Comprehensive Waste Management Training: Policies, Systems, and Circular Economy

Mengol Training and Consultancy Services
Abraham Lebeza
MEL Expert
Email:- lebezaalemu@gmail.com

Module 1 - Waste basics
Module 2 - Municipal solid waste collection
systems and disposal
Module 3 - Policy instruments on waste
management
Module 4 - Circular economy
Module 5 - Biowaste composting

Module 1 - Waste basics
Learning objectives
Understand the concept of waste and circular economy
Describe the elements of a waste management system
Understand the role of each stakeholder involved in waste management and
describe the different tools/instruments to prevent waste
Content
1. Introduction to waste and circular economy;
2. Sources of waste and municipal waste in low and middle income countries;
3. Special waste fractions;
4. Institutional and organizational considerations around waste management;
5. Waste prevention and 7Rs principles.

Module 3 - Policy instruments on waste management
Learning objectives
Identify and describe the different policy instruments used on waste management
and the role of industry and citizens in waste management
Identify waste management financing mechanisms, including EPR
Describe policy interventions that can stimulate investment in waste management
Content
1. Introduction;
2. Regulatory instruments and enforcement matters;
3. Economic instruments;
4. Extended producer responsibility (EPR);
5. Communicative instruments;
6. Monitoring and reporting.

Module 2 - Municipal solid waste collection systems and
disposal
Content
Introduction to collection services and infrastructures;
Examples of colection service and infrastructure;
Quantification of total generated MSW;
Quantification of collection rate;
Institutional and organizational considerations around waste
collection;
Disposal.

Module 2 - Municipal solid waste collection systems and
disposal
Content
1. Introduction to collection services and infrastructures;
2. Examples of colection service and infrastructure;
3. Quantification of total generated MSW;
4. Quantification of collection rate;
5. Institutional and organizational considerations around
waste collection;
6. Disposal.

3-1 Introduction to policy instruments on waste management
Learning objectives •
Identify and describe the different policy instruments used on waste management and
the role of industry and citizens in waste management
• Identify waste management financing mechanisms, including EPR
• Describe policy interventions that can stimulate investment in waste management
Content
1. Introduction;
2. Regulatory instruments and enforcement matters;
3. Economic instruments;
4. Extended producer responsibility (EPR);
5. Communicative instruments;
6. Monitoring and reporting

Guiding Principles
 Environment protection
 Protecting public health
 Esuring recovery of resources from waste and
 Waste prevention

Guiding Principles in waste management
 Universal service coverage
 Cost recovery
 The waste management hierarchy
 Polluter pays principles
 The proximity principle

Guiding Principles in waste management

Key readings & Additional resources
Guidelines for National Waste Management Strategies, UNEP, 2013 (Chapters 3.3
and 3.4)
Global Waste Management Outlook, UNEP, 2015 (Chapter 4.3)
What a Waste 2.0 – A global snapshot for solid waste management to
2050 (Chapter 1)
Africa Waste Management Outlook, UNEP, 2018 (Chapter 3.1)
Waste Management Outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean, UNEP, 2018
(Chapter 3.2)
Asia Waste Management Outlook, UNEP, 2017 (Chapter 2)
National Plastic Waste Reduction Strategic Actions for Indonesia, UNEP, 2020
National Waste Management Strategy and Master Plan for Myanmar (2018-2030),
UNEP, 2020
Planning and implementation of ISWM at local level - Case of Cebu city, IGES,
2017

