Why is this Important?
In most humanitarian settings, because of a lack of more sustainable alternatives, the final disposal of waste is often uncontrolled, meaning that it is either not collected, openly dumped, burned, or at best collected and dumped in an uncontrolled facility (1). CO2 and other potential toxic fumes are emitted from the incomplete combustion of waste and mainly methane from the decomposition of organic waste (2), contributing to climate change. Uncontrolled landfill and dumping contaminate the soil and water sources with its highly contaminated leachate (3). Open burning is also particularly harmful as it releases pollutants such as dioxins, furans, or particulate matter also called ‘forever chemicals’ which remain in the environment. They can have significant negative effects on the environment (contamination of air, soil, and water) and health, with possible appearance of diarrhea, respiratory infections, malaria, heart diseases, but also cancer or hormone disorders (4).
What are the solutions?
Apart from composting, final waste disposal like landfilling or incineration can have significant impacts on the environment. That is why the utmost priority should be given on waste reduction, composting, and recycling.
Once non-avoidable final waste is collected, it must be properly analysed together with the local regulations and existing infrastructure, in order to define the appropriate elimination methods. Organic waste must be sorted and composted. Non-hazardous municipal waste is usually disposed of in regulated controlled landfills, ideally with energy-recovery system collecting the methane from decomposing matters. Hazardous waste, however, requires specific treatment: some medical waste, for example, must be incinerated at high temperatures. In some cases, such waste like needles can be sealed in concrete pits, shredded, or sterilized. Other waste like batteries, electronic devices, and chemicals reagents require specific treatment case by case and some can be partly recycled. Meanwhile, they must be stored cautiously, separated from other items or waste. Facilities identified must be visited regularly and checked by an expert. Joint forces with other key actors to mutualise expertise, storage or transportation. Inform and educate the staff and the communities to enforce proper treatment.
The different type of final treatment for waste
Composting
Composting is the nature-based solution to dispose vegetal waste naturally and safely. The decomposition of organic matter (ex: food waste, green waste from gardens), especially in uncontrolled landfill or open dumps is a major source of methane (5). Composting organic waste helps reduce methane emission from landfills by 78% (6) and generate nutrients for the soil. See Composting factsheet for more details.
Landfilling
Landfilling is the cheapest and most common way to dispose of general or non-hazardous waste around the world. However, landfilling in open sites (7) as operated in many developing countries (8) is unsafe compared to sanitary/engineered sites (9). In some contexts (ex: such as refugee camps, or in middle income countries), collected waste is sent to sanitary/engineered landfill sites. Sanitary controlled landfills have a security system, fence and access gate, membrane to prevent leachate from soaking into the soil, compaction of waste, and maintenance. In best cases, gas from decomposing matter is recovered and reused, as well as the collection and management of leachate liquid.
Burial pits and sealed pits
In the absence of other solutions (particularly in remote areas), waste can be buried in burial pits.
Some hazardous waste such as needles or medical organic waste can be sealed in concrete pits, at minimum 15 meters from dwelling (10), protected by a fence/barrier to limit access, at least 50m from water sources (11), and 1.5 meter above a ground water source. Aeration and lime spreading can help mitigating contamination and smell. Encapsulation is used as a last resort. In such cases, hazardous waste is disposed of in a drum filled up with concrete and buried, for example, oil filters, asbestos brake pads or brake fluids. See MSF ‘s guideline on burial pits for more details (12).
Incineration
Incineration is the process to burn waste in an incinerator. Depending on the context, incineration of waste can be done in an artisanal fashion, using a De Monfort incinerator (13) or more sophisticated industrial incinerators. In order to ensure it does not emanate toxic gases (dioxins, furans and particulate matter) it requires specific installations and careful management. Most importantly, combustion of waste needs to be above 850 °C (900°C required for medical waste (14)) for a minimum of 2 seconds (15). Incineration is usually a preferred option for hazardous waste to avoid contamination or the reselling of perished drugs. Because incineration needs to be done in a ’controlled manner’, it is important to avoid open burning or drum-burning as much as possible.
Shredder - Sterilizer
Alternative to incineration for soft medical waste and sharps, when incineration is forbidden or not available. It consists in reducing the volume of hazardous waste by crushing it and neutralizing it by sterilization. The final product can then be safely landfilled or buried. It requires shredder-sterilizer equipment. See MSF Pacemaker Guideline page 244, in Tool section below.
