Solid Waste Management in the Pacific: Appropriate Technologies

Abstract

This flyer outlines appropriate technologies for solid waste management in the Pacific. Effective management of municipal solid waste (MSW) in Pacific developing member countries (DMCs) is difficult because of several country-specific characteristics. These include limited land area, customary land ownership; environmental fragility; limited human and financial capacity; and in some countries, a heavy reliance on tourism. The challenges mean that selecting technologies that are appropriate to the physical and socioeconomic context of Pacific DMCs is critical for improving solid waste management (SWM) in the region. SWM includes the collection, transport, minimization, recycling, and disposal of wastes. Although SWM systems are operated in 15 urban areas of the 14 Pacific DMCs covered in this assessment, the coverage, reliability, and efficiency of these systems, and their impacts on public health and the environment, vary considerably.