Conceptual Framework: Solid waste management
is the process of collecting, storing, treatment and
disposal of solid wastes in such a way that they are
harmless to humans, plants, animals, the ecology
and the environment generally. Solid waste can be
defined as “any substance or object in solid form
which the holder discards or intends to discard”
(Waste Framework Directive 75/442/EEC, 1975,
Article 1 (a)). The ‘holder’ can either be the producer
of the waste or be in possession of the waste
(Williams, 2005). Waste, however, is very subjective;
one person may deem an item to be waste whilst
another might see it as a resource (Williams, 2005).
The way solid waste is managed for different types of
sectors is important as the nature of each industry or
sector varies. The dynamic nature of consumer/end
user products, packaging materials, environmental
regulations and public attitudes has made the
development of solid waste management strategies
an increasingly complex task (Sakai et al, 1996).