Regulatory and Enforcement Instrument Categories
1. Technical /emission standards
2. Quality standards
3. Restrictions and bans

challenges of environmental policies which are Regulatory and Enforcement Instruments and strategies
Key Challenges in Regulatory and Enforcement Instruments:
 Weak Institutional and Regulatory Capacity: Many regulatory agencies lack the manpower, technical
expertise, and resources needed to monitor compliance effectively, especially in developing nations.
 Political and Economic Interference: Intense lobbying by high-impact sectors (e.g., oil and gas) often
results in weakened standards, exemptions, or delays in implementation.
 Insufficient Funding for Enforcement: Environmental departments are frequently underfunded,
leading to poor monitoring infrastructure and inability to inspect polluters.
 Lack of Effective Enforcement/Penalties: Criminal penalties for environmental offenses are often not
strictly enforced or are too weak to deter large corporations.
 Fragmented Governance: Overlapping mandates between different government ministries can lead to
confusion, accountability gaps, and weak implementation.
 Anti-environmental Lobbying: Substantial lobbying expenditures can lead to regulatory capture, where
industries effectively set the rules to their own advantage.
 Regulatory Focus on Human Needs: Conventional environmental laws are often anthropocentric
(focused on human benefit) rather than ecocentric, failing to protect ecosystem integrity.
Corruption: Illicit activities, such as illegal mining and logging, often thrive due to corrupt enforcement
officials.

environmental policies which are Regulatory and
Enforcement Instruments examples quality standards,
restrictions and emission permits
Environmental policies utilizing Regulatory and Enforcement
Instruments—often called "command-and-control"—set
mandatory, legally binding rules to manage pollution.
Key examples include setting maximum allowable pollutant
concentrations (quality standards), restricting specific
technologies or substances (product bans), and requiring
official authorization for emissions (permits and licenses)

Key Regulatory & Enforcement Instruments
 Ambient Quality Standards: Define the maximum allowable pollutant
concentrations in environmental components (e.g., air quality standards
for and in OECD reports).
 Emission Standards (Limits): Set specific, mandatory emission levels
allowed from a source, such as the EU Industrial Emissions Directive.
 Emission Permits/Licenses: Authorizations that specify permissible
emission levels for factories, requiring them to use specific technology or limit
operational hours.
 Restrictions and Prohibitions: Bans on harmful substances, products, or
processes, such as prohibiting specific hazardous chemicals or outdated
industrial technologies.
 Technology Standards: Mandating the use of specific pollution-abatement
technologies (e.g., requiring catalytic converters in vehicles).

three types of waste management market instruments
revenue generating , social instruments and non-revenue
generating tools
Waste management market instruments include revenue-
generating tools (landfill taxes, pay-as-you-throw fees,
and recycling sales) that create income, social
instruments (community-based recycling and awareness
campaigns) that drive behavioral change, and non-
revenue instruments (extended producer responsibility,
subsidies) that incentivize sustainable practices.

waste management market instruments upstream and
downstream instruments
Waste management market instruments consist
of upstream policies targeting product design and
production (resource extraction, manufacturing) and
downstream policies targeting waste generation and
disposal (consumer disposal, recycling). Upstream tools
include material taxes and extended producer
responsibility (EPR), while downstream tools include
landfill taxes and pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) fees.

Key Waste Streams in Waste Management
General/Municipal Solid Waste (MSW): Daily household or office items
like food scraps, packaging, and paper. Recyclables: Materials separated
from the general stream to be reprocessed, such as paper, cardboard,
plastics, and metals. Hazardous Waste: Materials that threaten health or
the environment, including chemicals, paints, solvents, and medical waste.
Food/Organic Waste: Biodegradable waste often diverted for composting
or anaerobic digestion. Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste: Inert
materials like concrete, wood, metal, and rubble from building projects.
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE): Discarded
electronics (e.g., phones, appliances) containing hazardous materials that
need special treatment. Industrial/Mining Waste: Specialized waste
including sludge, ash, or tailings from manufacturing or mining operations.

3-4 Extended producer responsibility (EPR)
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy
instruments are environmental strategies that hold
producers financially or physically responsible for
products post-consumer, encouraging sustainable
design and increased recycling. Common mechanisms
include take-back mandates, deposit-refund systems,
material taxes, and mandatory recycling/performance
standards.

