society. Moreover, it may not be possible to spend money on
expensive recycling systems, even if there is growing awareness
of the need for sustainable development. As far as SWM systems
are concerned, there is always a dilemma as to whether it is necessary
to develop ‘‘SWM for a sustainable society” or ‘‘sustainable
SWM” in itself. The author is of the opinion that sustainable
SWM is generally preferable. Environmental standards and
enforcement mechanisms can be determined to be consistent with
society’s expectations for waste handling performance. Technological
developments and operating conditions would determine the
types of systems that can be installed. Financial capacity and societal
affordability are two factors that must be balanced in selecting
a SWM solution. Public awareness also plays a significant role. This
is more so as SWM is always at the receiving end of the social system.
This could also cover the situation in high-income countries
as the expensive 3R initiatives are sustainable due to the high income
of the society. As shown in Fig. 3, the environment is both
a source for the resources and a sink for discarded material. A system
for sustainable solid waste management should be within the
societal capacity on various issues such as financial affordability or
availability of technology as also assimilative capacity of the
adjoining environment. Such a system would be pragmatic and
would provide a realistic approach for improvement.