Waste Management for Waste Entrepreneurship: An Emerging Concept

Since the very beginning of civilization, waste has always been an incessant problem and their management remains burdensome till date, as the rate of waste generation is increasing with the increase in population, land use and development of economy. Waste is generally considered as an unavoidable trash/nuisance with zero value and concerns which can be overruled by the waste management system. It is a well-organized holistic expensive process that includes segregation at sources, on-time collection, transportation, reuse, recycle, reprocess and disposal of the leftover materials into the landfills, which usually receives inadequate attention as public get easily acclimatized to live along with the generated wastes. Managing waste in an environmentally favorable, culturally acceptable and techno-economically feasible manner is a need in recent times. Society is in a need to think of ways to minimize and utilize waste for other uses. Understanding waste management in terms of its challenges involves knowledge dissemination to the public, waste prevention, valorization, responsible material production and packaging, maximum recycling, conservation of resources, enhancement of sustainability and reduction of greenhouse gasses. Opportunities in waste management could be achieved by exercising circular economy practices which reinforce environmental, societal and economic benefits. Role of entrepreneurs in the waste management system encompasses a cluster of skilled as well as unskilled workers, as it is a labor-intensive system. Entrepreneurs may invest money as well as infuse novel skills and technologies to transform trash into treasures. The efficacy and significance of waste management will eventually increase with the active participation of entrepreneurs.