Key EPR Policy Instruments
 Take-Back Requirements: Mandates requiring producers to accept and manage
returned products, often focusing on electronics, batteries, and packaging.
 Deposit-Refund Systems: An upfront fee is paid by consumers, which is refunded
upon returning the product/packaging to designated collection points.
 Performance Targets: Mandatory, legally binding targets for collection, recycling, and
recovery rates that producers must meet.
 Product Standards: Regulations forcing design changes, such as mandatory minimum
recycled content or eco-design requirements for easier dismantling.
 Economic/Market-Based Instruments: Advanced Recycling Fees (ARF): Fees paid
by producers upon selling a product to fund collection and recycling infrastructure. Fee
Modulation: Differentiated fees where producers pay less for products that are easier
to recycle, durable, or made of recycled materials.
 Informational Responsibility: Obligations for producers to inform consumers about
proper disposal and recycling practices.

Global Waste Management Outlook, UNEP, 2015 (Topic sheet 13)
Extended Producer Responsibility – Updated Guidance for Efficient
Waste Management, OECD, 2016
Extended Producer Responsibility (EN)
Extended Producer Responsibility – Key Issue Paper, ISWA, 2014
Africa Waste Management Outlook, UNEP, 2018
Extended Producer Responsibility for Plastic packaging, WWF, 2020
More information available:
oecd-library.org
https://www.iswa.org/media/publications/iswa-extended-producer-respon
sibility-library

3-5 Communicative instruments
The "Four E's" framework for encouraging sustainable
behavior, often applied to waste management
communication, consists of Enable, Encourage,
Engage, and Exemplify. This approach moves
beyond simple awareness to drive behavioral change
by making pro-environmental actions easier,
rewarding, participatory, and consistent with public-
facing leadership.

The 4E's Framework Breakdown Enable:
 Make it easier for citizens to act by providing necessary infrastructure, such
as accessible recycling bins, composting programs, or clear instructions on
separation.
 Encourage: Use incentives, recognition, or nudges to motivate participation,
such as social rewards for reducing waste or simplified, color-coded signage
on bins.
 Engage: Actively involve the community through participatory campaigns,
workshops, and social media platforms to foster ownership of waste
reduction goals.
 Exemplify: Lead by example; organizations and governments must model
sustainable behavior themselves, such as ensuring public offices and events
are zero-waste.

Communication in waste management – Promotion of waste
separation in households, Stavchuk, 2005
Environmental communication strategy for municipal solid
waste management in Sao Paolo, Brazil, ISWA, 2016
Communication and engagement for solid waste
management – handbook, ABRELPE, 2017
The role of information, education and communication (IEC)
in sustainable solid waste management, Puri, 2017

3-6 Monitoring and reporting
In this session, you will be introduced to monitoring and reporting,
and their importance for taking data-driven decisions.
At the end of this session, you should be able to:
 Understand the importance of monitoring and reporting for
data-driven decisions
 Describe tracking and benchmarking systems, such as
 SDG 11.6.1,
 Waste aware indicators,
 cost accounting, as well as
 Data management and information systems.

SDG 11.6.1
 Quantitative:
The SDG indicator 11.6.1 assessment
determines the waste composition at the point of
generation (i.e. households) and at the point of
disposal.
 Both quantitative and qualitative using the
Waste aware benchmark indicators

Global Waste Management Outlook, UNEP, 2015 (Chapter 2.5)
Waste Wise Cities Tool: Step by Step Guide to Assess a
City’s MSWM Performance through SDG indicator 11.6.1
Monitoring, UN-Habitat, 2020
“Wasteaware” benchmark indicators for integrated
sustainable waste management in cities, Wilson et al., 2015
Video United Nations SDG Indicator 11.6.1, UN-Habitat,
Mobius, 2020

The Wasteaware Benchmark Indicators (WABIs) are a set of tools used to
assess the performance of Integrated Sustainable Waste Management
(ISWM) systems in cities. Developed for the UN-Habitat and Wasteaware
benchmark, they combine quantitative metrics (e.g., waste generation,
collection coverage) with qualitative, composite indicators to measure
city-level waste management, ranging from collection to disposal.
The Wasteaware Indicator Set (WABI) are a standardized set of metrics
used to evaluate city-level municipal solid waste management (MSWM)
performance. They provide a snapshot of current performance, monitor
progress over time, and allow benchmarking against other cities
regardless of income level. These indicators cover waste collection,
treatment, and disposal, focusing on environmental protection and
resource efficiency.

