The CCET guideline series on intermediate municipal solid waste treatment technologies

On 20 November, IGES will co-present the second of three webinars dedicated to assisting policymakers and practitioners in developing countries with their selection of appropriate waste management technologies, and in carrying out related policies and strategies to improve management of waste. Globally, various approaches have been attempted to solve waste management issues, and as developing countries’ economic growth accelerates, proper treatment of the increasing amount of waste is an important challenge for all societies. There is an urgent need to provide reliable information so that policymakers and practitioners have a clear and holistic view of all waste management technologies. In this context, the IGES Centre Collaborating with UNEP on Environmental Technologies (CCET) and the United Nations Environment Programme International Environmental Technology Centre (UNEP IETC) started to develop a series of guidelines, in collaboration with the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) and the Japan Society of Material Cycles and Waste Management (JSMCWM). The aim of the webinar series is to assist developing countries’ policy-makers and practitioners, at both the national and municipal levels, with their selection of appropriate waste management technologies, and in carrying out related policies and strategies to improve their management of waste. 

At this initial phase, three main topics are covered: 1) Waste to Energy (WtE), 2) Composting, and 3) Mechanical - Biological Treatment (MBT). Following the webinar on WtE in October, this second in the webinar series will focus on composting, and aims to give attendees a deeper understanding of the guidelines through a discussion of existing technologies, their advantages and disadvantages, and related challenges people may face on the ground. The third webinar, on MBT, is tentatively planned for February or March 2021.