Sustainable Disposal of Solid Waste in Urban Areas: A Review

Municipal solid waste is a type of waste which is discarded from domestic, and commercial facilities. There is a rapid increment in solid waste due to the increasing population and rise in quality of life. The management of solid waste is most important for the sustainable development of any city. If solid waste is not systematically disposed of it can create a nuisance to the environment, emitting harmful gases in the air and may create a health risk to the environment. For a city’s smart and sustainable development, sustainable techniques of solid waste disposal have to be adopted. Sustainable methods which are currently used in the management/disposal of solid waste are composting, anaerobic digestors, bioreactor landfill, etc. The current approach of handling, transporting, and disposal techniques used in solid waste management results in poor utilization of resources. This chapter focuses on the sustainable approach used in solid waste handling, treatment, recovery, and disposal; it also gives ideas about future techniques that may be suitable for solid waste disposal. This paper also addresses the existing condition of urban solid waste management in India, the best approach adopted, and the limitations of the system.