Dolores Hidalgo and Jesús M. Martín-Marroquín and Francisco Corona
Innovative Waste Management Practices in Remote Areas
581 - 585
2017
11
7
International Journal of Environmental and Ecological Engineering
https://publications.waset.org/pdf/10007334
https://publications.waset.org/vol/127
World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
Municipal waste consist of a variety of items that are everyday discarded by the population. They are usually collected by municipalities and include waste generated by households, commercial activities (local shops) and public buildings. The composition of municipal waste varies greatly from place to place, being mostly related to levels and patterns of consumption, rates of urbanization, lifestyles, and local or national waste management practices. Each year, a huge amount of resources is consumed in the EU, and according to that, also a huge amount of waste is produced. The environmental problems derived from the management and processing of these waste streams are well known, and include impacts on land, water and air. The situation in remote areas is even worst. Difficult access when climatic conditions are adverse, remoteness of centralized municipal treatment systems or dispersion of the population, are all factors that make remote areas a real municipal waste treatment challenge. Furthermore, the scope of the problem increases significantly because the total lack of awareness of the existing risks in this area together with the poor implementation of advanced culture on waste minimization and recycling responsibly. The aim of this work is to analyze the existing situation in remote areas in reference to the production of municipal waste and evaluate the efficiency of different management alternatives. Ideas for improving waste management in remote areas include, for example the implementation of selfmanagement systems for the organic fraction; establish doortodoor collection models; promote smallscale treatment facilities or adjust the rates of waste generation thereof.
Open Science Index 127, 2017