Module 4 - Circular economy
Learning objectives
Define circular economy in relation to waste management
Understand poverty reduction in relation to the application of the circular
economy approach
Content
1. The Circular Economy System and definitions;
2. Materials Flow;
3. Environmental and economic benefits;
4. Circular Economy and social benefits - reduction of poverty in the informal
sector;
5. Sectorial opportunities - examples;
6. Circular Economy case studies;

In this session, we will introduce the concept of
Circular Economy.
Understand the concept of Circular Economy
Know the two types of product cycles
Understand why solid waste management is key to
achieve Circular Economy

Linear versus Circular economy
Linear Take , make ,use and discard – based on the false premise that
resources are infinitely available and accessible at a
reasonable money in terms of money and environmental
impact
Circular

Nature its self is circular as a result circular
economy is inspired by nature
Look the food webs
Biological (consumer product) versus technical
materials (use to make service products)

Biological materials are products of plants,
animals, and other microorganisms and
therefore are regenerative materials with
renewable potential.
Technical materials require significant processing
to become useful, biodegrade over a timeframe
much longer than their service life, or produce
pollution in the degradation process.

The Three Pillars of Circular Economy
1. Eliminate Waste and Pollution (Design Out Waste) Definition: The circular economy begins at the design stage. By
designing products for durability, reuse, and recycling, waste is eliminated before it is created.
Practical Examples:
 Packaging Design: Companies replacing plastic packaging with biodegradable, mushroom-based materials (mycelium)
that decompose safely.
 Anti-Obsolescence: Designing smartphones with modular parts that are easily replaceable, rather than forcing a total
replacement of the device
2. Circulate Products and Materials (Keep in Use) Definition: Materials are kept in use at their highest value, whether through
repairing, reusing, refurbishing, or recycling, creating a closed loop.
Practical Examples:
 Product-as-a-Service: Philips leasing medical imaging equipment (MRI machines) instead of selling them, allowing them
to manage maintenance, refurbishment, and eventual recycling of components.
 Sharing Economy: Platforms like Rent the Runway or tools for sharing bikes and electric vehicles in cities decrease the
need for individual ownership.
3. Regenerate Nature Definition: Moving beyond just doing "less harm" to actually improving the environment. This involves
returning valuable nutrients to the soil and ecosystems.
Practical Examples:
 Agricultural Practices: Regenerative farming that uses composted food waste to return nutrients to the soil, boosting soil
health rather than depleting it.
 Waste-to-Resource: Companies collecting food waste to create new materials, such as bioplastics, or using pallets for
urban furniture.

Biological materials are regenerative, nutrient-
based, and renewable, designed to return to
nature through biodegradation. Conversely,
technical materials are typically artificial, non-
biodegradable, and rely on reuse, repair, or
recycling within a closed-loop system, often
creating waste if not managed properly

Key principles distinguishing them include:
Lifecycle & Metabolism:
Biological: Derived from nature and returned to it via composting or anaerobic
digestion, acting as nutrients.
Technical: Man-made materials (plastics, alloys) that do not safely degrade; they
require industrial processing (recycling, refurbishing) to retain value.
Regeneration vs. Reuse:
Biological: "Regenerative" in nature, meaning they grow and can be replenished.
Technical: Focused on "technical cycles," where materials are maintained at their
highest value for as long as possible via reuse or remanufacturing. Source &
Composition:
Biological: Usually organic (wood, cotton, food waste).
Technical: Synthetic or refined materials, often selected for strength and durability over
longevity.