Point of attention
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Point of attention
- Cross-boundary movement procedures: Even if a private facility in a neighboring country accepts to receive and treat hazardous waste, cross-boundary movement of waste is regulated by the Basel Convention (16) and authorization needs to be obtained by both government parties. Join forces with others important actors like INGOs or UN to negotiate.
- Diverting organic waste from landfilling must be the priority in order to reduce methane emissions in landfill sites. It is one of the most impacting measures and relatively easy to implement. Consider composting whenever possible.
Key actions
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#1 Diagnose and analyse the quantities and types of waste produced
Implement a waste follow up to know the type of final waste produced, its composition, its volume. Analyse and improve the management to reduce it further. Divert all recyclable waste and organic waste from going to landfill. See Waste management principles factsheet.
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#2 Explore local legislation and existing infrastructure
Although not always enforced, national legislation on final waste disposal must be respected. Look for texts, laws and certifications for transport and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. Here is a database on plastic regulation. Explore with the local authorities and other humanitarian organisations the existing infrastructure.
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#3 Get expert advice to choose the appropriate disposal method
According to the type of waste to be disposed of, and to available facilities, get expertise/advice to choose the appropriate disposal technic: landfilling in controlled site for non-hazardous municipal waste, incineration for some medical or hazardous waste, sealing in pit, or storage until a satisfying solution is found. Consider developing a waste zone if no external facility exists in remote areas. Open burning or dumping can never be an appropriate solution.
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#4 Assess the quality of the facility with an expert
Once the disposal method and facility are identified, seek expert support such as local or international consultant, INGO experts to assess the site, or use an already assessed facility by a trustable partner. Make regular visits. At minimum, the facilities should be validated by the government and possess a valid license for the elimination of waste. See our Tools and Good Practices section for tips.
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#5 Set up a partnership and contract to help upgrade the facility
Set up a contract with the facility, including rights to visit. When the standards are not reached, propose a technical correction action plan to help them improve their practices if that is appropriate (this could include training I Give a timeframe and store the waste meanwhile they update their infrastructures or procedures. Joint forces with other key actors like UN agencies or INGO if possible.
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#6 Organise collection and transportation
Anticipate final disposal transport in the budget. Implement partnership with other actors to mutualize transportation and reduce emissions, reach a critical waste volume, and negotiate the price. Consider Waste reverse logistics: using the transport delivering goods to take back waste from previous deliveries to a disposal or recycling facility. See “point of attention” regarding cross-boundary waste transportation.
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#7 Store until a solution is ready
Storage can allow for a critical quantity of waste to be accumulated, before sending to potential recycling/waste disposal companies and facilitate negotiation. It can also be the only solution when no environmentally sustainable solution is identified for specific hazardous waste like batteries, electronic waste or garage waste. Store in a dry place separately from other waste streams. Prevent leakages into the environment by insulating it from the floor and soil, humidity, rodents.
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#8 Train and educate staff and communities
Explain and educate the staff and communities in order to raise awareness about the dangers of uncontrolled waste disposal and burning get buy-in and motivation to endorse the adequate management of final waste disposal.
To consider
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Potential co-benefits
- Energy recovery from landfilling decomposition gases, when infrastructure allows
- Energy use reduction when waste can be used as combustible in cement factory
- Increase well being
- Reduces health hazard
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Success conditions
- Infrastructures and protocols must be strictly checked
- In house expertise is available to help you guide to the ‘less- bad option”
- Learn from other organisations present in the context which might have already done an analysis of the best option
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Prerequisites & specificities
- Visit and assess the facility with an expert support regularly
- Plan for the necessary transportation and elimination budget
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Potential risks
- Degradation of the quality of a facility if not regularly visited
- Poor waste facility management can lead to serious pollution
Tools and good practices
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Solid Waste Management Guide, WREC & Logistics Cluster, 2023
A solid waste management guide specifically for humanitarian organisations and field-based practitioners reduce waste volumes and manage waste.
Explore here -
ICRC Medical waste management Guidelines, 2011
A manual for those working in the medical field to deal with hazardous medical waste.
