could put substantial pressure on the existing waste management system of Kerala. Thus, there is a greater need to investigate alternative waste management options and expand the capacity of the waste management system in Kerala. Landfills have also been widely unsuccessful in the state of Kerala. According to the Suchitwa mission's latest data, Kerala has 51 notified dumpsites of which only 31 are in operation and 14 dumpsites have a volume = 800 m3. Additionally few dumpsites are very close to human settlements and located close to each other. In the current article a detailed review of the waste generation, composition, organic waste treatment and disposal methods are made, and gaps in the present waste management practice are outlined. The identified gaps are examined to fulfill the defined requirements in the solid waste management law of the respective state and the comprehensive rules laid down by the Government of India (Gol) in its Solid Waste Management Rules 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing countries face serious environmental, social and economic challenges when it comes to managing different kinds of solid waste. Iran, as one such country, is forced to deal with many difficulties including the absence of a comprehensive policy framework, a lack of technical know-how, insufficient financial resources and lack of proper disposal facilities. This study attempts to suggest ways to overcome those problems by providing applicable waste management solutions to the local conditions. The research was performed in four structured phases: diagnosis of the existing solid waste management system practised, identification of areas of weakness in the waste management frameworks, bridging the gaps to ensure the sustainability of the concepts offered, and finally the provision of affordable solutions. A source-separated collection system for wet and dry fractions was drawn up. Establishment of a mechanical biological treatment facility and the introduction of biological treatment technology were considered as the main treatment options. From the economic point of view, the extended producer responsibility concept was provided as a resource management tool. The involvement of the stakeholders, as well as the public–private partnership model, was identified as the cornerstone in the planning and implementing of the new approaches. A roadmap was consequently designed aimed at gradually introducing a waste management system in a sustainable and environmentally sound manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic waste management is challenging in low-middle income countries. Environmental impacts and high management costs affect the sustainable development of cities, an issue that is exacerbated by the lack of social involvement. The research conducted in Iran aims to assess the benefits of organic waste home composting in Shiraz to improve solid waste management (SWM) sustainability. The introduction of a pilot project to assess home composting systems was described, together with an economic, social and environmental analysis. The current SWM system (S0) has been compared with the new strategy proposed (S1), where home composting is considered to be introduced to collect about 10% of the municipal solid waste generated in a 10-year horizon. An economic balance related to the capital costs and operational costs of both systems was introduced, in parallel with a life cycle assessment (LCA) of the SWM system, and a questionnaire survey of the local population. Results showed that S1 leads to around 5% economic savings for the municipality due to the avoidance of organic waste transportation and disposal. Environmental benefits include a lowering of CO 2 -Eq emissions of about 19,076 tonnes year -1 . In addition, about 28% of the interviewed ( n  = 319) agreed to employ the home composting system at home (CI 5.5%, 95% of confidence level) supporting the theory that about 10% of the organic waste can be segregated and home-composted. The research underlines that home composting can contribute to improve the sustainability of SWM systems in developing countries., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.