The three principles of recycling, often called the 3
R's of waste management, are Reduce, Reuse,
and Recycle. They are listed in order of
environmental importance to minimize waste
generation, conserve resources, and reduce
pollution.

The circular economy is a sustainability framework
designed to move away from the "take-make-
waste" linear model, built on three core principles:
1. eliminating waste and pollution,
2. circulating products and materials at their
highest value, and
3. regenerating nature.
It aims to decouple economic growth from resource
consumption.

THREE types of recycling
Material
composition the
product
The three main types of recycling are primary (closed-loop), secondary
(upcycling), and tertiary (chemical/mechanical) recycling. Primary keeps
materials in their original form, secondary modifies materials without changing
their composition, and tertiary breaks materials down to their raw materials for
reprocessing.
Quailty of the
product
Recycling, upcycling, and downcycling are three distinct waste management
methods to handle materials. Recycling reprocesses waste into similar-quality
materials. Upcycling transforms waste into products of higher value or
quality. Downcycling converts materials into lower-quality products, reducing
their value and utility.

Circular by design Products in the circular
economy, EEA, 2017
Closing the loop, New circular economy
package, EEA, 2016
More information available here:
WEF (various youtube videos)
European Parliament
Ellen MacArthur Foundation

4-2 Materials Flow
In this session, we will introduce a method called
Materials Flow analysis.
Understand the concept of materials flow analysis
Give examples of the main elements of materials
flow analysis

Application of material flow analysis for plastic waste management in the Republic of Korea

Core Elements and Components of MFA :-
 System Boundary: Defines the spatial (e.g., city, factory, nation) and temporal
(e.g., one year) limits of the study.
 Materials (Goods and Substances): Goods represent materials with economic
value (food, products), while substances are chemical elements or compounds
(e.g., C, N, P, heavy metals).
 Processes: Components that transform, transport, or store materials, such as
production units, households, or waste treatment plants.
 Flows: The mass per time (e.g., ton/year) of material moving between processes
or crossing system boundaries (import/export).
 Stocks: The storage of materials within a process over time, representing the
accumulation of resources.
 Indicators/Parameters: Specific data (concentration, transfer coefficients) used to
quantify flows and evaluate system performance, such as efficiency or recycling
rates.

4-3 Environmental and economic benefits
In this session, we will see the environmental and
economic benefits of a Circular Economy.
Know the environmental benefits of a circular
economy
Know the economic benefits of a circular economy

Principle 1 Desing out waste and pollution to reduce GHG emissions across the
value chain
Principle 2 Keep products and materials in use to retain embodied energy (others
water , labor , etc.) in products and materials
Principle 3 Regenerate natural systems to sequester carbon in soil and products

The circular economy: reconciling economic growth
with the environment, Institut Montaigne, 2016
GROWTH WITHIN: A CIRCULAR ECONOMY VISION
FOR A COMPETITIVE EUROPE, Ellen MacArthur
Foundation & McKinsey Center for Business and
Environment & SUN, 2015
content.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/m/3d4eba36b0
311c08/original/Growth-within-A-circular-economy-vis
ion-for-a-competitive-europe.pdf

Characteristics of informal waste pickers
Informal waste pickers are typically low-income
individuals, including women, children, and the
elderly, who salvage recyclables (plastics, metals,
paper) from waste streams to earn a livelihood.
They operate without formal contracts or social
protections, often facing hazardous conditions,
social stigmatization, and police persecution.

