Introduction

Solid wasteSolid waste is a universal issue that has been a problem even before water and air pollutionAir pollution issues affected the human civilisation. Quandaries linked with solid wastesSolid waste can be dated back to prehistoric days. Throughout history, human advancements have been linked to solid waste managementSolid Waste Management (SWM) due to its roles on both the public and environmental health. Indeed, SWM has a long and intricate history, and SWM can trace its roots back to ancient times. However, it was not until urban populations grew significantly that wasteWaste was viewed as a threat to human as well as environmental health. Urban agglomerationUrban agglomeration began to grow rapidly to accommodate the growing population, thereby, worsening the condition for these cramped communities. Quest to ‘living better’ urge for ‘ease of living’ disposing ‘extra income’ at personal level clubbed with ‘competing with rest of world’ at national level has lead depletion of resources a part of which becomes wasteWaste. The quantity and quality of solid wasteSolid waste have changed over the years. The waste characteristics not only depend on people’s income, culture, geography, disastersDisaster, culture to which society is subjected. Therefore, the composition of solid wasteSolid waste that comprised of ashAsh, bone and fruit/vegetable changed with additional components, e.g., paper, metal, glass, plastic and textile. With rising number of people, wealth and urbanizationUrbanization, it is a key challenge for many nations to manage the increasing quantity of solid wasteSolid waste. It must be further highlighted that reductionReduction in green house gas, improved public health, safety and environmental benefits accrue from good waste managementWaste management practices. Hence, this chapter is put in front of all chapters to highlight the need for SWM, its history and importance.