Washing of residues from the circular economy prior to sustainable landfill: Effects on long-term impacts

Exploring the hidden chemical landscape: Non-target and suspect screening analysis for investigating solid waste-associated environments

Solid waste is an inevitable consequence of urbanization. It can be safely managed in municipal landfills and processing plants for volume reduction or material reuse, including organic solid waste. However, solid waste can also be discarded in (un-)authorized dumping sites or inadvertently released into the environment. Legacy and emerging contaminants have the potential to leach from solid waste, making it a significant pathway to the environment. Non-target screening (NTS) and suspect screening analysis (SSA) have become helpful tools in environmental science for the simultaneous analysis of a wide range of chemical compounds. However, the application of these analytical approaches to environmental samples related to Raw or Processed Solid Waste (RPSW) has been largely neglected so far. This perspective review examines the potential and policy relevance of NTS and SSA applied to waste-related samples (liquid, gaseous and solid). It addresses the hurdles associated with the chemical safety of solid waste accumulation, processing, and reuse, and the need for landfill traceability, as well as effectiveness of leachate treatments. We reviewed the current applications of NTS and SSA to environmental samples of RPSW, as well as the potential adaptation of NTS and SSA techniques from related fields, such as oilfield and metabolomics, to the solid waste domain. Despite the ongoing technical challenges, this review highlights the significant potential for the implementation of NTS and SSA approaches in solid waste management and related scientific fields and provides support and guidance to the regulatory authorities.

Waste management developments in the last five decades: Asian perspective

Solid waste management was explored in Asia's last five decades, and the issues and challenges were identified. Waste generation has increased in all nations in the previous 50 years, although more recently, a declining trend has been observed in Japan and Korea. The composition has been predominantly organic, with 45-50% being kitchen waste. Material extraction and productivity to sustain the most populous part of the globe are explained. Waste management technologies have evolved, with more nations slowly transitioning from landfills to using waste-to-energy options. However, landfilling and open dumps are still the major disposal choice in most developing countries in Asia. Thus, the issues of concern include dumpsites management, the informal sector, waste collection, open burning and food waste. Changes (increasing trends) in the recycling technologies and quantum are evident, as seen in several country reports from India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. There are several issues and challenges for recycling, which are explored in the text. Lastly, the drivers that propel the whole scenario of waste management in Asia and the evolution of these drivers over time are discussed. Several recommendations are included to achieve sustainable waste management in Asia.