Part I - Principles of Solid Waste Management
CA. Definition of developmental status
The status of development of a country may be categorised in several ways. With respect to its
impact on solid waste management, in this publication status of development is categorised on
the basis of availability of economic resources and on degree of industrialisation. Status of
economic development is more a measure of the permanent economic framework than of the
existing condition of the economy (recession vs. prosperity). In this document, the emphasis is on
solid waste management in a setting that is primarily non-industrial. Such management is adapted
to the nature and quantities of waste generated and to the availability of technology for handling
and processing characteristic of non-industrial settings. Degree of industrialisation is measured in
terms of extent of mechanisation and availability of technological resources. Justifiably or not,
the terms “developed” and “industrialised” occasionally are used synonymously.