One aspect of the waste management value chain ignored by our urban managers has been waste disposal. Currently, over 3 billion people across the globe have no access to waste disposal, according to a 2021 United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) report. The situation poses grave public health and environmental externalities, with inhabitants of emerging economies being the hardest hit
despite efforts are made to expand waste collection services over the years, proper planning and investment in responsible and environmentally friendly disposal and treatment options remain less prioritized. Cities continue to rely on abandoned stone quarries and similar landscapes to serve as final disposal sites.
As the cities expand, these quarries become part of the urban space and, therefore, close to human settlements. Such developments have adverse socio-economic and environmental implications.
Landfilling remains the cheapest method of waste disposal as compared to other alternatives available. Therefore, investing in sanitary landfills that integrate environmental and social protection in the design, construction and management makes the technology a sustainable option.
In the light of this, WLCL works with requisite technical expertise, managerial competences and resources to support government and local authorities to develop, operate and maintain disposal sites responsibly. At WLCL we prioritize environmental sustainability and value-addition to the waste management value chain by exploring all end-use options for the waste generated by the population.