Key characteristics include:
Marginalized Status: They are often among the poorest residents, lacking formal
education and stable employment.
Hazardous Working Conditions: They work directly with garbage, leading to high risks
of injury, respiratory illnesses, skin infections, and other long-term health issues.
Economic Role: Despite their low status, they serve as a crucial, undervalued
component of the waste management chain and circular economy, reducing waste
volume by retrieving materials.
Uncertain Income: Earnings are low and fluctuate, based on the volume of materials
collected and market prices, often leaving them in a cycle of poverty.
Working Hours: They often work long, strenuous hours (frequently 8–10 hours a day).
Organization: While mostly informal, they may organize into cooperatives or
associations to gain recognition, better working conditions, and better access to
resources

Five economic sectors
1. Primary Sector (Extraction): Involves obtaining raw materials directly from the
earth. Examples include farming, mining, fishing, and forestry.
2. Secondary Sector (Manufacturing): Transforms raw materials into finished
goods. This includes factory production, automobile manufacturing, and
construction.
3. Tertiary Sector (Services): Provides services to consumers and businesses
rather than producing goods. Examples include retail, transportation, healthcare,
and tourism.
4. Quaternary Sector (Knowledge/Technology): Focuses on intellectual activities,
information technology, research and development, and financial services.
5. Quinary Sector (Leadership/Non-profit): Includes top-level decision-making in
government, corporate, and non-profit organizations, including executives and
high-level officials

A circular economy provides a comparative
advantage by replacing "take-make-waste"
models with regenerative systems that optimize
resource use, reducing production costs,
mitigating scarcity risks, and fostering innovation.
It drives value creation across all sectors by
focusing on reuse, repairing, and recycling,
ultimately improving competitiveness and
enabling sustainable growth.

Comparative Advantages in the Five Economic Sectors:
 Primary Sector (Agriculture/Mining): Regenerates natural systems, reduces reliance
on finite virgin resources, and optimizes resource extraction. It fosters sustainable
farming (agroforestry) and reduces dependency on synthetic fertilizers.
 Secondary Sector (Manufacturing/Production): Promotes resource efficiency,
remanufacturing, and closed-loop systems. This lowers material costs, reduces
dependency on imported raw materials, and differentiates products through
sustainability.
 Tertiary Sector (Services/Retail): Facilitates "Product as a Service" (PaaS) models
(e.g., leasing, sharing), maximizing product lifespans and increasing customer retention.
 Quaternary Sector (Technology/Innovation): Drives investment in new technologies,
such as advanced recycling, digital platforms for material tracking, and AI-driven,
sustainable product design.
 Quinary Sector (Governance/Waste Management): Enables waste-to-resource
transformation, creating new industries based on recycling and reducing the
environmental cost of landfilling.

Circular Economy in India: Rethinking growth for long-term
prosperity, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2016
Circular economy business models for the manufacturing industry,
Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, Technology industries of Finland,
Accenture, 2018
Destination: A circular tourism economy, A handbook for transitioning
toward a circular economy within the tourism and hospitality
sectors in the South Baltic Region, Centre for Regional and Tourism
Research, Denmark, 2018
Circular Economy in travel and tourism: A conceptual framework for a
sustainable, resilient and future proof industry transition, Einarsson
S. and Sorin F, CE360 Alliance, 2020

4-4 Circular Economy and Social benefits -
Reduction of poverty in the Informal sector

Africa Waste Management Outlook, UNEP, 2018
The Economics of the Informal Sector in Solid
Waste Management, GIZ, 2011
Integrating the informal sector for improved
waste management, Eawag, 2010
Recovering resources, creating opportunities,
GIZ, 2011

Module 5 - Biowaste composting
Learning objectives
Understand the principles of Biowaste and its importance on waste minimization
Describe the food waste situation and your role in its prevention
1. Content
2. Definition of Biowaste, physicochemical characteristics and examples;
3. Sourcing biowaste; the issue of waste segregation and packaging;
4. Food waste;
5. Composting as a process;
6. Composting technologies;
7. Mixing biowaste types for suitable composting;
8. Anaerobic digestion (biogas);
9. Overview of biowaste treatment technologies;
10. Legislative considerations.

Comprehensive Waste Management Training: Policies, Systems, and Circular Economy

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