By N.C. Vasuki

On spaceship Earth or Gaia, we have a most pressing problem—proper collection and disposal of garbage. How we address this global problem should be of interest to everyone. Issues such as global warming and environmental sustainability (fossil fuel, water and air quality, fisheries, forests, agriculture, mining, etc.) require holistic analyses to develop reasonable and affordable solutions. It is just not good enough for us to ignore what is happening outside our borders and smugly state that it is not our problem if other nations still run open dumps.

Pollution and problems associated with uncontrolled dumping pose a really serious threat to all of us. In the United States and Canada we have come a long way in collection, recycling, and disposal of solid wastes using a reasonably free market system. Western Europe, Japan, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand have also generally improved their solid waste management systems, albeit using more government intervention and at a higher cost. The combined population of 26 European countries—about 760 million people—discard about 860,000 tons of MSW per day. The three North American countries with a combined population of 572 million discard about 650,000 tons of MSW per day. Now if one wants to know where the real problem is one should look at Asia. China, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan have a combined population of about 2.78 billion and discard over 1.5 million tons per day. While there are no reliable measurements in the world at large, one could estimate that every day open dumps receive at least 2 million tons of solid waste. That rate is growing daily while the waste-discard rate in the rich countries is becoming stable.

This is where the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) steps in to help others resolve their solid waste management problems. ISWA has currently 1,000-plus members from 65-plus countries. The association is based in Copenhagen, Denmark, and plays a vital role in building a worldwide network of professionals engaged in improving solid waste management practices. SWANA is a national member of ISWA and represents US and Canadian interests in this body. You, as a professional working to solve waste management problems, could join this body (www.iswa.org) and make your significant contribution to helping others.

If the standard of living in China and India is improved one notch (as is happening now!) and the discard rate grows (by 0.1 pound per capita per day), it will add 120,000 tons of MSW each day. That is almost equivalent to one-sixth of what we are discarding daily in the United States and Canada now! The implications of such increases on a global basis are significant. Uncontrolled open dumps are now emitting enormous volumes of methane and carbon dioxide, both significant global-warming gases. When open dumps start burning they emit dioxin, a dangerous chemical compound. No matter what we do in the western world to control methane and dioxin emissions beyond current levels, the global impact will be minuscule. However, if we assist these rapidly urbanizing countries with improving their solid waste management practices, all of us would greatly benefit through a global reduction of methane and dioxin emissions.

Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South and Central America, and the island nations also have a messy situation developing. Again these regions cry out for better management systems in collection of solid wastes and for converting open dumps into controlled dumps. The governments of the rich countries appear to take little notice of this worldly mess, yet they push their regulatory schemes as models for the other regions of the world, ostensibly as good models. Environmental ministries in many countries copy the regulations and standards of the United States and the European Union. That approach results in "snake oil" salespersons invading these regions with offers to sell material recovery facilities and composting, waste-to-energy, gasification, and plasma arc plants.

Another consequence is the myriad of kickback schemes. One expert on Africa explains that a 10% kickback on a waste-to-energy plant is definitely better than one from a modern landfill.

This is where professional organizations such as ISWA and SWANA can step forward to help train the middle management and workers at the dumps to transfer knowledge about "Keep It Simple" systems. Our own experience in the United States and Canada demonstrates the positive value of training programs offered by SWANA. The various working groups of ISWA (similar to technical divisions of SWANA) have also materially assisted professionals in countries such as Turkey, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Russia, and the Philippines.

If we were really interested in improving global environmental quality, we would obtain the best return on investment by offering to share our knowledge and expertise with professionals, managers, and workers in the developing world. Just selling more vehicles, consumer goods, pop culture, guns, and ammunition will not help. As a professional in solid waste management in North America, please do consider this issue and participate in a worldwide effort to improve solid waste management systems. While we cannot make it disappear, at least we can help improve collection, utilization, and disposal practices in other lands. You can make a difference.

N.C. Vasuki, P.E., DEE, is general manager of the Delaware Solid Waste Association. He will be installed as president of ISWA at its World Conference in Rome in October 2004.

MSW - September/October 2004