Waste Typology: A Global Scenario

Rapid urbanisation, industrialisation, and economic development have increased waste generation worldwide. Both the complexity and quantity of waste have increased over the past due to the expansion of human activities and unsustainable practices adopted in the processes. Each country has different laws and regulations that play a crucial role in governing waste management issues related to various sources of waste, including: municipal waste, industrial waste, e-waste, hazardous waste, biomedical waste, construction and demolition waste, and agriculture waste. The waste from different sources comprises mainly organic waste, glass, metals, paper, plastic, leather, rubber, wood, and landscaping waste. Inefficient waste management practices for different categories of waste have contributed to numerous environmental issues, including increased greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, land pollution, water pollution, and adverse health impacts. The waste issue further aggravates at the level of developing countries, mainly at the receiving end of the international waste trade. Internationally, the focus is to minimise waste by managing waste through the adoption of practices such as circularity, sustainability, reuse, recycling, and waste to energy. The key focus of these practices is to convert waste into wealth. The chapter discusses the global scenario of different types of waste generation and comparative analysis among other regions and countries categorised based on income. Further, the country-wise waste composition is also analysed spatially using Geographic Information System (GIS).