title: Current status of solid waste management in small island developing states: A review.
abstract: This article reviews the current status of waste management in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the challenges that are faced in solid waste management. The waste generation rates of SIDS were compared within the three geographic regions namely Caribbean SIDS, Pacific SIDS and Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China (AIMS) SIDS and with countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). Only Pacific SIDS had a waste generation rate less than 1kg/capita/day. The waste generation rates for the three SIDS regions averaged 1.29kg/capita/day while that for OECD countries was at a mean value of 1.35kg/capita/day. The waste compositions in the different SIDS regions were almost similar owing to comparable consumption patterns while these differed to a large extent with wastes generated in OECD countries. In SIDS, the major fraction of MSW comprised of organics (44%) followed by recyclables namely paper, plastics, glass and metals (total: 43%). In contrast, MSW in OECD countries consisted mainly of recyclables (43%) followed by organics (37%). This article also reviewed the other functional elements of the waste management systems in SIDS. Several shortcomings were noted in the process of waste collection, transfer and transport namely the fact of having outdated collection vehicles and narrow roads which are inaccessible. Among the waste management practices in SIDS, waste disposal via landfilling, illegal dumping and backyard burning were favoured most of the time at the expense of sustainable waste treatment technologies such as composting, anaerobic digestion and recycling.
authors.affiliation: University of Mauritius, Réduit, Mauritius.
authors.forename: Romeela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mohee
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, University of Mauritius, Réduit, Mauritius. Electronic address: sumayya.mauthoor@umail.uom.ac.mu.
authors.forename: Sumayya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mauthoor
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, University of Mauritius, Réduit, Mauritius.
authors.forename: Zumar M A
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Bundhoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, University of Mauritius, Réduit, Mauritius.
authors.forename: Geeta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Somaroo
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, University of Mauritius, Réduit, Mauritius.
authors.forename: Nuhaa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Soobhany
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, University of Mauritius, Réduit, Mauritius.
authors.forename: Sanjana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gunasee
mesh_terms: D003906:Developing Countries; D017745:Incineration; D007195:Indian Ocean Islands; D010139:Pacific Islands; D059027:Recycling; D012037:Refuse Disposal; D012987:Soil; D062611:Solid Waste; D064091:Waste Disposal Facilities; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014900:West Indies
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D062611:Solid Waste
keywords: Anaerobic digestion; Composting; Recycling; Small islands developing states; Thermochemical processes; Waste management