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Title Solid Waste Management in the Context of a Circular Economy in the MENA Region
ID_Doc 2688
Authors Hemidat, S; Achouri, O; El Fels, L; Elagroudy, S; Hafidi, M; Chaouki, B; Ahmed, M; Hodgkinson, I; Guo, JY
Title Solid Waste Management in the Context of a Circular Economy in the MENA Region
Year 2022
Published Sustainability, 14, 1
DOI 10.3390/su14010480
Abstract Solid waste management in most MENA countries is characterized by lack of planning, improper disposal, inadequate collection services, inappropriate technologies that suit the local conditions and technical requirements, and insufficient funding. Therefore, waste management is mainly limited to collection, transportation, and disposal. As the circular economy has recently been given high priority on the MENA region's political agenda, all MENA member states are seeking to move away from old-fashioned waste disposal, "waste management", towards a more intelligent waste treatment, "resource efficiency". This paper presents a comprehensive overview of national systems for municipal solid waste (MSW) management, and material and energy recovery as an important aspect thereof, in the context of the circular economy in selected countries in the MENA region. Since policy, regulation, and treatment technologies are traditionally connected to MSW management, the focus of this article is twofold. Firstly, it aims to identify the different practices of solid waste management employed in selected MENA region countries and their approaches to embracing the circular economy and, secondly, it examines the extent to which policies and technologies applied play any role in this context. The study revealed that most waste management issues in the countries analyzed appear to be due to political factors and the decentralized nature of waste management with multi-level management and responsibilities. In fact, material and energy recovery in the context of municipal solid waste management does not differ significantly in the countries in the MENA region considered. In most cases, "waste" is still seen as "trouble" rather than a resource. Therefore, a fresh vision on how the solid waste management system can be transformed into a circular economy is required; there is a need for paradigm shift from a linear economy model to a circular-economy model.
Author Keywords solid waste management (SWM); legal framework; financial framework; treatment technologies and disposal; MENA region
Index Keywords Index Keywords
Document Type Other
Open Access Open Access
Source Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED); Social Science Citation Index (SSCI)
EID WOS:000751051100001
WoS Category Green & Sustainable Science & Technology; Environmental Sciences; Environmental Studies
Research Area Science & Technology - Other Topics; Environmental Sciences & Ecology
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