Explore here -
MSF Technician in Precarious Situation, 2010
In chapter 5 “collect and elimination of final waste” and 6 “Medical waste management” (pages 272to 325), this international MSF guideline explains how to implement solutions. It is completed by the new “Pacemaker” presented below.
Explore here -
MSF PACEMAKER Guideline for eco practices, including some waste management tools, 2024
MSF Operational center of Paris developed and published early 2024 this guidance for its humanitarian projects on how to choose final waste elimination technics according to the type or waste and context, what is a shredder, what kind of incinerator to use, etc.
Explore here -
Database on plastic regulations and laws
A comprehensive tool reporting on all the regulations and laws existing worldwide about plastic.
Explore here
To go further
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United Nations Environment Programme: how waste can be a resource, 2024
Global Waste Management document “Beyond an age of waste – Turning rubbish into a resource”, on how waste can become a resource by recycling or energy recovery.
Explore here -
ISWA (International Solid Waste Association), The White book on Energy from Waste Recovery, 2023
How to make energy from Waste.
Explore here -
Semi-aerobic Lanfill in Malaysia, 2005
Implementation of the semi-aerobic landfill system (Fukuoka method) in developing countries, example of Malaysia
Explore here -
Guidelines of pre and co-processing of waste in cement production, 2020
German International Aid (GIZ), exploring the cement factory incinerators used to eliminate hazardous waste.
Explore here
Featured
Waste management principles
Hazardous waste
Non hazardous waste
Waste from electrical and electronic equipment
Recycling waste in developing countries
Composting
Incineration
Sources
(1) United Nations Environment Programme, ‘Global Waste Management Outlook 2024: Beyond an age of waste – Turning rubbish into a resource’, Nairobi, 2024, Available here.
(2) GAIA, ‘Zero Waste to Zero Emissions: How Reducing Waste is a Climate Changer’, Global Alliance for Incineration Alternative, 2022, Available here.
(3) Liquid resulting from the decomposition waste carrying different contaminants and metals, which, if not collected, end up in the soil, surface and underground water tables.
(4) World Health Organisation, ‘Dioxins’, 2023, Available here
(5) GAIA, ‘Zero Waste to Zero Emissions: How Reducing Waste is a Climate Changer’, Global Alliance for Incineration Alternative, 2022, Available here.
(6) GAIA, ‘Zero Waste to Zero Emissions: How Reducing Waste is a Climate Changer’, Global Alliance for Incineration Alternative, 2022, Available here.
(7) Open air sites where collected waste is being dumped, without collection of leachate or energy recovery.
(8) IWWG, ‘Waste Management Journal: An analysis of the status of landfill classification systems in developing countries: Sub Saharan Africa landfill experiences’, Science Direct, Vol 87, p. 761-771 Available here.
(9) Joint Environment Unit (UNEP/OCHA), UNDR, 2011, Available here.
(10) SPHERE, ‘Standard 5: Solid Waste Management’, Sphere Standards Handbook, 2018, Available here.
(11) UNICEF, ‘Yemen Emergency Human Capital Project’, United Nation for Children’s Fund, 2022, Available here.
(12) Médecins Sans Frontières, ‘Public Health Engineering in Precarious Situations’, Medical Guidelines, chapt. 5, p. 276, 2010, Available here.
(13) The De Montfort incinerator is a low cost and easy to build incinerator, which has 2 combustion chambers and is able to reach temperatures up to 800 °C. It is often used for the incineration of medical waste. It was developed by the De Monfort University (see mw-incinerator.info)
(14) SPHERE, ‘Standard 6: Wash in healthcare settings’, Sphere Standards Handbook, 2018, Available here.
(15) EUR-Lex, ‘Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions’, Europa, 2010, Available here.
(16) ‘The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal’, Basel.int, 2011, Available here
(17) United Nations Environment Programme, ‘Global Waste Management Outlook 2024: Beyond an age of waste – Turning rubbish into a resource. Nairobi’, UNEP, 2024, Available here.
(18) EUR-Lex, ‘Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions’, Europa, 2010, Available here.
(19) GAIA, ‘Zero Waste to Zero Emissions: How Reducing Waste is a Climate Changer’, Global Alliance for Incineration Alternative, 2022, Available here.
Credits
Cover photo: Alex Fu/Pexels